Fledgling curling team is new to the ice and Canada

A group of P.E.I. newcomers has enthusiastically taken up curling, and the organizer thinks it's one step toward keeping the sport alive in the province.

The PEI Association for Newcomers to Canada had held learn-to-curl nights in the past, but found it was difficult to keep people coming back.

This year, the association's executive director who's also been a curler for 50 years set out on his own to launch a team.

"I'm not even sure if any of them had seen the sport, maybe on television but they really didn't know very much about it," said organizerCraig Mackie.

"So they are starting at zero and they've come a very long way in such a short period of time."

Amy Zhang, who has been on the Island for six years, said curling is the first winter sport to stick for her.

"I [tried] other Canadian sports like ski and skate but I found I couldn't balance on the skis or the skates."

She said it was a little difficult curling at first too.

"But Craig gave us lots of encouragement, so we say OK, we can try one by one, little by little and then we find we can do this sport."

Thomas Gong said he likes that curling is a typically Canadian sport. Plus, he enjoys the strategy.

"When I play I feel co-operation with other members so important so we can co-operate [with] each other, we make very big fun. So I like it very much."

Getting new people into the sport, like his team, is one key to keeping curling alive on the Island, said Mackie.

"We're all getting older and we need to start bringing younger people into the sport who will, we hope, will have the same enthusiasm for it," he said.

"And then maybe they will energize their friends and their neighbours to come out and try the sport. So the more we can get out, the more we can build back into curling."

The other teams at the club are happy to see the new faces and that has made the newcomers feel welcome.

More learn-to-curl nights for newcomers will take place at the Cornwall Curling Club the next two Sunday evenings.