Cheryl Innes is the co-chair of the mixed doubles curling provincial championships at the Liverpool Curling Club, starting Jan. 30. (Rick Conrad)
Queens County curling fans will have another chance to take in some fast-paced mixed doubles action with the provincial championships set for Liverpool this week.
Eight teams will be competing at the Liverpool Curling Club for the chance to represent Nova Scotia at the 2025 Canadian Mixed Doubles Curling Championship in Summerside.
The provincials begin Thurs., Jan. 30 and run to Sun., Feb. 2.
Cheryl Innes is the co-chair of the event with Tyler Dorey.
“The public is welcome,” Innes said. “We are not charging admission, we’re just going to be asking for some donations for the club. There will be lots of good food and beverages and great entertainment, the province’s best mixed doubles will be here competing for the provincial title.”
One of the teams competing will be a Liverpool pair — Megan Trimm and Matt Sheffield, who also happen to be coaches in the junior curling program at the club.
“Hoping we get lots of support from our club members to cheer them on. I’m really hoping that all of our juniors come out to cheer on Megan and Matt.”
A curling icon will also be in the house. Two-time world champion Colleen Jones will be there as a coach for her son Luke Saunders and his partner Marlee Powers.
Powers and Saunders are the defending Nova Scotia champions.
“We’re excited to have her here again. She’s great.”
Innes says she hopes that the success of the recent Canadian mixed doubles curling trials held in Liverpool will get people back out for the provincial championships.
“I think a lot of people that aren’t involved in curling came out to watch mixed doubles for the first time and really enjoyed it so hopefully that will engage some of our community to come out to this event as well. It will be very exciting.”
Innes says it’s a much different kind of curling action compared to the traditional four-to-a-team curling.
“It’s a very fast game. There’s only two players, so players are either throwing or they’re skipping. There’s a lot of action, a lot of rocks stay in the rings … It’s a really interesting, strategic game, lots of freezes, lots of rocks in the rings and then lots of takeouts, so it’s a really quick, exciting game.”
Three draws are scheduled for each day, with the first draw kicking off Thursday afternoon at 12:30. The final is on Sunday at 10 a.m.
More information will be available on the Liverpool Curling Club’s Facebook page.
The Region of Queens has reached a deal with Renewall Energy to supply electricity from the Mersey River Wind farm. (Renewall Energy Inc.)
The Region of Queens will be using wind energy produced in their own backyard to keep the lights on in municipal properties.
The municipality will be one of the first customers of the Mersey River Wind Project, set to begin operating in 2026.
Halifax-based Roswall Development Inc. are the owners of Mersey River Wind. It plans to build 33 wind turbines on about 80 hectares of Crown land west of the Mersey River in Milton.
Roswall will sell power directly to customers, bypassing Nova Scotia Power, under the name Renewall Energy. Roswall is the first in the province to be awarded a licence to sell power directly to consumers under the Renewable to Retail program introduced in 2015.
It will deliver electricity using Nova Scotia Power’s grid, but customers will be billed directly by Renewall. They want to sign up commercial users first and then open it up to residential customers.
Region of Queens councillors voted last March to allow the project to go ahead.
Sometime after that, the region signed a deal with the company to get its electricity from the wind farm. It will be among 30 government, commercial and industrial customers who have signed up so far.
It appears councillors approved the deal in a closed-door session at some point before the end of 2024, under the old municipal council. The agreement was never discussed in an open council meeting.
And even the region’s recently elected Mayor Scott Christian couldn’t give QCCR the details.
But he said he’s happy about the agreement with Roswall.
“I know that it was council directed the municipality to enter an agreement with Roswall with respect to being a customer,” Christian said Thursday in an interview, “but I don’t know the number of megawatts or the duration of the deal or when that actually would have been advanced by the administration. I don’t know those details right now.
“I think we should be proud and I don’t see any reason why any of that can’t come to light.”
Queens isn’t the only municipality to sign up. The Halifax region, the Town of Bridgewater and the Municipality of Shelburne have also signed deals with Renewall.
According to a staff report last October for the Municipality of Shelburne, the deal with Renewall could see that municipality saving up to $500,000 over 20 years in electricity costs.
Renewall’s presentation to Shelburne’s municipal council said they offer rates two to five per cent lower than Nova Scotia Power’s rates in the first year of an agreement, with a fixed increase of one per cent each year over a 20-year contract.
Roswall CEO Dan Roscoe told QCCR that the wind farm could be supplying electricity to customers by the end of 2026. The company is scheduled to begin construction of the basic infrastructure this spring, with turbines set to arrive in the spring of 2026.
“The key feature of our rates is that they’re fixed over time,” Roscoe said. “The energy portion would be essentially predictable over the term of the contract, so that creates a certainty from a power price perspective that isn’t available with the public utility.”
Roscoe said that in addition to the municipalities signed up so far, they’ve also signed up some private-sector customers too, some of which are on the South Shore.
He said that many of their early customers want a greener option, either because their customers or governments are demanding it. Another reason is purely practical.
“Large energy users, and I think this applies to the public sector entities as well, that have perhaps fixed budgets, having predictability is actually very valuable, especially if electricity is a big percentage of your expenses.
“So the larger energy users, if they can get a hedge on their power price, that’s very advantageous for them.”
An added bonus for the Region of Queens is the expected annual tax revenue boost of up to $800,000 from the wind farm. Christian said switching to renewable energy is a no-brainer.
“In terms of realizing savings for the ratepayer, savings for the municipality as it relates to our energy consumption, we’re big energy consumers, we spend a lot of money on electricity, and so where we can realize savings while also achieving meaningful progress toward greening our facilities and reducing carbon emissions associated with energy for our facilities, it feels win-win-win to me.”
(Transition House Association of Nova Scotia Facebook page)
A transition house in Bridgewater is trying to expand the services it offers in Queens County.
Harbour Houseprovides round-the-clock support for women and children in Lunenburg and Queens counties. And Queens County residents can access emergency shelter and transitional housing through Harbour House if needed.
It provides the only services in Queens County for women and children dealing with domestic violence.
There is no permanent physical location in the area for people to access Harbour House services. But they’re working to change that.
Kelly Ann Hamshaw, executive director of the South Shore Transition House Association which operates Harbour House, says they’re trying to get office space in Liverpool so that Queens County residents have a safe, secure and reliable spot to access services on a certain day each week.
“There’s a notable increase in demand for our services, both anonymously or in our emergency shelter or for our outreach programs and services across both regions, both in Lunenburg and Queens,” Hamshaw said in an interview.
The association asked the Region of Queens last year for funding of up to $5,000 to help with that. But because of the rules of the municipality’s Community Investment Fund, councillors approved funding of $1,250.
“We were wanting to have a presence in Queens County on a regular and consistent date or day so that individuals who wanted to stop in and come see us and access support would be able to do that,” Hamshaw says.
“But we will travel to meet individual women and make arrangements for a safe, secure place to meet them. We just wanted to have a more regular and frequent, secure location. … We have a desire to expand our service reach in Queens County.”
Transition houses around the province are calling for more support for people fleeing domestic violence.
Police say six women have been killed in Nova Scotia in the past three months by their male partners.
The Transition House Association of Nova Scotia says its member organizations supported about 4,500 women and children in abusive situations in 2024. It says the problem is only getting worse.
