On February 24 and 25, the Canadian Institute of Mining, Metallurgy and Petroleum (CIM) North Central Branch hosted a curling bonspiel in Williams Lake.
The event at the Williams Lake Curing Club was a return to in-person events after a two-year hiatus for the CIM bonspiel.
The event brings in people from all over British Columbia and a few people from nearby provinces to support it with employees from Gibraltar Mines and Mount Polley and numerous mining vendor/suppliers.
Read more: Williams Lake curlers to compete at BC Winter Games
Unique to this year’s event, Spartan Controls sponsored Brendan Bottcher to participate in the Rock the House Bonspiel. Brendan Bottcher is a professional curler from Edmonton, Alberta, and the skip of the 2021 Canadian men’s championship team who won the Tim Hortons Brier in 2021.
Bottcher is a three-time provincial men’s champion with four grand slam titles to his record. In addition to a successful curling career, he is a technical specialist for Spartan Controls Ltd.
Bottcher gave a group lesson to attendees to start the day and throughout the day provided “Have a Pro Take Your Shot” for a small donation. At times, Bottcher was seen throwing a rock for one team and then throwing the opposing shot for the other. Spartan Controls also covered the cost of signed Team Canada curling jerseys from Bottcher that were auctioned off for charity during the event.
“I would like to say a huge thank-you to the Williams Lake Curling Club, the North Central BC CIM Branch, and all of the folks involved in organizing the event. The staff gave me world-class ice to practice on in the morning as I am preparing for the upcoming 2023 Brier, and the event was a wonderful mix of folks who are invested in community engagement and giving back in the regions where they work. I was proud to raise money for BGC in Williams Lake, and hope to be a part of this event in the future. Wonderful event, all around,” stated Brendan Bottcher about the event.
Organizers said nearly $5,000 was raised for local charities through the bonspiel to be split between the BGC Williams Lake, SPCA and Williams Lake Association for Community Living. It is thanks to various donations from vendors/suppliers, mine sites, and special guest Team Canada Skip Brendan Bottcher.
Organizers said they were honoured to meet Bottcher and grateful for all of the donations from the mine sites and local vendors and look forward to being back in Williams Lake next year.
Read more: PHOTOS: Williams Lake Curling Club bonspiel fun includes on-ice plus off-ice action
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