Festival of Rings: Reflecting on the Trials and the Legacy of Colleen Jones

By Dr. Richard Norman

I’m sitting in an almost empty arena between draws, the calm before the storm. The scoreboard is lit up with a massive red Maple Leaf but, in place of the usual Jock Jams, G.O.A.T — a track by Diljit Dosanjh, in Punjabi no less — is blasting through the arena. I can’t help but think, “Wow! Canada. . . not the place I tell myself it is.”

Tradition is one of curling’s biggest strengths; remembering those values that ground our sport. Yet perhaps it is also an unforeseen flaw. When we lean into behaviours, ways-of-being, and most crucially, the stories we tell ourselves, their rootedness seems ever-present and unquestioned. Yet that steadfastness may also leave us oblivious to the changes happening around us. That’s the challenge. What happens when our social underpinnings shift toward something else? Do we notice when the change has already happened and are now racing to catch up? Do we understand what it means and where do I fit in that new condition? More vitally, are our stories still true? Would we even know? And if we maintain those stories as the truth, do we miss an opportunity to graciously add to them?

There was no bigger off-ice story during the Montana’s Canadian Curling Trials than the mammoth loss of Colleen Jones. The feeling is personal in this place, her home province. She touched so many through her play and all the rest. There’s a vacuum that needs time to heal but, in its wake, a wish for this sport and this community to inspire, support, and show compassion for one another. Her legacy is an invitation to live large and share the joy, caring, and love for the game that she brought to everyone. I reflect on this idea of community as it was such a big part of her life — family, friends, Nova Scotia, and curling. Her impact transcends personal achievements and appeals to our collective feelings to continue the work, remember what this sport (and life) is about. Ultimately, it’s to ensure everyone feels welcome and part of something bigger. She was an ambassador for curling, and in her death, places that weight of purpose squarely on our shoulders.

The Festival of Rings that took place on the closing weekend of the Trials was one such measure embodying that legacy, reminding us that curling is more than competition. The festival was the brainchild of Rob Belliveau, Vice-Chair of Community Outreach for the Halifax Montana’s Canadian Curling Trials Host Committee, and yet he reminds us that it takes a village to bring an event like this to life. What was the Festival of Rings? It was curling’s open invitation to everyone in Halifax to come and be part of everything, as Rob echoed:

“The goal of the Festival was to do meaningful outreach to the Halifax communities to understand their rich cultures, dynamics and needs. We wanted to invite those people who have traditionally not been connected to our sport but respecting the longstanding place they already occupy in our city. The Festival was our way to invite people, who may not know curling, by coming to them, building a relationship, and then see if there is interest in the game. It shows newcomers to the sport and to Canada, that they have a place in curling showcasing our commitment to the public through this Festival. Seeing the joy and smiles of everyone here was the most amazing gift to the organizers and myself and the tremendous effort that went into make the event come to life. It made it all worth it.”

The space was filled with energy — activities, music, fun, and excitement—something for everyone, especially for kids with climbing walls, floor curling, bean bag tosses, axe throwing (just the inflatable replicas), and deejays playing tracks to charge up everyone, while elite curling was displayed on the big screens in Rogers Square at Halifax’s Convention Centre. This was a curling event with a twist, and it was a resounding success merely by the fact that kids were smiling and families were enjoying themselves.

In addition to the happening at Rogers Square, there were other activities, such as tabletop curling along Halifax’s waterfront,  and inside the Convention Centre at the Patch[1] with community representatives—including Easter Seals, Immigration Services Association of Nova Scotia (ISANS), Mi’kmaw Native Friendship Centre, FUNSports, and others — engaging with the audience, purpose-led research discussions, and even ceremonial celebrations lead by local Indigenous leaders and other dignitaries from across Turtle Island. This was part of the reason why the festival was something we hadn’t seen before. Two years in the planning, the Festival of Rings brought together fun, connection, and an invitation to share in all that is curling. It also showed how we, as curlers, can be a force to bring others together and invite them in without preconception or reciprocity required; just come and be with us. As Annette Hill, Multi Program Coordinator Take PART, from Easter Seals mentioned: “it was wonderful to be asked to be a part of this event.” It shows that sport can do more and serve our community by being a conduit that brings us in concert, where the game takes a backseat.

Connecting with communities that are not so-called “traditional curlers” poses a question for those involved in outreach: how do you connect with those that perhaps have never been asked to join and who don’t see themselves in the game? In short, it takes time, respect, and a little bit of courage. One of the most common missteps (notice: not mistake), is the time it takes to form a true friendship or relationship with communities not of your own. It takes meeting them on their terms and largely not about you or your sport. I will stress that again: it is not about you. In this sense, I am referring to the collective you of the curling world. Most communities — especially those racialized and/or marginalized — simply don’t care about curling. That is what seems to get lost on folks on the inside. We know our sport is fun, social, and amazing. But you know something? So are all the other sports. We must stop being so precious about our sport being the best, and, more vitally, recognize that the sport isn’t what will drive people to be part of it, especially those who don’t think they belong in the first place. To invite someone else in, we need to ask: how can I help you? What do you like to do? How can I support you?

That was the heart and soul of this Festival. It was a concerted intention to go out and be in other spaces, like the Mi’kmaq across Nova Scotia and Black communities in North and East Preston. The Festival of Rings staff fostered strong bonds with leaders and elders who represented those communities, on their terms and with enough time to create a relationship first. Then it was the invitation to be part of something new that focused on curling, community, and connection. Andrew Paris, Director of the Festival of Rings and founder of the Black Rock Initiative, emotionally pleaded with a riveted audience: “Go out and ask that Indigenous girl or Black boy to come curling. . . and in a way that they can belong. I guarantee you won’t regret it.” Sounds simple, right?