The Nova Scotia government declared intimate partner violence an epidemic last September and increased funding to transition houses across the province. But organizations that help people in abusive situations say more resources need to be directed to address the problem.
District 2 Coun. Maddie Charlton raised the issue of more funding for the South Shore Transition House Association at a council meeting in May. She told QCCR recently that ultimately, she’d like to see a secure shelter space locally for people fleeing abusive situations.
“I would like to see something permanent pop up in Queens so that we have our residents who want to access these services here who can stay in the community if they wish,” Charlton said.
“I think those conversations should happen as soon as possible and take some initiatives if we can because those numbers are terrifying. It’s becoming a pattern that you don’t want to see.”
Hamshaw said that people who need support or counselling in Queens County can access Harbour House’s services 24 hours a day, seven days a week.
“All of our services are available to women seeking support from Harbour House in any area of Queens County. So they just need to reach out and make arrangements. So that would be safety planning, supportive counseling, perhaps assistance navigating the justice system, and any other supports that a woman may require. … Our professionally trained support workers are here to support the citizens of Queens County. … And we’ll make appointments to meet women in their community at a safe place.
“What’s important for everybody to know is that Harbour House is available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, 365 days a year. Women can call us any time at 902-543-3999. And if somebody is in immediate danger, we always encourage them to call 911. Another thing if you know someone in an abusive relationship, it’s important to listen without judgment, validate their feelings and encourage them to seek support from professionals like us at Harbour House.”
Hamshaw says many people in abusive situations call anonymously, or they’re not ready or able to leave. Counsellors work with women to offer support and to create a plan they’re comfortable with.
“We do provide emergency shelter, which is safe refuge for individuals who need to come into our emergency shelter. A big part of what we do is counseling. So not all women are ready to access our emergency shelter or to end their relationships, but they do want support in navigating healthier relationships, boundaries, or safety planning or counselling after experiencing the trauma of leaving an abusive or domestic violence situation.
“Ultimately, we want to empower women to make choices that are best for them and their families. And we’re here to support them as they make those choices and provide the options that are available to them. So if a woman chooses that she would like to access emergency shelter, we have a network of shelters across the province. So not all women are going to feel safe in a community where the person causing harm resides or works.
“So a woman may call Harbour House, but makes a choice to go to another shelter under our umbrella that they feel safe and secure in. Some women may choose to stay near for things like child care, employment, or access to school, or even their support network in the community.”
WHERE TO GO FOR HELP
Harbour House services are open to Queens County women and families year-round, at 1-902-543-3999 or toll free at 1-888-543-3999 or by text at 1-902-514-4019. You can also visit their website here.
People can also call 211 or go online at ns.211.ca to access services in their area.
You can also call the Transition House Association of Nova Scotia toll-free line at 1-855-225-0220. Or visit their website here.
Nova Scotia Health has paused the text message notification feature for appointments on the YourHealthNS app.. (Nova Scotia Government YouTube channel)
Nova Scotia Health is still working on glitches in its new text message and appointment reminder service through the YourHealthNS app.
It suspended the new features last Wednesday when some people reported getting incorrect information about their appointments.
At least 2,100 texts, or about 10 per cent of all messages, were sent to phones with the wrong information. Other messages weren’t clear whether the appointment was in-person or virtual. And some got notices of appointments that didn’t even exist.
Nova Scotia Health said Monday that it has introduced a seven-day delay before appointments appear in the YourHealthNS app.
Appointments will only appear for the coming month. And notifications will be stopped on specialist appointments not made through hospital booking systems, like private clinics.
The text message reminder feature will be on hold while officials test the changes and make sure they work properly, Nova Scotia Health said.
The Region of Queens has appointed Dan McDougall as interim CAO. (Rick Conrad)
The Region of Queens has hired an interim chief administrative officer while it looks for a permanent replacement for Cody Joudry.
Dan McDougall will take over CAO duties from acting CAO Pam Lovelace, who will return to her job as municipal clerk. Lovelace, a one-term Halifax councillor and unsuccessful mayoral candidate, was hired in December.
McDougall has done the top job before at Queens. He was the interim CAO in 2023 after Chris McNeill resigned.
McDougall will fill in as CAO until the region finds a replacement for Cody Joudry, whom the newly elected council fired on Dec. 16, saying he wasn’t the right “fit”.
McDougall is a former CAO of the Municipality of Chester and for the Municipality of Colchester County. He has also worked for the province, as CEO of Housing Nova Scotia, and deputy minister of the Department of Municipal Affairs.
“Dan is a very accomplished executive manager with a proven track record supporting municipalities,” Mayor Scott Christian said in a news release.
“Council felt that it was very important to install an interim CAO who comes with a wealth of experience as a CAO, a strong reputation in the local government sector, and who does not want the permanent job, assuring that they can objectively support the organization through a robust recruitment process to identify the best candidate for the role.”
Council had hired Joudry in September 2023. The region had been without a full-time CAO since that May, when McNeill resigned.
The Region of Queens has reached a deal with its striking public works employees. (Rick Conrad)
UPDATED 2:55 p.m. Thursday
The Region of Queens and its striking 38 public works employees have reached a deal.
Local 1928 of the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers voted 32-5 around 6 p.m. Wednesday to accept the region’s latest offer.
Jim Sponagle, the local’s business manager, told QCCR Wednesday night that it was hard to turn down.
“They came back with a financial offer that certainly we couldn’t overlook, couldn’t turn away. I felt it was a significant move from where we were,” he said.
“I think overwhelmingly (union members) were pretty happy with the deal.”
The main issues in negotiations were better wages, overtime protections and keeping temporary employees in the bargaining unit. The last contract expired March 31. The new contract runs from April 1, 2024 to March 31, 2027.
The union said their members were some of the lowest paid municipal workers in Atlantic Canada.
They had been on strike since last Thursday, saying that the region’s latest offer wasn’t any better than the one members resoundingly rejected in mid-December.
Sponagle said the region improved its offer this week and it addressed much of the union’s concerns about wages. But he said the region said it needed the flexibility to call some employees in to work on weekends without paying overtime.
Sponagle said some members weren’t happy with that, but the majority supported the deal.
“At the end of the day, you can’t win every battle. … You can only do your best. I believe I left it all on the table and we couldn’t make any traction with that part of the agreement.”
About 20 supporters of the strikers showed up at Tuesday’s regional council meeting to urge councillors to tell the region’s negotiators to get back to the bargaining table and get a deal. That evening, the municipality gave the union a new offer.
Some family members of the workers told councillors they were ashamed of how the region’s negotiators had treated the employees.
“I think it had a significant impact,” Sponagle said. “The public put pressure on the mayor and council to do their job.”
It’s a three-year deal retroactive to March 31, with the first year giving raises to all members of $4 an hour or more, with 2.5 per cent increases in the second and third years of the deal.
Council ratified the deal in a closed-door session on Thursday morning. Mayor Scott Christian told QCCR that he was grateful the deal was reached.
“These folks have historically been underpaid and our council is pleased to be able to sign a deal with wages that reflect the value that these folks have for our organization and the importance of them to be able to receive a living wage and support their families and themselves.”
