Royal Kingston Curling Club
130 Days Road K7M 9G4 Kingston, ON, Canada

The February issue of "The Sweep" has rolled off the presses - your source for RKCC news and updates! https://royalkingston.com//Ne/2021-22/TheSweep-2022-02.pdf

GOOD NEWS! With the recent announcement from the provincial government, based on recommendations from the Chief Medical Officer of Health, our protocols are changing. Effective Feb. 17 at 12:01 am (midnight) the following changes to the club’s protocols will be effective: Masks are no longer required while you are curling. Please do not remove your mask until you are ready to play. Anyone still wishing to wear a mask while curling is encouraged to do so. Two sweepers are allo...wed again, and sweeping in the house goes back to the usual way to play the game. No more limitations on our game playing. The seating in the lounge will return to the normal configuration. Two teams may enjoy social time again, but If teams still wish to sit only 4 to a table, then please continue to do so; the choice is yours. Remember: Masks can only be removed while you are seated and having a drink, or eating. Masks must continue to be worn in all interior areas of the club. The capacity limits have been removed from all areas of the club, but we encourage you to continue physical distancing (staying 2 metres apart) whenever possible. The alternate ends for beginning the game will continue. The active screening questionnaire will also see positive changes, so please read it carefully when you are completing it. As an example, one of the key changes is the question regarding being identified as a close contact. If you are fully vaccinated, not immunocompromised, and not living in the same household as the positive COVID-19 person you may answer no to the question. This means you will be allowed to come to the club with no days of waiting. We hope everyone enjoys the relaxation of the protocols, and we’re hopeful this will continue for the balance of our season. Deb Wilkin RKCC President See more

Set your alarms tonight to watch Team Gushue go for the #curling #bronzemedal at the #BeijingWinterOlympics. Our guys from #therock are due to #rockthehouse!

Our biggest congratulations to Official Team Jennifer Jones for representing Canada with dignity all week long. You embody the Olympic spirit and make us proud ...to be Canadian. Read the team's latest blog reflecting on the game fal.cn/3mf1m --- Nos plus sincères félicitations à @TeamJJonesCurl pour avoir représenté le Canada avec dignité tout au long de la semaine. Vous incarnez l'esprit olympique et nous rendez fiers d'être Canadiens. https://bit.ly/3uT3Vot

Meanwhile in hockey action (our second-favourite sport!) WOMEN’S GOLD MEDAL GAME - CANADA VS. USA The gold medal is on the line tonight in women’s hockey as Canada goes up against Team USA. Tune in tonight at 11 p.m. Eastern on CBC TV, CBC Gem, CBC.ca/Beijing2022 and the CBC Sports app. https://gem.cbc.ca/olympics

So close! @HorganCurling nearly pulled it off in the extra end. #WeBelieve that you'll be back!

Horgan Curling stole 1 to go into an extra end, playing now! No streaming - results here: https://www.curl-on.ca/scoreboard/

More great #curling to cheer on as Greater Kingston's Horgan Curling needs our support as they battle it out at 7:30 tonight in a must-win game at the Ontario Tankard for the chance to represent Ontario at the #Brier in Lethbridge next month! #WeBelieve #stayinalive #keeprolling Scoreboard: bit.ly/34Gddcj Draw: bit.ly/3GBtsVo Live Streaming: www.CurlONTV.ca

@teamjenniferjones locks in their first win at the #BeijingWinterOlympics! Read skip Jennifer Jones' @curlingcanada blog here: https://www.curling.ca/blog/2022/02/10/beijing-2022-blog-12/ Photo: Team Canada celebrates its win over South Korea on Thursday night. (Photo, World Curling Federation/Céline Stucki)

The @CurlingCanada @TeamGushue blog from the #BeijingWinterOlympics gives a great inside perspective on the men's #curling competition https://www.curling.ca/blog/2022/02/10/beijing-2022-blog-11/ Geoff Walker, left, and Mark Nichols in action at the Ice Cube in Beijing. (Photo, World Curling Federation/Céline Stucki)

Having trouble keeping track of the #BeijingWinterOlympics curling competition with the 13-hour time difference? Here's a handy schedule! Go Team Gushue! Go Official Team Jennifer Jones! #hurryhard #olympicgold https://olympics.com///curling/olympic-daily-schedule.htm

Happy Curling Day in Canada!

