Scottish immigrants brought the game “across the pond” in the 18th century. Since then the roaring game has amassed its fair share of amusing and interesting stories, facts and anecdotes: • The flamboyant curling character Paul Gowsell once ordered a pizza to ice level during a match, briefly earning him the nickname “Pizza Paul" • Legendary Brier journalist Cactus Jack Wells turned down a Hockey Night in Canada play-by-play job in order to continue covering the Brier and Winnipeg Blue Bomber games • In 1912, the Mayflower Curling Club in Halifax served as a temporary morgue for recovered bodies in the aftermath of the Titanic disaster • In cashspiels, curlers win money, but in bonspiels, they win things like cars, T-bone steaks or new curling stones • Canada is said to be the only documented place where the iron curling “stone” was used • Before the 1988 Olympic Trials, the Canadian Curling Association informed the “The Wrench,” Ed Werenich, that he would have to lose weight if he qualified for the Olympics • Canada invited Scotland to tour Canada in a curling tournament in 1858, but didn't end up making the overseas journey until 44 years later in 1902 • Curling did not become an official Olympic sport until 1998 in Nagano • In 2009, NBC will host a curling reality show called Rockstar Curling to determine who will represent the United States at the 2010 Olympics in Vancouver. And much more…

CARLA MacKAY was raised in Espanola, Ontario, and has kept track of every book she has read since she was 10 years old. So, when she recently moved to Edmonton from Toronto with her longtime beau, they started their own publishing and editorial services company. Carla is an avid runner and has completed two marathons.

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