Christian read a statement at a short council meeting after the deal was ratified. He said that while he was happy with the deal, he was also upset by some of the comments people made about the region’s managers online.
“I’m unsettled by a number of public allegations and unsubstantiated claims and personal attacks towards some of the region’s employees,” he said.
“ Everyone in our community deserves to be respected, everyone in this organization deserves to be respected, and as your mayor, I need to ensure that all employees, including non-unionized staff and management of this organization, receive that respect, specifically, our (acting) CAO Pam Lovelace and our director of engineering and public works Adam Grant received an incredible amount of personal attacks throughout the later stages of this process as it became contentious.
“I won’t stand in silence as any employee of this organization, including my fellow councillors, are harassed, attacked or bullied.”
Christian said some comments were “pretty intense personal attacks”, with some people calling for Lovelace and Grant to be fired.
As talks broke down, tensions increased, with union members’ supporters pressuring councillors to step in and direct their negotiators to get a deal done.
Some supporters at Tuesday’s meeting were upset by comments made by Lovelace about the union refusing to return to the bargaining table. They were also upset that she tried to downplay the number of employees on strike.
“But there are going to be tough times, there are going to be unpopular decisions, there are going to be mistakes made,” Christian told QCCR, “and we all need to do better and the organization needs to do better to make sure that those appropriate channels are in place so that if there are frustrations and complaints and grievances within our community that there are good established channels to address those things.”
The region is still claiming that temporary employees are not members of the bargaining unit. The union’s unfair labour practices complaints about that are still outstanding. Dates have not been set yet for that hearing.
Christian said he believes most employees will be back on the job by Monday. And he said the region plans to hire experts to help address those tensions, calm things down and ensure that all employees return to a supportive workplace.
Striking public works employees with the Region of Queens were back on the picket line Tuesday in Liverpool. (Rick Conrad photo)
Supporters of striking Region of Queens workers blasted elected councillors on Tuesday, demanding that they show some leadership in the dispute.
They want the mayor and councillors to tell the region’s negotiators to return to the bargaining table and settle the strike.
Thirty-eight members of Local 1928 of the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers have been on the picket line since Thursday. The union says they are some of the lowest-paid municipal workers in Atlantic Canada.
The region does not dispute that, but says it’s been trying to address those inequities in contract negotiations that have been going on for about a year.
Some positions pay less than $18 an hour, with some people on Tuesday saying that they can’t afford to support their families.
Family and friends of the striking public works employees told councillors at their regular meeting on Tuesday that they were ashamed of how the region has treated the workers. Elected officials do not get involved directly with labour negotiations, but can set the tone for the region’s negotiators.
Wages, overtime protections and even who’s in or out of the bargaining unit are the main sticking points in the dispute.
Meghan MacAdams was one of the people who spoke to council during the public presentation portion of the meeting. As striking workers picketed outside, she read out the names of the 36 employees.
Her partner has worked with the region for six years. In a recent CBC story, the region’s acting CAO Pam Lovelace claimed that only 20 employees were affected.
“Here is the individual handpicked by you all, acting as a representative of your side of the line, sharing inaccurate information,” MacAdams told councillors.
“ Was this an attempt to create a calmer narrative in which this issue was smaller than it really is, or is this simply a demonstration of how uninterested and uninvested the region has become in its workforce? What that one tiny detail told me, intentionally stated or not, is that those who run our county either can’t be trusted to provide us with truthful and accurate information, or they have become so disconnected with their employees they aren’t even aware of how many livelihoods they are toying with.
“Neither of these options sit well with me. Unfortunately, I see this as a clear indication of just how undervalued these men have become, which is one of the key issues in my opinion that has brought us to the divide we are at today. But I remain hopeful the region, the powers that be, will step up and make a fair and honest attempt at resolution. Our men deserve better.”
Debbie Wamboldt, a longtime community advocate and volunteer who spearheaded the successful fundraising drive for the popular inclusive play park in Liverpool, also expressed her frustration with the stalled talks.
“Most of you know me from the play park project,” she said.
“That took six years of my life to bring to this county because I was proud of where I come from. … But I have to say that I’m standing here before you as somebody who is no longer proud of where I come from. I’m not proud of where we’re standing.
“My husband has worked for the region for 20 years. We give our time to this community, and our community is standing behind us. And it’s your job now to stand behind us. We need to get back to the table, and our workers, my family, my friends, my husband’s colleagues, deserve better.
“This is shameful. This is really shameful.”
Before the strike, the region and the union had been negotiating to adjust job classifications and wage grids to bring Queens workers’ salaries more in line with other municipalities.
The region had commissioned a compensation review of unionized and non-unionized positions more than a year ago. That review has never been made public.
But in response, the previous council had agreed to boost salaries for some non-unionized positions.
Mayor Scott Christian says the wage parity study was the foundation for the region’s offer in the latest contract talks.
The region says adjusting salaries for some jobs would result in raises from 2.5 to 26 per cent. But talks stalled in mid-December after the region’s so-called final offer. About 97 per cent of employees voted for strike action.
Both sides met again last Tuesday with a provincially appointed conciliator. But union representative Jim Sponagle said the region’s offer hadn’t improved much from the one members had rejected. He said their wage offer amounted to about two per cent a year on top of adjusting for wage inequities.
Christian released a video on Facebook on Sunday, saying that he understands how challenging negotiations have been for employees and their families. He appealed for patience.
After Tuesday’s meeting, Christian and the rest of council were due to get an update on negotiations in a closed-door session. Before that, he said in an interview that councillors want a fair deal for workers, but one that doesn’t burden taxpayers.
He also said not all councillors have seen the wage review study, which he wants to be made public.
“I think it should be. It was something that I was very frustrated with before I ended up in this position as a resident that that wasn’t made publicly available. And so, I’m going to be asking our our staff here. and directing our staff here as to what elements or if that can be released, in in its entirety. We’ve seen we’ve seen portions of it. … There’s going to be more of that information provided to council today.
“To be honest, I’m not that comfortable with some of the tactics that have been employed by both sides of the negotiation. I feel like it has escalated and has become more contentious than it ought to have. … We’re going to be looking for direction from council as to (how) to de-escalate this, to get back to meaningful, productive conversations.
“We need both sides to come back to the table and with some humility, I think, and a willingness to concede and find a productive way forward. I agree the tone, the nature, the spirit of the thing has become really contentious and I’m not comfortable with it. I am going to meet with council and we’re going to … determine what we think is the appropriate next step with respect to directing the negotiating team moving forward.”
The striking workers are responsible for maintaining the region’s streets, sidewalks, parks and other properties. They also work in waste and recycling facilities as well as water and sewage treatment plants.
Their last contract expired March 31.
The region has said that services won’t be interrupted by the strike, with managers, supervisors and third-party contractors doing the work.
Residential property assessment values increased by 9.5 per cent in Queens County over last year. (Rick Conrad photo)
Nova Scotians should start getting their 2025 property assessments in the mail this week.
Annual notices were being mailed out on Monday, according to the Property Valuation Services Corporation.
It appears assessed house values have cooled a bit from the year before. Overall, total residential assessments in Nova Scotia increased by just over 11 per cent, or $16.1 billion. The value of residential properties in Queens County rose by 9.5 per cent, or $189.3 million.