Let's go, Canada! #BeijingWinterOlympics

We needed someone to hold the broom for us too, John. #sweepingisoverrated

Just six more sleeps until live curling returns with the Canadian women's curling championships #STOH2021 at #HUBCITY2021 #Calgary #Canada's covid #curling capital! #hurryhard Whoohoo! https://www.tsn.ca/2019-20-curling-broadcast-schedule-1.593

First practice on reopening day on Brier/Scotties-worthy ice, thanks to our amazing chief ice technician Jeff Gray!

Royal Kingston alum Peter Andersen is seeing the fruits of his labour as Kosovo embraces curling! Kosovo Olympic Committee Curling Kosovo World Curling Federation

A good-news message from our president: The provincial government has announced that the KFL&A area will no longer be in lockdown effective February 10th. KFL&A will move back into the green level of the Ministry of Health’s COVID-19 Response Framework: Keeping Ontario Safe and Open (November 2020) As a result of this announcement, our club will be reopening, commencing with 60 minute practice sessions, on Wednesday, Feb. 10 at 9 AM. This is truly an Event so please registe...r for ONE of the eight time slots we have available. Scheduled league games will begin again on Thursday, February 11th, where possible. We are delighted to have our curlers returning, with over two months of play still being planned for this season. The club will not be extending the season beyond April 17th. As a reminder, all previously Board approved protocols remain in place. This includes the new configuration of the lounge that was implemented in mid-December, as required by KFL&A Public Health. Please remember to practice all protocols, including, but not limited to: Hand hygiene Mask-wearing Two metre (six feet) distancing Not arriving for your game any earlier than 15 minutes before the start time Going out to the ice shed as soon as possible after your arrival, avoiding congregating in the foyer and hallway before your game Please see our COVID-19 information on our website if you need to review the complete Return to Play and Safety Plan documents. Welcome back, and good curling. Best regards, Deb Wilkin RKCC Board and Return to Play Committee

Missing #curling? What have you been doing to fill the time before we can get back on the ice? Got photos? Post them! Missing #curling? What have you been doing to fill the time before we can get back on the ice? Got photos? Post them!

We are pleased to announce that Goldline is bringing their popup store to Royal Kingston and offering you a chance to browse and buy their complete line of excellent curling products. They will have lots of new items that you may have not seen yet so drop in on Saturday , Nov. 21 between 10am and 4pm to fill out your Christmas gift wish list. If there is anything of special interest to you please drop Steve a note in the office and he will make sure the Goldline guys know to bring it.

RKCC ventured to #downtownkingston today and saw this outside the #ygk post office. #happyholidays #canadapost #hohoho

Canines and #curling? Why not! Kingston 4 Paws Service Dogs visited the club on Wednesday to conduct a training session for their #dogs and some of their handlers. The pups enjoyed the atmosphere of our busy and noisy location, which is part of their training. In particular, they enjoyed hitting the ice to watch the excitement of the Draw 1 women's club curling playoffs!

Remember the story we posted here earlier this summer about Lola? Now she's a #guinnessworldrecord

The Ontario government is introducing a new framework, the COVID-19 Response Framework: Keeping Ontario Safe and Open, effective Nov. 7. Our public health unit, Kingston, Frontenac, Lennox & Addington (KFL&A), is under the PREVENT measures category of the framework, which is the least restrictive level. As a result, we are not anticipating any changes or new restrictions to our current operations or league play. Our club has been reopened for a month now. The Return to Play a...nd Safety plans seem to be working, for the most part, as we all become accustomed to a new way of life at RKCC. To safeguard the continuation of our very fortunate position, please respect the protocols the Board has implemented. This includes maintaining the configuration of the tables and chairs in the lounge. Tables must be a minimum of six feet apart and seating is limited to four at each table. We do not enact these protocols just to make your life difficult; we do so to keep everyone safe and to ensure we don’t get sanctioned by our local health unit or other government authority. We are one of the few clubs in our area that is even open, so please help keep it that way, and remind your friends and teammates as well. Our staff should not be put in the position of reminding us of the necessary protocols - on or off the ice. If you have questions, please ask, as we are here to help everyone keep enjoying the club and the game safely. Check with the club manager, your league convenor, league chair, or any member of the Return to Play task force for possible answers. Thank you one and all for your continued efforts. Best regards, Deb Wilkin President