Curl Moncton starts new league for the LGBTQ community
Several cities across Canada already have leagues in place
Curl Moncton is starting a new league for people in the LGBTQ community.
Gary Walsh, who is on the board of directors for Curl Moncton, said the club is looking to attract more people to the sport, particularly as the club undergoes an expansion.
He said the league is for anyone in the LGBTQ community, or their friends, who wish to learn to curl.
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"There's lots of leagues we can have here if they want to join a league, but, hopefully, it'll come around and we'll get a lot of interest coming in," Walsh said.
A place to meet
Walsh said the idea is to provide a place for people in the LGBTQ community to meet and learn about the sport.
He said several cities across Canada have similar leagues, but this is the first in New Brunswick to be posted on the LGBT Curling in Canada website.
"The oldest curling league actually started in 1962 in Toronto. So its expanded from there to different communities and I wanted to see if we could get something going on the East Coast after Halifax got their [league] up and running."
Walsh said since he added news about the new league to Curl Moncton's Facebook page, the post has had thousands of views.
Charles MacDougall,project co-ordinator of River of Pride, thinks it is a great initiative. River of Pride advocates for the LGBTQ community.
A safe space
He said many people in the community face barriers when it comes to sport.
"So … it's great to have opportunities where people can come to a place where they can be physically active, they can meet other folks like them and know that they won't be ridiculed or that they're in a safe space."
MacDougall said it's an initiative he'd like to see offered in other sports.
"It got me just thinking about just getting together and just seeing what else can be done so it's really motivating," he said.
Walsh said he'd like to see six teams, but he'd be happy to start with three or four.
He said beginners are welcome and will receive instruction. The only equipment necessary is a clean pair of running shoes for the ice surface.
He hopes people in the LGBTQ community take a chance on the sport. The first session takes place at Curl Moncton on Jan. 10 at 6:30 p.m.