2024 residential assessments rose by 25 per cent in Queens County, and by 19.6 per cent in Nova Scotia as a whole.
Overall, Nova Scotia commercial property assessments rose by 2.79 per cent, compared to 9.32 per cent the year before.
The independent, non-profit body says 2025 assessments are based on sales and financial data and reflect a market value as of Jan. 1, 2024, and the physical state of properties as of Dec. 1, 2024, including new construction, renovations, demolitions, and impacts from natural disasters.
Municipalities received the assessment roll for their region in mid-December.
Jeff Caddell, director of valuation standards for the Property Valuation Services Corporation, told QCCR on Monday that the residential market cooled in 2023 after the Covid boom, but then rebounded later in the year.
“There was still lots of demand for properties, and a lower supply of properties on the market than we had in previous years. And we saw interest rates starting to creep up in 2023 before stabilizing in the later half of 2023.”
Caddell said they’re beginning to analyze sales data from 2024 now, so it’s too early to know whether there’s any kind of trend.
“We’re monitoring those sales coming in now. It’s hard to say what the trend will be going through 2024.”
This year’s rate for the Capped Assessment Program is 1.5 per cent, the Consumer Price Index for Nova Scotia.
The CAP limits the annual increase in taxable assessment for eligible properties to no more than the annual inflation rate. About two-thirds of residential properties qualify for the CAP in 2025.
People are getting their assessment notices, just as the Nova Scotia government approved changes to limit the capped assessment value of homes rebuilt after the wildfires in 2023.
Premier Tim Houston announced in a news release Friday that people who have rebuilt homes destroyed in the wildfires in Halifax and Shelburne counties won’t see an increase in their capped assessment.
Caddell says assessors are happy to answer people’s questions about their property.
“There’s lots of property owners that contact us each year and it’s a great opportunity to engage with the property owner and talk about the market in their area, talk about their property specifically. If we can help somebody better understand the process, then we’re pleased with that.”
Residential and commercial property owners have until Feb. 13 to appeal their assessments.
Morgan Sampson, echocardiogram technician, and Queens General Hospital Foundation trustees Kelly Whalen, Kerry Morash, Janice Reynolds and Al Doucet with the new echocardiogram at Queens General Hospital in Liverpool. (Queens General Hospital Foundation photo)
Queens County residents will be able to stay closer to home for vital testing, thanks to an investment by the Queens General Hospital Foundation.
The foundation recently invested almost $400,000 to install a new echocardiogram and cardiopulmonary exercise testing machine at Queens General in Liverpool.
Al Doucet, a retired physician who is chairman of the hospital foundation, said that means that cardiologists and internal medicine specialists can now see more people here.
“They’re significant because they bring to Liverpool testing that otherwise was not available anywhere else, people had to travel for this,” Doucet told QCCR.
“But also, people that are in hospital, that are hospital patients, this equipment, especially the echocardiogram, it’s movable so that it can go up to the floors where people are sick so they don’t even have to come out of their hospital rooms and we can also use it on people who are sick in the emergency department.”
Queens General already has stress-testing equipment that involves patients using a treadmill to measure the heart’s response to physical activity.
But the new equipment uses a stationary bike to measure the response of your lungs as well. Internal medicine specialist Dr. Jeff Ratushny, who is based in Bridgewater, has a special interest in pulmonary stress testing, Doucet said.
“So this is an upgrade on our stress-testing equipment to add the pulmonary component to it. And that was really because Dr. Rathushny has a special interest in that. For our health professionasl that we have here, we want to give them the equipment that they need and that they want to give them the ability to come here and stay.”
The echocardiogram cost $275,000, while the exercise testing equipment cost $93,000. Those were just two of the significant contributions to health care in Queens County made by the foundation in the past year.
It has donated more than $1 million for equipment, training and other things to help attract more health professionals to the area and to make health care more accessible locally.
“Our mandate does not confine us to just the hospital. But everything that we look at it’s in the lens of how can we make this a better place to live for people, how can we make it the best place for care, how can we put the best equipment in that we can retain professionals that are coming to work here.”
The foundation is also contributing $725,000 toward the establishment of a new MRI machine at South Shore Regional Hospital in Bridgewater.
And Doucet said they’re investing up to $3.5 million in a new CT scanner at Queens General. He said they’re working with Nova Scotia Health to recruit the technicians to staff that equipment properly.
The foundation relies on donations and investments to fund its work. Doucet said its volunteer board of trustees is concerned about financing projects big and small.
Whether that’s a new floor-cleaning machine, doing things to help staff morale or sprucing up the outside of the hospital with art and gardens, he said it’s all part of making Queens General a better place to work and visit.
“There’s very few hospitals that you’ll see flowers that are blooming at the front door. So we want to make the hospital not so clinical and not so sterile. We want it to be an inviting place so that it reduces the anxiety people have as they come in.”
Doucet said the foundation has helped recruit six physicians to the area in the past two years. And thanks to things like their online presence, they’re also attracting other professionals like nurses to the area.
But he said there’s more to do. That’s why they continue to recruit with the goal of having the Queens General ER return to being open 24 hours a day, seven days a week.
“The way it used to be when I was practising and the way it is now, things have definitely changed and we have to adapt to it. So having the foundation makes it at least easier for us to do that.”
For more information on the Queens General Hospital Foundation, visit their website at qghfoundation.ca, or their medical recruitment site at doctors-wanted.ca.
Unionized workers with the Region of Queens went on strike Thursday morning. (Rick Conrad photo)
UPDATED THURSDAY, 4:45 P.M.
Engineering and public works employees with the Region of Queens are on strike.
About 40 members of Local 1928 of the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers set up picket lines at three locations in Liverpool on Thursday morning.
The workers are responsible for maintaining the region’s streets, sidewalks, parks and other properties. They also work in waste and recycling facilities as well as water and sewage treatment plants.
The union and the region have been negotiating for about a year. Their last contract expired March 31.
Jim Sponagle is the business manager of Local 1928. He was on the picket line this morning with some members near the Hank Snow Museum in Liverpool.
“There are still three outstanding issues: being forced to work weekends for straight time, no overtime, that’s one big issue. Wages still nowhere where they need to be. Wages are lower than any other municipality, jurisdiction in Atlantic Canada.
“The temporary employees are still an issue. I call it a union-busting measure where the employer has tried to carve out a work group from our collective agreement that have been in our collective agreement for decades. I don’t understand their position other than the fact that maybe they could deem them non-union and have them perform our work during a strike.”
Sponagle said both sides were back at the bargaining table on Tuesday, but he said the region’s offer hadn’t improved much from the one that members resoundingly rejected in December.
Members voted 97 per cent in favour of strike action. They have been in a legal strike position since Dec. 11.
“From our last strike mandate, the only change was they offered a half a per cent on Year 2 and a half a per cent on Year 3” of a new contract, Sponagle said.
The region issued a news release Thursday morning, saying that it filed a lockout notice with the province’s labour minister in response to the strike.
The region said all municipal services will continue as usual, including garbage collection and snow plowing.
Pam Lovelace, the acting CAO for the Region of Queens, told QCCR on Thursday that the strike took her by surprise.
“I was not informed in any way there was going to be a strike today,” Lovelace said.
