By Sarah Mather
Curlers will be sweeping across Ottawa as some of Ontario’s best players come to compete in the 23rd annual Ontario deaf curling championships this month.
The Ottawa Deaf Sports Club is hosting the event at the
Ottawa Curling Club from Nov. 19-21.
Only mixed teams of two women and two men will compete. The Ottawa Deaf Curling Club (ODCC) expects about four Ottawa teams to participate.
David Morton, chairman of the Ontario deaf curling championships and a player, says
Ottawa has a good chance of winning.
“I feel Ottawa will do good because we are strong. We have a strong deaf league in Ottawa,” says Morton, who will be playing at the championships.
Morton has competed before in the men’s categories but says this is his first time in mixed curling championships at the provincial level.
Although Morton admits it may be a challenge for his team because this is their first time playing together, he is confident in their ability because they are all experienced players.
Last year Ottawa won the provincial title when they defeated London in the final held in Trenton. “They were doing well and [it was] a good game,” says Theresa Ullett, the ODCC president, in an e-mail.
Deaf curling is played the same as hearing curling. However, deaf players find it easier to play in a separate league because they can communicate with each other easier.
Some players, like Morton, play on both hearing and deaf curling teams.
“The deaf people prefer to have their own league because communicating is much easier. It has no affection for the deaf people who can play curling with the hearing people,” says Ullett.
Les Sicoli, a longtime ODCC player, says Ottawa has won 12 of 26 past competitions. “Ottawa’s always been a heavy favourite for mixed,” he says.
Sicoli has spent his life curling and remains a keen player
“I am an avid curler myself. I have been with the ODCC for the past 23 years but have been curling for 40 years…but I’m getting old now,” he jokes.
He has played in many Ontario and Canadian curling championships and is looking forward to this year’s games.
This year, the winning Ontario team will go on to compete at the 27th annual deaf curling championships being held in Saskatoon this April.
The ODCC is the longest running curling club in Ontario. In fact, the club just recently celebrated its 25th anniversary last month.
The club, initially called the Ottawa Silent Athletic Club – Curling, held its first meeting after playing Saturday afternoon games at the Nepean Sportsplex.
The Ottawa players feel they are at an advantage at the provincial level because the city has a close deaf curling community that has existed for a long time.
The ODCC members meet every Friday at the Granite Curling Club to play.
“Ottawa has a very strong curling deaf community,” says Sicoli.
Any fans interested in watching top-notch curling can go to the Ottawa Curling Club on O’Connor Street.