Local curlers ready for Brier

Today, Armstrong works as a vice-principal at Indian Head High School and helps teach a curling program to students.

We are going there with the mindset that we’d love to win the Brier, but we’re just approaching it day by day and game by game and shot by shot. We’re not looking too far ahead.

“I love being able to give back to a sport that has given me so much,” he said.

This will also be Armstrong’s second Brier having played for Saskatchewan on the rink of Scott Manners from Lloydminster in 2012.

“I am pretty fortunate to be able to go back again, We’re pumped,” he said.

“We are going there with the mindset that we’d love to win the Brier, but we’re just approaching it day by day and game by game and shot by shot. We’re not looking too far ahead.”

His dad Mike in Manitou Beach says, “it’s super” for Lloydminster curlers that three players from the Lloyd are in the Brier.

Mike and his wife watched their son who plays second on Team Knapp, win the provincials in Estevan this month and they plan to take some family members with them to London.

Deb Venance is also taking a huge entourage to London to cheer on her son Glenn who started curling at the age of four at the threesheet Kitscoty Curling Club.

The 26-year-old lead is still pinching himself, having just received an email from Curling Can- ada saying they are the third wild card team in the Brier based on their results from the World Curling Tour.

“It’s pretty surreal, to be honest with you,” said Venance who curls with the Team Karsten Sturmay rink in St. Albert.

“It’s definitely been a dream of mine for a long time. It’s been a long road and a lot of hours to get here.”

His Wild Card Team is one of the three Alberta teams in the Brier with Brendan Bottcher’s rink from Calgary as Wild Card Team No. 1 and Kevin Koe’s Team Alberta rink in a potential Battle of Alberta.

“To have three from the same province just goes to show how hard our province is to get out of,” said Venance.

He also thinks it’s also cool to have three curlers from the Lloydminster region in the Brier.

“I think it’s pretty cool for everyone around Lloyd. I am obviously super proud to be from Kitscoty and represent that part of the world,” said Venance.

Kitscoty Curling Club put up a note on Facebook to spread the word.

“Congratulations Glenn Venance and team Sturmay for making it into the 2023 Tim Hortons Brier as a Wildcard!!! Good luck and put Kitscoty on the map,” it read.

Venance is an assistant superintendent at Quarry Golf Course in Edmonton and says there are so many people to thank for his success, starting with his wife Jessica who he calls a rock star.

Next he thanks his parents.

“They got me into the game. They taught me at a very young age how important a good work ethic was” he said.

“After that countless coaches and volunteers and everybody that’s kind of chipped in.”