“Although knowing that the union members and their leadership wouldn’t meet with us at the table on Tuesday to actually negotiate with a provincial conciliator, that was a good indication that they weren’t willing to reach a deal.”
A provincially appointed conciliator is a disinterested third party who will sometimes meet with both parties together, or meet with each side individually and communicate proposals back and forth. Each labour negotiation is unique and the conciliator generally gets a feel for whether it would be productive for both sides to meet face to face with the conciliator present.
Lovelace says that in this case, union negotiators refused to meet with the region and the conciliator together, and would meet only with the conciliator.
“And so because of that we weren’t actually able to have effective negotiations, we had to use the middle man of the conciliator rather than having constructive conversations.”
Union members are some of the lowest paid municipal employees in Atlantic Canada, at a time when regional councillors and senior staff have complained it’s difficult to fill job vacancies.
Some unionized jobs at the region pay less than $18 an hour. And some Red Seal-certified mechanics and technicians with the region make no more than $27 an hour, compared to $40 an hour in other jurisdictions.
Both sides were working on adjusting wage grids to alleviate some of those discrepancies. But the union’s Sponagle said there still hasn’t been enough movement from the region. Their latest proposal amounted to a two per cent raise in each year of a deal, he said.
Sponagle said his members want to get back to work. But they also want a deal that keeps pace with what municipal employees in other places are making.
“I dealt with other jurisdictions in P.E.I. when the employer understood. When they came with a fair wage increase it was hard to say no. It just seems this employer doesn’t want to work with the union. But somebody doesn’t like unions here at the Region of Queens.
“This is the first time since 1973 that I’m aware of IBEW Local 1928 going on strike. It’s not something we typically do. We like to do our work, we don’t complain and we go home.”
The union is still waiting to have hearing dates set for its unfair labour practice complaint against the region. It alleges that the region told some members that they still had to come to work in the event of a work stoppage or risk being fired.
Lovelace said the region is looking for a fair deal and to get employees back to work. But that’s only if the union is willing to return to the bargaining table.
“I’m already at the table, I’m waiting for IBEW Local 1928 to arrive at the table. And we will continue to operate and the services that the residents expect and hopefully we will see the leadership of Local 1928 come back to the table.”
Lovelace said managers, supervisors and third-party contractors would make sure that services aren’t interrrupted.
About 10 per cent of Nova Scotians are still looking for a family doctor or nurse practitioner. (Communications Nova Scotia)
More people are dropping off the Need a Family Practice Registry in Nova Scotia.
According to numbers released Tuesday by Nova Scotia Health, 9,200 people either found a doctor in the past month or were removed from the list.
Just over 110,000 Nova Scotians are still looking for a primary care provider. That’s down from more than 119,670 on Dec. 4. About 10.5 per cent of the population does not have reliable access to primary care.
Nova Scotia Health officials have been contacting people on the list to confirm they still need a doctor or nurse practitioner.
Health officials stopped providing breakdowns by region last summer. The last update in June showed that about 10 per cent of Queens County residents were still looking for a doctor or nurse practitioner.
Some of the new furniture at the new location of the Liverpool library. (Region of Queens photo)
The library in Liverpool is getting closer to reopening in its new temporary location.
The Region of Queens has been posting updates on its website as work has progressed at the Liverpool Business Development Centre on Harley Umphrey Drive, off White Point Road.
South Shore Public Libraries has not given a specific date for the branch to reopen. But the region says on its site that it’s likely to reopen by mid-January.
There’s still a lot of work to do. Workers are putting final touches on HVAC ductwork, sprinklers, electricity to the front desk, lighting, plumbing and the new kitchen.
Shelving units and some other furniture have been moved into the 6,500-square-foot space.
The region budgeted up to $1.26 million for the renovations to the empty space at the call centre building. The community was consulted on the design of the space.
A library steering committee had recommended a new library be built near Queens Place Emera Centre. But that was rejected twice by councillors.
The location on Harley Umphrey Drive is supposed to be a short-term home while council works on a longer-term solution.
Library officials got about 200 responses to a survey in the fall asking for suggestions on a possible new name for the new location. They haven’t revealed if the library’s name will change from the Thomas H. Raddall Library. That decision rests with the board of South Shore Public Libraries.
Kim Thorbourne-Whalen is the vice-chair of the Liverpool Championship Host Society. (Rick Conrad)
As fans rallied behind their favourite curlers in Liverpool last week, local businesses were also cheering for the post-holiday bump in sales.
Restaurants, bars and other food-based businesses in downtown Liverpool stayed open to try to capitalize on the influx of fans and curlers in town for the Canadian mixed doubles curling trials at Queens Place Emera Centre.
Some businesses traditionally close during the week between Christmas and New Year’s to give owners and staff a break after a busy holiday season.
At Main and Mersey Dining Room and Coffee Bar, co-owner Shani Beadle said the event helped perk up a slower time of year.
“I think when Christmas is winding down, it really helped bring more people into town and and lengthen the Christmas season, which is always helpful,” she said. “We had a lot of people from the curling here to lunch, for coffee, staying in our accommodation. So, everything’s helpful.”
Melanie Perron, co-owner of Hell Bay Brewing Company, said they saw more customers as soon as the curling event began on Monday.
“The week’s been great,” she said.
“We’ve definitely seen some new faces that we haven’t seen before come through the brewery and it’s just nice to see us in the bar as well at the Emera Centre, because it’s been a while since we’ve had our product for sale there directly through us. So the region has been definitely pushing local this time, which is great.
“It’s wonderful, especially this time of year because so many people are going into ‘Dry January’, so any beer sales that I can get any way is definitely a bonus for us.”
At Five Girls Baking, co-owner Leanne Arnott said they had planned to close from Dec. 25 until Jan. 2, but decided to reopen on Dec. 30.
“We were going to be closed and and get a few more days of rest and when we found out about the curling event, we thought, oh no, we better open. And we’re really glad we did.”
They baked special cookies decorated like the red and blue curling rings to celebrate. And Canadian curling legend Colleen Jones even dropped in to sample them. She had also visited the bakery in 2019 when Liverpool hosted the World Junior Curling Championships.
“I was hoping she would show up. She showed up (Friday) and I was tickled pink.”
Other businesses also stayed open or extended their hours, like Memories Cafe and Eatery and Route 3 Cellar Taproom and Grill.
Kim Thorbourne-Whalen of the local organizing committee said she believes the curling event helped inject $1.5 to $2 million in spinoff business for hotels, restaurants and bars in the Liverpool area. It’s also been a boon for the local Kiwanis Club, which provided canteen services at Queens Place for the whole week.
“The restaurants have been full, like the Cellar, Memories, they’ve had curling teams in there and curling families in there all week,” Thorbourne-Whalen said. “So it’s been felt throughout the community, not just with the hotels, it’s been all over.”
Region of Queens Mayor Scott Christian said he’d like to see more big events like the curling trials come to Liverpool.
“I think everybody’s blown away by how many people have been out for it. Main Street’s been busy. … I think that it should generate some good momentum to try to attract events like this in the future.
“I know this council has got big plans for Queens Place, doing some revitalization work and to make sure that we make best use of these facilities here. We’re looking at how can we make sure that we make use of this beautiful facility because you can see we can host top-notch events here.”
Main and Mersey’s Shani Beadle and other business owners say that bringing more events to town in the slower winter months would be a boost for businesses.
