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.

FULL COVERAGE: More from the 2025 Canadian Mixed Doubles Curling Trials

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.”

Email: rickconradqccr@gmail.com

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Kendra Shot is the organizer of Santas for Seniors Queens County. (Rick Conrad)

The organizer of a local program that helps seniors over the holidays is hoping for a little Christmas magic this year.

Santas for Seniors Queens County connects low-income seniors with others who want to help them have a good holiday. And it relies on Canada Post to help make it happen. 

Organizer Kendra Shot says this year, she’s worried about how the postal strike may affect the festive fundraiser.

“I’m hoping by the end of the week that maybe they come to some terms and settle this strike. I will put them in the mail but there’s no way we can hand deliver because we have mailing addresses for the seniors, and not home addresses.”

This is the fifth year for Santas for Seniors Queens County. Since it began, it’s helped hundreds of Queens County seniors each year.

Anyone can nominate a senior, or seniors can nominate themselves. People tell Shot what they’d like, whether that’s a gift card for groceries, gas or other goods.

All nominees are anonymously posted to the Santas for Seniors Queens County Facebook group. If you want to add any Queens County senior to the list, contact Shot with the person’s full name, age and full mailing address.

“55 and over, low income, need a little extra help this winter. That’s what we’re here for,” Shot says.

“You adopt your senior, buy a holiday card, buy your gift card, there’s one or two usually listed per senior, you don’t have to buy both of them. Put it in your holiday card, seal it, on the back of your card write your number, on the front of the card, place a stamp.”

Completed cards can be dropped off at Exit Realty or Route 3 Cellar Taproom and Grill, both in Liverpool, or at Stew’s Corner Convenience and Gas in Greenfield. 

Shot says she’s seeing more seniors from Greenfield and Caledonia participating this year.

As of Tuesday, 328 seniors are signed up, with 158 adopted so far. Last year, a little more than 300 took part.

Seniors can be nominated until Dec. 1. Shot says all cards need to be dropped off by Dec. 15 so that she can mail them out in time for Christmas.

“Basically 90 per cent of the people that are nominated do not even know that they’re nominated. So, they’re going to get a card in the mail from a complete stranger with a little extra help. There’s no set denomination for amounts. We’re all feeling the crunch of the increased prices it’s more so the thought that counts.”

Shot and her volunteers used to collect gifts from donors and deliver gift bags to as many as 400 seniors. She said they changed it to gift cards during Covid.

They also used to work with local service organizations and other groups to identify seniors in need, but because of confidentiality rules, they had to stop doing that.

Despite that, more than 1,200 Queens County seniors have been adopted in the past five years. 

“It makes me feel good because No. 1, to give back is the best feeling at Christmas for me. Gifts aren’t Christmas, it’s how you actually make somebody feel.”

This year, Shot says she’d also like to get more businesses involved in the fundraiser. The managers at White Point Beach Resort got together and adopted 12 seniors.

If you want to be nominated or if you want to nominate somebody else, message Kendra Shot on Facebook, or call her at 902-646-0265 or email her at kendra_shot@hotmail.com.

And if you want to “adopt” a senior, check out the Santas for Seniors Queens County Facebook group.

“We’ll get them all adopted, we do every year, and put some smiles on seniors’ faces.”

Email: rickconradqccr@gmail.com

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Audra Lindley played Helen Roper in the 1970s/80s sitcom Three’s Company. (IMDB)

If you see a group of women in downtown Liverpool on Saturday with frizzy wigs, colourful caftans and chunky jewelry, don’t worry.

It’s the first Mrs. Roper Romp for Liverpool. About 20 women plan to celebrate the brash and brassy Helen Roper from the corny and campy ’70s and ’80s sitcom Three’s Company.

Angie McWilliams lives in Summerville Centre. She and some friends wanted to start their own romp after they couldn’t get into the sold-out event in Halifax. The first Mrs. Roper Romp happened at the Southern Decadence parade in New Orleans more than 10 years ago.

“The actual original Roper Romp, it’s been around since 2013. A really great guy named Bud Moore started it in New Orleans for charity. And since then, it took off and it’s international now. Our little romp is only gooing to be 20 ladies. So we decied why not do it in Liverpool? And we’re going to raise money for the Queens County food bank with this romp. It’s going to be a mini romp this year but we’re hoping to grow it and just raise money and have a good time.”

It has since spread across Canada, the U.S., Mexico, South Africa, Spain and Portugal.

But why Mrs. Roper?

“Well, she’s an icon. I’m 54 years old, I grew up with Mrs. Roper. And it’s a costume, a disguise to have a really good time, wear some really, dare I say, tacky clothes and jewelry. And even preparing for it has been a lot of fun.” 

Men are more than welcome to join. 

“A lot of gentlemen join as Helens but they also join as Stanley Roper and the great Mr. Furley.”

The Mrs. Roper Romp starts at Route 3 Cellar Taproom and Grill at 3 p.m. on Saturday. The Helens will be going to the Legion, down Main Street depending on the weather and back to the Legion before ending up at the Cellar for glow-in-the-dark bowling “in our caftans, which will be really crazy to see.”

Check out the Facebook event for the Mrs. Roper Romp here.

Email: rickconradqccr@gmail.com

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