I think I am safe to assume that pretty much anybody who has a smidge of interest in curling in Sudbury and many folks who don’t are fully aware that local sweetheart Tracy Fleury has secured a spot in the upcoming Winter Olympics in Italy – along with her team of Rachel Homan, Emma Miskew and Sarah Wilkes.

And while nothing on the local scene can top that news in terms of Randy in the Rings headlines for the past few weeks, the truth is that Tracy and her incredible accomplishments represent but the pinnacle of a sport whose roots continue to grow with every passing year coming out of Covid.

The Thursday Night Squad League at the Copper Cliff Curling Club is now some 25 teams strong, with a similar offering on Tuesday evenings almost equally as busy.

And for as much as I saw many a familiar face on the ice and in the lounge as I made my way over following the completion of the Sudbury Cubs game on Thursday, the viability of these facilities lies in attracting those folks who are either completely new to the sport or are far more on and off than the regular mainstays back to their midst.

Cameron Oberholzer was born in Barrie, first making acquaintances in Sudbury when he decided at the age of 18 to attend Cambrian College in the Millwright program. It was there that he would meet Kylie Keyes, where love would bloom – as would an introduction to curling.

“When I first started dating my wife, they (the Keyes family) invited me to curl with them in Sudbury,” said Oberholzer, jumping aboard an Industrial League entry that featured Ron, Holly and Kevin Keyes. Within a few years, he had convinced his spouse-to-be about the joys of his new pastime, the couple enjoying some time on ice together prior to the arrival of Covid.

Welcoming the addition of a pair of children more recently, the young family took some time away, with Cameron making a return to a once-a-week commitment this winter for a little “me time” – but without the benefit of a ready made team.

“I just came out here to register and offered to spare on Tuesdays or Thursdays – or join a three-person team,” Oberholzer continued. As luck would have it, long-time Copper Cliff CC member Jerry Zanuttig was looking for some helping hands to restock his lineup, with Phil Lacelle, Serge Loiselle and Oberholzer fitting the bill quite nicely.

Assuming the role of lead, Oberholzer has witnessed a gradual return to form following a three-year absence from curling. “The first week, with it being frosty, I was a little bit light – hogged it a couple of times,” he acknowledged, his team sitting a game or so above the .500 mark – possibly (most don’t seem to follow the standings all that closely at this level of play).

“But the past couple of weeks, I don’t think I have thrown it through or hogged it. My weight is usually plus or minus a few feet.”

Now 30 years old, Oberholzer noted that it’s been a little like riding a bike – all while easing your way along pathways that might avoid potholes or steep hills. “I’ve always been comfortable sweeping, but knowing the speed of the rock and getting a feel for the ice takes a little time,” he said.

“Even just getting my balance back in delivering a stone. We’re about seven weeks in and I am just starting to feel comfortable now.”

And with two-thirds of a season still ahead, there is much to anticipate come 2026.

“I believe in always improving,” said Oberholzer. “As a millwright, I am always learning something new in my field. My favourite quote is: if you’re not learning, you’re losing. You can always find something to improve upon.”

Meanwhile, a pair of teams with local connections made it through to quarter-final play at the Stu Sells Brantford Nissan Classic last weekend as both the Abby Deschene rink and the Lauren Mann entry found their way to the final eight – albeit in drastically different fashions.

With Sudbury native and long-time Cornwall resident Stephanie Barbeau playing second, Team Mann secured an “A” bracket qualifying playoff berth thanks to victories over Breanna Rozon from Oshawa (7-6 in extra-end), Emma Artichuk from Waterloo (7-4) and New Hampshire native Elizabeth Cousins (7-4), the latter eventually losing in the final the Laurie St-Georges foursome from Québec.

With losses at the hands of the afore-mentioned St-Georges quartet (8-1) and to Dominique Vivier (Oakville) in the “B” bracket (5-4 in extra end), Deschene and her team of Mackenzie Daley, Mia Toner and Emma Acres had a much lengthier pathway to the quarters.

But a winning streak strung together over Emilie Lovitt (Navan – 6-5), Katie Ford (Waterloo – 8-6), Susan Froud (Alliston – 6-4) and Chelsea Principi (Niagara Falls – 6-2) was enough to get the job done before both local crews were eliminated with semi-final berths on the line.

On the men’s side of the draw at the same event, the NCUCC (Northern Credit Union Community Centre) team of Sandy MacEwan, Dustin Montpellier, Luc Ouimet and Lee Toner overcome initial setbacks to Weston Oryniak of Toronto (8-6) and Jonathan Beuk of Kingston (6-3) to make a really solid run at the playoffs.

Team MacEwan kicked off a far more successful stretch of curling, emerging triumphant over Mike Anderson (New Liskeard – 4-2) in draw 11 and followed that up by beating Pat Ferris (Grimsby – 5-2) and Landan Rooney (Toronto – 5-3), falling one step short of QF action after a 6-4 loss to Michael Fournier of Toronto.