“I think that would be brilliant, because the summer is already quite busy, so having events like the Lobster Crawl, like curling, hockey, et cetera, is always really helpful.”
Albie Randall with the curling broom he received from curlers Jaelyn and Jim Cotter at the 2025 Canadian Mixed Doubles Curling Trials in Liverpool. (Rick Conrad)
The 16 teams at the Canadian mixed doubles curling trials in Liverpool treated fans to a week of impressive curling.
The trials wrapped up on Saturday at Queens Place Emera Centre.
And one young Queens County curler left his own impression on the father-daughter team of Jaelyn and Jim Cotter from Vernon, B.C.
Seven-year-old Albie Randall of Brooklyn led the Cotters on to the ice during the opening ceremonies last Sunday evening. He was one of the young curlers chosen to escort teams.
The Cotters remembered Albie later in the week after their last game, and gave him one of their curling brooms as a souvenir.
The Cotters with Albie Randall at the mixed doubles curling trials. (Liverpool Championship Host Society Facebook page)
Albie’s father Darren Randall explains.
“The moment from the week that stuck with me is the Cotters, when they went out of the tournament, my son walked down and they gave him their broom from the game, which is super emotional.
“Ironically, we used to live near Vernon and it’s where they’re from also, and then it just kept going and going further in the tournament. We did not know. It was just randomly that he was leading them out. We followed them every game they played, and yeah, it was wonderful.”
As for Albie, he summed it up in one word.
“Awesome.”
That was just one of the special moments from the week of curling at Queens Place Emera Centre, as some of Canada’s top curlers competed for a chance to represent Canada at the 2026 Winter Olympics in Italy.
Jocelyn Peterman and Brett Gallant capped their perfect record during the week by winning the final on Saturday over Rachel Homan and Brendan Bottcher.
After a year and a half of work bringing it all together, organizers were happy with how the week went.
Kim Thorbourne-Whalen is the vice-chair of the Liverpool Championship Host Society, which has brought four major curling events to Liverpool. She said it’s their biggest and most successful one yet.
“It surpassed our expectations. We had a budget for what we were looking for ticket sales and we more than doubled it. So for the final weekend, it’s been pretty well sold out and the final draw today has been sold out completely. So we’re pretty ecstatic about that. It’s been over 1,000 seats sold just for the final draw today.”
Some longtime curling fans, like Rose Anthony of Milton, took in every moment.
“I thought it was super. It was fantastic. I had the whole package and I never missed a draw.”
The curling trials also created some new fans in Liverpool, like Albie’s Dad Darren.
“Learned so much. (I’m) still learning the rules, but it’s so skillful and I’m into it and I’m like a soccer football guy myself. And I love this.”
Winners Peterman and Gallant will next compete at the World Mixed Doubles Curling Championships in Fredericton in April. That event will determine the countries that qualify for the 2026 Winter Olympics.
Jocelyn Peterman and Brett Gallant with their gold medals and Team Canada jackets after winning the 2025 Canadian Mixed Doubles Curling Trials on Saturday in Liverpool. (Rick Conrad)
Jocelyn Peterman and Brett Gallant will represent Canada at the 2025 World Mixed Doubles Curling Championship in Fredericton after winning the Canadian mixed doubles curling trials in Liverpool on Saturday.
Their next challenge will be at the world championships to try to secure qualification for Canada and themselves for the 2026 Winter Olympics in Italy.
Peterman and Gallant continued their perfect record into the final on Saturday, beating Rachel Homan and Brendan Bottcher 8-7.
The game wasn’t as close as the final score suggested, with Peterman and Gallant taking control of the game early, going up 4-0 after the first two ends on the strength of some great shotmaking by Peterman. They were up 6-1 after four ends.
“We’ve dreamt of this for a long time,” Peterman said afterward. “In a sense, it feels like it’s kind of the first step. We know we stll have to earn that spot in a few months, but it’s amazing.”
Gallant said he had to “check himself a few times” during the game to make sure he didn’t lose focus on the end goal.
“You’re just never comfortable even with the lead that we had. We knew it was going to come down to the last shot either way. And just thankful we had a strong game and we battled all the way. Lots of different emotions and just proud of how we played.”
Peterman and Gallant, who are based in Calgary, went 10-0 for the whole tournament, including the final.
“We had some really, really close games early and we were really determined this week,” Peterman said. “It was a grind and we’re really proud of it.”
Gallant, who was born in Charlottetown and curled for many years with Brad Gushue’s championship team out of Newfoundland, said he
“The community was just really welcoming for us, the volunteers were amazing, I thought the venue was second to none and we just enjoyed every minute here. And we’re pleased that the world championships are going to be on the East Coast again in Fredericton so it’s great for us. And we had just an amazing time in Liverpool.”
Peterman said now that the trials are over, they’re excited to get home and see their son.
Rachel Homan delivers a shot in the semi-final of the 2025 Canadian Mixed Doubles Curling Trials on Saturday in Liverpool. (Curling Canada YouTube)
The finals are set at the Canadian mixed doubles curling trials in Liverpool.
Rachel Homan and Brendan Bottcher won the semi-final Saturday morning, beating Lisa Weagle and John Epping 8-6 in a match that came down the last few shots.
Homan and Bottcher now go on to the final against undefeated team Jocelyn Peterman and Brett Gallant. The winner will go on to represent Canada at the World Mixed Doubles Curling Championships in Fredericton in April. That serves as a qualifying event for the 2026 Winter Olympics in Italy. As long as teams finish high enough at the world championships, their country is qualified to go to the Olympics.
Saturday’s semi-final was pretty close right up to the seventh end, when Homan and Bottcher scored four to go up 8-4.
Homan and Bottcher are curling veterans, but are a new mixed doubles curling this year.
They meet Peterman and Gallant in the 2 p.m. final at Queens Place Emera Centre.
Sandra Porter-Lowe, Terri Longmire and Meredith Innes are three of the more than 100 volunteers at the Canadian Mixed Doubles Curling Trials in Liverpool this week. (Rick Conrad)
To put on a big event like the Canadian Mixed Doubles Curling Trials in a small community like Liverpool takes a lot of volunteers.
Organizers have recruited more than 100 people from Queens County and elsewhere to help put on the week-long event, which wrap up with the final draw on Saturday at 2 p.m.
QCCR spoke to some of the people making sure the curling trials at Queens Place Emera Centre run smoothly.
Jocelyn Peterman and Brett Gallant during Page playoff 1vs2 qualifying against Rachel Homan and Brendan Bottcher. (Curling Canada/ Michael Burns Photo)
Two teams made a big step toward the finals of the 2025 Canadian Mixed Doubles Curling Trials on Thursday night.
Jocelyn Peterman and Brett Gallant and Lisa Weagle and John Epping won their crucial qualifiers to advance to the next round of the playoffs at Queens Place Emera Centre in Liverpool.
They’re fighting for a chance to represent Canada at the 2026 Winter Olympics in Italy.
It was a battle between the top teams in each pool.
Peterman and Gallant continued their unbeaten streak with a convincing 8-4 win in seven ends over Rachel Homan and Brendan Bottcher.
Weagle and Epping got past Brittany Tran and Rylan Kleiter 10-5 in their game.
