New Zealand national curling team bids farewell to Calgary retirement residence roommates
A group of New Zealand curlers living in a Calgary retirement residence are heading home.
In September, the national team struck a deal to live at the Chartwell Colonel Belcher Retirement Residence during their Calgary stay.
The curlers, more than 50 years younger than many of their roommates, say their time inside the home has been incredible.
"To be honest, we're just really integrated into this family here," skip Anton Hood said.
"It's been amazing and really heartwarming for us."
Hood says it's like staying with his own grandparents – 175 of them.
"We're just walking down the hallway and saying hello to everyone," he said.
The curlers and residents gathered for a farewell party on Thursday.
Flags were hung, cake was made and a lot of goodbye hugs were exchanged.
"There were a lot of residents down there, which was awesome to see," second Brett Sargon said.
"We loved it."
So did the residents.
Bertha Esplen, 97, can't talk about the team without smiling.
"Oh my goodness," she said.
"Words cannot do justice to how they acted towards us and how we acted towards them. They just feel like my own children."
In the fall, the New Zealanders came to Calgary to practise and learn more about the game.
They say their off-ice fun rivals their time on the ice.
"We didn't win as much as we wanted," Hood told CTV News.
"But we're going to the Worlds (in Switzerland) in a few weeks and feel good about how we're playing."
After that, it'll be some downtime back home before another stint in Calgary come autumn.
"We'd stay here again in a heartbeat," Hood said.
"It’s warm, lovely and the people are great. You can't complain at all."
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Canadian gov't proposes new foreign influence registry as part of wide-spanning new bill
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau's government is proposing a suite of new measures and law changes aimed at countering foreign interference in Canada, amid extensive scrutiny over past meddling attempts and an ever-evolving threat landscape.
Boeing Starliner capsule's first crewed test flight postponed
The long-awaited first crewed test flight of Boeing's new Starliner space capsule was called off for at least 24 hours over a technical issue that launch teams were unable to resolve in time for the planned Monday night lift-off.
Teacher charged in historical sexual assault of Calgary teenage girl
Calgary police have charged a teacher with the alleged sexual assault of a teenage girl more than 20 years ago.
Winnipeg man admits to killing four women, argues he's not criminally responsible
Defence lawyers of Jeremy Skibicki have admitted in court the accused killed four Indigenous women, but argues he is not criminally responsible for the deaths by way of mental disorder – this latest development has triggered a judge-alone trial rather than a jury trial.
Man banned from owning animals after fatal Calgary dog attack
The owner of three Calgary dogs that got loose and mauled a woman to death in 2022 has been ordered to pay a $15,000 fine within one year and banned from owning any animal for 15 years.
East-end Ottawa family dealing with massive rat infestation
Residents in Ottawa’s Elmridge Gardens complex are dealing with a rat infestation that just won’t go away. Now, after doing everything they can to try to fix the issue, they are pleading with the city to step in and help.
Mediterranean staple may lower your risk of death from dementia, study finds
A daily spoonful of olive oil could lower your risk of dying from dementia, according to a new study by Harvard scientists.
An El Nino-less summer is coming. Here's what that could mean for Canada
As Canadians brace themselves for summer temperatures, forecasters say a weakening El Nino cycle doesn’t mean relief from the heat.
Newfoundland and Labrador latest province to tighten rules on Airbnbs
Newfoundland and Labrador is the latest jurisdiction to bring in stricter rules for short-term rentals, with a coming set of regulations that will force operators to register with the provincial government.