By Canadian Press

Northern Exposure: After one-year absence, Nunavut returns to Tournament of Hearts

Feb 11, 2025 | 9:28 AM

When Colin Hodgson attended his first meeting with members of the Nunavut curling team that will play at the Canadian women’s championship, he asked everyone why they wanted to be involved.

“The answers I got back were to continue to promote curling in the north and to continue to foster the game,” Hodgson said. “That was something that for me, was exactly what I wanted to hear.”

Hodgson will coach the Nunavut entry skipped by import Julia Weagle that’s making its return after missing the Scotties Tournament of Hearts last year. Sadie Pinksen, Leigh Gustafson and Alison Taylor round out the foursome.

Nunavut begins round-robin play Saturday against Alberta’s Selena Sturmay at the Fort William Gardens in Thunder Bay, Ont.

“We’re expecting it to be a tough week, we’re setting realistic goals,” Weagle said in a recent interview. “Our goals are to represent ourselves and the territory and our sponsors as well as we can. Our focus really is on growing the sport in Iqaluit.

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“It’s our first year together and we’re just looking to have a good week and then build on that from there.”

Hodgson, 34, who stepped back from the game in 2023 after six career Brier appearances, said Weagle reached out to see if he’d be interested in helping them on their journey.

“To get the opportunity to work with a team from the north, that was something I just really couldn’t say no to,” Hodgson said.

Weagle’s father, Ted, curls at the same Ottawa club as Gustafson’s father, Jack. They were chatting about the Nunavut idea last year, put the players in touch, and after some conversations and video calls, plans were put in motion, Julia said.

“We all felt pretty good about it, so we thought we’d give it a shot for this year,” she said.

The players met in Ottawa last October to practise and play in a local cashspiel. Weagle went to Iqaluit for the first time in November for training sessions and clinics before returning for more games last month.

“I was kind of happily retired until this opportunity came along,” said Weagle, 36, who previously played for Trent University and Algonquin College. “It seemed like a good way to balance life, work and health, and also be playing competitively and growing the game in their community.”

Even though he stepped away from competitive play, Hodgson is still keen to promote curling — especially in northern communities.

He worked with Curling Canada in 2023 by travelling to the remote town of Chisasibi in northern Quebec. Two sheets of curling ice were created on the local hockey rink and learn-to-curl sessions drew participants young and old.

“It’s about building the legacy for the sport in the future,” he said. “Curling is a sport that literally anyone can play.”

Hodgson returned last April for the Chisasibi Curling Classic. He was joined by Kerri Einarson, the sibling trio of Kerry Galusha and Kevin and Jamie Koe, curling great Al Hackner and others.

“With the different communities, I see how beautiful collaboration can be,” said Hodgson, who’s from the northern Ontario town of Red Lake. “It just often takes some time and effort for people to want to be a part of that, fostering positive change and acceptance across the sport. I have gained that truly through sport and especially through curling.”

The Nunavut Curling Association did not send a team to the 2024 Scotties, citing a smaller pool of competitive players and the temporary closure of the territory’s lone active curling facility.

The four-sheet Iqaluit Curling Club was used as a backup location for a television production ahead of the playdowns.

“I’m very pleased and excited to see that we have our Scotties team back at the event,” said club president Peter Van Strien, who’s also the NCA’s secretary-treasurer. “They can scare some teams. We know that we’re always in tough at the big national events.

“But every once in a while, some magic can happen.”

Taylor and Pinksen were on the Nunavut side that went 0-8 in 2023 with skip Brigitte MacPhail. Gustafson served as team alternate.

Nunavut made its Scotties debut in 2016 but didn’t make it out of the qualifying draw that was used that year. The territory is 4-48 all-time at the nationals.

For Hodgson, continuous representation is what’s important, he said, adding he was “very excited” to work with a team from the north.

“I don’t believe that winning at all costs is the most important thing,” he said. “It’s about representation and learning what your best is. That’s the goal. Figuring out how far we can go and how we can improve.

“The team is putting in that work.”

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Feb. 11, 2025.

Gregory Strong, The Canadian Press