Peterman and Gallant took control early with a score of three in the first and third ends. And they never looked back.
“It’s fun playing those shots where we know where to hit it and we just get to go for it and you’re all in on every shot,” Peterman said.
“We play a lot together. We know what our roles are on the ice,” Gallant said.
“Jocelyn needs to make those big last ones and she did a tremendous job of that tonight. She made a couple of pistols that kind of turned the game for us. We’ve played lots of games before. The communication is there, the trust is there, we’ve got a great team dynamic out on the ice. So just keep leaning into that and keep positive things going forward.”
Weagle and Epping had a closer contest with Tran and Kleiter over the first six ends before scoring two points in ends seven and eight to close it out.
Epping said he’s savouring the win.
“It’s pretty exciting,” he sad. “I’ve never been in this position. My trials record so far (over my career) hasn’t been very good. So it’s nice to have this opportunity especially with Lisa. We’re playing really well right now and looking forward to good things to come.”
Weagle said she loves the challenge of big games like Thursday night.
“I love these moments. This is why I curl. It’s for big games and big moments, and to test ourselves in competition. And to get to do it with John, … this is probably one of our best team games ever, in one of these big moments. but we’re really happy with how we played and how we supported each other.”
Both teams will now get a bit of a rest. They’ll face each other Friday evening at 7 in the 1-2 playoff game. The winner of that game goes directly to the final on Saturday afternoon at 2. The loser will play in the semifinal on Saturday at 10 a.m.
Homan and Bottcher will play Jim and Jaelyn Cotter in Friday afternoon’s playoff qualifier. And Tran and Kleiter will take on Jennifer Jones and Brent Laing in the other afternoon qualifier.
The winners of those games will play in the 3-4 playoff on Friday at 7 p.m. for a spot in Saturday’s semifinal.
Rachel Homan and Brendan Bottcher shake hands after their win over Jennifer Jones and Brent Laing on Thursday afternoon. (Curling Canada/ Michael Burns Photo)
The playoffs are set at the 2025 Canadian Mixed Doubles Curling Trials in Liverpool.
Jocelyn Peterman and Brett Gallant survived a close one on Thursday morning to hang on to their undefeated record and go 7-0 heading into the playoffs.
And Brittany Tran and Rylan Kleiter finished with a win to claim top spot in Pool A, just ahead of Rachel Homan and Brendan Bottcher.
Homan and Bottcher triumphed over Jennifer Jones and Brent Laing 6-4 Thursday afternoon.
Earlier Thursday, Lisa Weagle and John Epping snagged second place in Pool B with a 9-5 win over Jennifer Armstrong and Tyrel Griffith.
That sets up a 1-2 playoff with Homan and Bottcher meeting undefeated Peterman and Gallant, and Tran and Kleiter taking on Weagle and Epping. Those games begin at 6 p.m. Thursday at Queens Place Emera Centre.
Gallant said it’s nice to finish the round robin with a perfect record.
“You never know when it might be a benefit for hammer in the playoffs so it’s a big win and we just want to keep the momentum going.”
Bottcher said he and Homan played a good game against Jones and Laing and are looking forward to Thursday’s matchup with Peterman and Gallant.
“They’re playing well, I think we’re playing well. The way the format’s worked this week, I haven’t really seen them on the ice at all. So I’m anticipating a good game tonight. We’re going to have to play well.”
The winners of Thursday’s playoff games go directly to the 1 versus 2 game Friday evening. Then the winners of that game go directly to the final.
The losers of each game play third-place finishers Jones and Laing and Jaelyn and Jim Cotter on Friday afternoon. The winners of those games will determine the 3 versus 4 game Friday evening.
Jones quickly shook off the loss to Homan and Bottcher. She said the important thing is making the playoffs.
“I don’t care how it ended as long as we got in. That’s how you started the week off, and we got in. So we just have to play a little bit better than we just did; we didn’t play our very best game. But we’re pretty happy to be in the playoffs.”
Jones said the fans in Liverpool have been great all week.
“The Nova Scotia crowd has been amazing. Atlantic Canada is an amazing place to curl and so we’re very grateful to be here and the fans have been awesome and the hospitality’s been great, so it was nice to see a packed arena so hopefully that will continue throughout the playoffs.”
Gallant, who was born in Charlottetown and curled on championship teams with Newfoundland skip Brad Gushue, said it’s nice to be back on the East Coast for the mixed doubles trials.
“I just love Liverpool. It’s got that East Coast feeling that I’ve grown up with and I kind of feel at home here. And it’s nice to see the fans in the stands cheering us on.”
There are still some tickets left for the playoff rounds, but they’re selling fast. There are only a few seats available for the final on Saturday afternoon. Tickets are available at Queens Place or through Ticketpro.
Jennifer Jones and Brent Laing during Draw 12 action Wednesday against Laura Walker and Kirk Muyres. (Curling Canada/ Michael Burns Photo)
The playoff picture at the 2025 Canadian Mixed Doubles Curling Trials in Liverpool is a lot clearer after draws on New Year’s Day.
Three teams secured playoff spots on Wednesday: Jocelyn Peterman and Brett Gallant clinched the top spot on Pool B with their undefeated record of 6-0, Rachel Homan and Brendan Bottcher and Brittany Tran and Rylan Kleiter are tied at the top of Pool A with records of 5-1.
Playoff action begins Thursday evening. The top two teams from each pool cross over to compete for a spot in the Page 1 versus 2 game, in Curling Canada’s Page Playoff system. The winners of each of those games advance directly to the Page 1 versus 2 game. The losers of each of those first games then have a second chance to advance by playing a third-place team.
The winner of the Page 1 vs 2 game goes on to the final, while the loser has yet another chance in the semi-final as they go against the winner of the Page 3 vs 4 game.
The team of Jennifer Jones and Brent Laing are still in the playoff picture, tied for third in Pool A. They have a must-win game at 1 p.m. Thursday against Homan and Bottcher.
Reigning Canadian champions Kadriana Lott and Colton Lott also have to win their game this morning against Peterman and Gallant to have a chance at the playoffs.
The semi-final is set for Saturday at 10 a.m., with the final getting underway at 2 p.m.
Brett Gallant raises his broom after a shot by partner Jocelyn Peterman in the sixth end of their game on Wednesday morning at the 2025 Canadian Mixed Doubles Curling Trials in Liverpool. (Rick Conrad)
Jocelyn Peterman and Brett Gallant rang in the new year with a convincing win on Wednesday morning at the 2025 Canadian Mixed Doubles Curling Trials in Liverpool.
Peterman and Gallant improved their record to 5-0 with the 8-1 victory after six ends over Jim Cotter and Jaelyn Cotter.
Gallant said after the game that they’re happy with their start to the tournament.
“We’re where we want ot be and we’ve been tested most games so it’s been a really good start,” Gallant told QCCR.
“We’re just feeling more comfortable with the ice conditions and with how we’re playing, so just try to keep it going forward. Jocelyn made a really nice shot for two in the first end and it got us off to a really nice start and we made a lot of nice draws after that and we were able to take control.”
They’re at the top of their pool and are one of only two undefeated teams so far as the playoff picture starts to take shape.
Peterman said they haven’t let themselves think yet about the playoffs.
“I think our heads are still on the round robin. We have two big matchups still in our pool so we’re focused on that right now.”
