Most people will only see the on-ice action at the Scotties Tournament of Hearts, but behind the scenes, a small army of volunteers ensures the event runs as smoothly as possible.
Around 410 volunteers filled numerous roles at Mosaic Place during the 10-day national championship. Whether it’s transportation, security, food services, accreditation, 50/50 sales, ticket scanning, ice maintenance, or manning the lounges and bars, you can bet that blue-jacketed volunteers will be there.
While the majority of volunteers hail from Moose Jaw, there are others who have come from British Columbia and Ontario.
Chantal Lagasse, from St. Adolphe, Man., — located 12 kilometres south of Winnipeg — loves curling and competes with club teams at home. Having volunteered with the Roar of the Rings in Winnipeg in 2013, she thought it would be a good experience to help at the Scotties.
“My cousin (also) lives here, so I thought it was a good opportunity to visit and take in curling,” she said, adding she enjoys working — well, mostly talking — with her cousin since her cousin is easy to get along with.
“I’m a good hostess,” chuckled Delanna Busch from nearby.
Lagasse helped sell 50/50 tickets since she wanted to be close to the curling and to interact with more people. This has allowed her to socialize with some of the curlers, including Team Manitoba. She also spoke with Team Nunavut, jokingly telling them that since she is moving there she could join their team if they wanted her.
“I just enjoy being around people, so it comes easy to me,” Lagasse said, adding it’s important to take the job seriously and be on time since dedicated volunteers ensure these events run smoothly.
One volunteer who probably faces more stress than others is Moose Jaw’s Les Sydiaha, who — along with a team of 16 other volunteers — works with the two head icemakers to ensure the ice is in tip-top shape.
The volunteers also use six vacuums to ensure the kilometres of blue carpets leading from the locker rooms to the ice are kept clean; keep the batteries in the rock handles — to detect hog line violations — charged; and adjust the bumpers and signage.
“It’s actually a lot of fun. It’s (also) a lot of hard work,” he said.
The group has worked together since Feb. 10 when the ice was being installed. During the 14 days, the volunteers will have worked six to eight hours every day.
There is some stress in maintaining the ice, Sydiaha admitted. Many factors can affect the condition of the ice, such as having a full crowd, cold weather outside, or even rain. These are things they can’t always control.
Sydiaha volunteered with curling events in Moose Jaw in 2013 and 2015, each time helping with the ice. His background, he explained, includes work in buildings and facilities, so he was a natural choice this time to lead the volunteers managing the ice.
Working with a good group of people for 14 days is a fulfilling experience, he continued. They become a close-knit team, develop camaraderie and get to know each other.
“People say they don’t want to volunteer (or) don’t have the time, (but) there are all different levels of volunteering that can go into an event like this … ,” Sydiaha added. “You can get a lot of out volunteering. I really enjoy volunteering.”
Retired couple Wally and Ollie Zapisocki have volunteered at more than 10 curling events in the last few years, including in Moose Jaw in 2015. The St. Paul, Alta., duo used to be avid curlers, but now they simply watch games and do their part to support tournaments.
They particularly liked working in the HeartStop Lounge. There they served drinks, fill cups, fill coolers and clean tables. They also enjoyed interacting with people the most.
“It’s a nice facility,” said Mrs. Zapisocki about Mosaic Place. “(It’s) one of the nicest we’ve been to.”
Another couple, Ellen and John Earle from Shilo, Man., volunteered at the 2019 Brier in Brandon and had so much fun that they thought about working at a Scotties.
During this year’s event, Ellen worked mainly in the lounges and John at the events services and accreditation booths but helped in other locations when necessary. They volunteered because they have a service-oriented mindset, explained Mrs. Earle. John is a military cook, so he likes to help at events with that kind of thinking.
“It’s been an eye-opener to see something like this pulled off,” he said. “If your city wasn’t what it is (welcoming and open), there would not be this type of event. It has been an amazing experience.
“We were a little hesitant about being away from home for that long (10 days), but time has flown by.”