It’s not just about joining a club; it’s about how curling can spark a connection in an era where social isolation runs rampant. It’s a meeting ground, a social connector, what we often call “a third space.”[2]  Ask any curler about the club and it is more than walls and ice. For those who know nothing of the sport, that confronts sensibilities from the outside: am I part of this? Do I belong? The Festival of Rings was a part of the larger puzzle, but it opened a door and actively invited people to be part of this curling thing. It was not something we’ve seen before, and it imagined how we can help make that first entry into the sport that much easier.

The festival’s engagement was further accentuated by Curling Day in Nova Scotia this past Saturday — presented through the Nova Scotia Curling Association in conjunction with the Montana’s Canadian Curling Trials, and a day during which curling venues in Nova Scotia were open and welcome in anyone who wanted to try the sport.

Events such as the Montana’s Canadian Curling Trials can be larger than life, particularly within the existing curling community, but the challenge remains in making connections with those who have never been a part of that community. There are individuals who are somehow deeply affected by circumstances at the event who maintain a strong and passionate connection to the sport. They often seek opportunities to be involved, support, or just find joy in the spaces surrounding curling. I happened to be sitting in the Patch and was introduced to one of these crucial individuals:

“I started volunteering at a local curling event, the Stu Sells 1824 Halifax Classic at the Halifax Curling Club, which piqued my interest in the sport. Then, I attended the 2010 Halifax Brier, and because of that positive experience and the people that I’ve met, I wanted to experience it again. So, I’ve since attended multiple World Championships and have gotten to understand more of the game and community by volunteering at other events. For the Trials, I’m just attending and I plan on introducing a few of my friends to this sport and amazing atmosphere [in the Patch]. The Dartmouth Curling Club was my local, community club (now closed) and a light during those dark and cold winter months; cheering on my friends and family while they played, and I even rented it out for 100th birthday party. It was comfortable and welcoming space to be social and meet people I wouldn’t otherwise get to know. I hope it comes back.” ~ Leah Sameoto, volunteer and curling advocate.

Sometimes, it is simply about being asked, as Kendra Gannon, Global News freelance reporter and resident of Halifax’s North End, related:

“I grew up in the North End and there never were any groups of people that would come to our schools or come into our community trying to get us involved in sports that were predominantly white. A big part of sport for the Black community is basketball, but you don’t really see people asking you to go into hockey, to go into ice skating, whatever the winter sport is. When I found out what was happening, it was completely unheard of in Halifax — where we have the biggest Black community in Canada, in North Preston. I thought it was huge that you were going to the schools and giving them the gear to be able to try the sport. And talking to a participant from one of the schools . . .you could hear the enjoyment in his voice, and he says he is going to continue doing it. And [knowing] sport completely changes their lives. I don’t know the word, I got chills. I just know the impact it will have on kids in the future.”

Perhaps this is why the Festival of Rings was successful, bolstered by a significant culmination of outreach to groups often forgotten, because to be honest, people don’t often “happen across curling.” That seemed to be the mode of the festival. It was designed to be that conduit ­— an event open to everyone. This may seem trivial to some, but for one family who attended the festival, just being open to them was enough:

“We are originally from Malawi and were looking for something free to do on the weekend and came across the Festival of Rings. That’s why we are here and we watched the curling and a person (A Curling Ambassador)[3] sat with us (to explain the game) and now I understand curling just a little bit. And surprisingly my children love it! Definitely, they want to try it (floor curling) again and even go on the ice.” ~ Participant, Festival of Rings

The festival was a collaborative effort — partnerships were fostered, sponsors donated time and resources, media showcased the event — because they saw it as valuable and something that hadn’t been done before. I believe that the festival showed how we, as Curling Canada and the curling community, might extend into the public by working across boundaries, hierarchies, and even around the stories we tell ourselves. It showed strength and courage, galvanized by municipal, provincial, and federal agencies all working toward a human goal: to serve the public good. The curling was the draw (pun intended), but the real winner was all of us and the unbelievable, supportive community in Halifax spilling over and emphatically saying: we all belong. Curling’s community has driven the sport from its beginnings. Now, we need to honour that tradition by reconnecting, not just in curling but with surrounding communities. In part, it’s re-respecting curling’s roots. We may get swept up in the pageantry of the Trials, but underneath, curling has always been by the community, for the community — which although might not look quite as we remember but rest assured, it is the same.

The Trials are over with Team Homan and Team Jacobs now poised to represent Canada at the Olympic Games in Milano Cortina, Italy. It was an impressive event filled with emotion, with hometown heroes Team Christina Black from Halifax epitomizing the spirit of the East Coast and a drawing strength and inspiration from a legend no longer with us. That same spirit was captured in the Festival of Rings and all the members of that vibrant community who came out in support. Perhaps that is message: care for each other, be of service to everyone, and remember it is about more than our sport. When seeking beyond the boundaries of curling, it becomes a benefit we can’t yet imagine. And isn’t that the true legacy of this sport? If we sit quietly and listen, perhaps we can hear a faint echo of Colleen’s laughter and joy and her service to this game: a whisper that reminds us that this game is here for everyone.

Dr. Richard Norman is the Director, Community Futures & Innovation for Curling Canada

[1] The Patch is legendary for being “curling’s party place”! Fans are guaranteed a rockin’ good time, highlighted by a nightly lineup of live entertainment/games and fuelled by a tasty selection of food and beverages (source: Curling Canada- https://www.curling.ca/2025trials/patch/).

[2] Mair, H. (2009). Club life: Third place and shared leisure in rural Canada. Leisure Sciences, 31(5), 450–465.

[3] As part of this initiative, free tickets were offered to those at the festival to see curling live in person as well as having a Curling Ambassador sit with them to explain the rules of the game and answer any questions.