Other winners in the morning draw were Lisa Weagle and John Epping, Kadriana Lott and Colton Lott, and Jennifer Armstrong and Tyrel Griffith.
Rachel Homan and Brendan Bottcher are the other undefeated team at the top of their pool, with a record of 4-0.
Homan and Bottcher’s perfect record will be challenged in the 1:30 draw on Wednesday as they take on Brittany Tran and Rylan Kleiter, who are right behind the leaders in second.
The top three teams in each of the two eight-team pools go on to the playoffs, which begin on Thursday evening.
All teams are on the ice on New Year’s Day for the last full slate of draws in the round robin.
Draws take place Wednesday at 1:30 p.m., 5 p.m. and 8:30 p.m. at Queens Place Emera Centre.
Rachel Homan and Brendan Bottcher are one of two undefeated teams at the 2025 Canadian Mixed Doubles Curling Trials in Liverpool. (Curling Canada/ Michael Burns Photo)
Two teams remain undefeated going into Wednesday’s draws at the 2025 Canadian Mixed Doubles Curling Trials at Queens Place Emera Centre in Liverpool.
Rachel Homan and Brendan Bottcher, and Jocelyn Peterman and Brett Gallant are at the top of their respective pools with a record of 4-0.
Homan and Bottcher curled to two convincing wins on Tuesday, while Peterman and Gallant capitalized in an extra end over Melissa Adams and Alex Robichaud in an afternoon draw before beating Lisa Weagle and John Epping in the evening draw.
The top three teams in each of the two eight-team pools go on to the playoffs, which begin on Thursday evening.
All teams are on the ice on New Year’s Day for the last full slate of draws in the round robin.
Draws take place Wednesday at 10 a.m., 1:30 p.m., 5 p.m. and 8:30 p.m. at Queens Place.
Scott Pfeifer, a former world and Canadian curling champion, gives a rundown of what makes mixed doubles curling unique. (Rick Conrad)
As 32 curlers compete this week in Liverpool for a chance to represent Canada at the 2026 Winter Olympics in Italy, how much do you know about mixed doubles curling?
The 2025 Canadian Mixed Doubles Curling Trials began on Monday and finish up on Saturday at Queens Place Emera Centre.
While you may be familiar with the rules of traditional four-person-to-a-team curling, there are some differences in the mixed doubles game.
So we asked one of the people uniquely qualified to give us a primer on the basics of the mixed doubles game versus traditional curling.
Scott Pfeifer is in Liverpool this week for the trials. He is the national team coach and program manager for mixed doubles with Curling Canada. Pfeifer is also a four-time world champion and a five-time Brier champion.
First of all, some of the fundamentals are the same in both disciplines. Teams play on the same size ice surface, with the same rings and the same basic rules.
“The real basic ones would be if you’re throwing a draw, that means you’re basically throwing the rock so that it’ll stop in the rings,” Pfeifer says.
“If you’re throwing a takeout, you’re actually taking out another stone. So you’re throwing it hard enough to remove the other stone from the rings. … The button is basically the centre, almost like the bull’s-eye, whoever is closest to the button at the end of the end scores points.
“Where someone’s aiming at the beginning, the shot is not where the rock ends up. So the rock, depending on whether you turn the handle left or right will travel in that direction.”
Unlike in the traditional game, in mixed doubles, there are two placement stones, one for each team, marked with an X.
“The biggest thing that you would notice is at the start of every end, there’s two placement stones. One is a guard right on the centre line and the other one is placed back four-foot. So the team that has a hammer, typically places their rock in the back four foot (ring), and basically those rocks are part of the the entire end and can be counted as scoring rocks as well.
“It adds a little bit more excitement. There’s already rocks in play. They can’t be removed. and there’s only five rocks per team every end, not including the placement stones. So the ends go really quick, but they’re also very action-packed because there’s a lot of rocks in play. “
Those placement stones can be knocked out only after there are five rocks in play.
“Until that point, no rocks can be removed, whether they’re in front, in the free-guard zone or in the rings.”
There’s also a rule unique to mixed doubles curling called a “power play”.
“A team each game has one time where they can exercise their power play option,” Pfeifer says, “which means moving those stones from the centre line over to the edge of the eight-foot (ring). And essentially what that does is it creates a little more offensive ability for the team to maybe score a few more points.
“So at the beginning of every end, those stones are placed and whether they’re placed on the centre line or on the edge of the eight-foot is the decision of the team with the hammer. But you can only use the power play once a game.”
In mixed doubles, teams can consist of only two players — one male, one female. No alternates are allowed. The games are shorter too, eight ends versus the 10 ends of traditional curling.
“There’s five rocks in an end, so one person throws either the first and the fifth rock of the end, the other teammate throws two, three and four of the end. And that can actually be switched every end if they want to.”
Scoring in mixed doubles is basically the same too, with the team with the most rocks closest to the button counting points in each end. In a regular curling match, teams can hold on to their last-shot advantage, otherwise known as the hammer, by blanking an end. Not so in mixed doubles.
“The only thing with mixed doubles curling as well that’s a little different is if you blank an end, you actually lose the hammer,” Pfeifer says. “So not very often in mixed doubles curling, do you see a blank end because then it’s to the advantage of the other team.
“In mixed doubles curling it’s one of those ones where if you miss your first shot of the end, it can get you in loads of trouble and you don’t have a whole lot of time to basically recoup that missed shot. So it can lead to a lot of crazy linescores and very entertaining games.”
Pfeifer says it’s one the reasons mixed doubles curling can be a faster, exciting game.
“I think it’s very unique dynamics when you only have two athletes on the ice. It’s very fast-paced and there’s lots of rocks in play. So I would just encourage people to go and give it a chance and try to understand the rules and I think you’ll fall in love with it just like most people have with the four-person game.”
The round robin at the 2025 Canadian Mixed Doubles Curling Trials are on at Queens Place Emera Centre continues until Thursday, with playoffs beginning Thursday evening.
Brittany Tran and Rylan Kleiter during Draw 5 action on Tuesday at the 2025 Canadian Mixed Doubles Curling Trials in Liverpool. (Curling Canada/Michael Burns)
Two teams are at 3-0 after the first five draws at the 2025 Canadian Mixed Doubles Curling Trials in Liverpool.
Laura Walker and Kirk Muyres are on top of Pool A, along with Rachel Homan and Brendan Bottcher.
In Pool B, three teams are undefeated at 2-0: Lisa Weagle and John Epping, father-daughter team Jim Cotter and Jaelyn Cotter and Jocelyn Peterman and Brett Gallant.
In Tuesday morning’s action, Walker and Muyres beat Brittany Tran and Rylan Kleiter 9-3 in six ends. Other morning winners were Jennifer Jones and Brent Laing, Paige Papley and Evan van Amsterdam and Homan and Bottcher.
A battle of the undefeateds is shaping up for the 4 p.m. draw, with Homan and Bottcher taking on Walker and Muyres. In the 12:30 draw, two of the top teams in Pool B will go head to head as the Cotters take on Weagle and Epping.
Tuesday’s final draw takes place at 7:30 p.m.
The round robin continues until Thursday, when the playoffs are set, with the top three teams from each pool competing for a spot in the final on Saturday.
