Thunder Bay’s Trevor Bonot improves to 5-1 at the Brier as hometown fans cheer them on

The members of Team Northern Ontario are taking things one game at a time as they continue an impressive run at the 2024 Montana’s Brier in Regina.

The team — which includes skip Trevor Bonot, lead Kurtis Byrd, second Jordan Potts, third Mike McCarville, and coach Al Hackner — opened play at the Canadian men’s curling championships on Tuesday with a 10-6 win over Team Ontario. They followed that up Tuesday evening with a 7-4 win over Team B.C., putting them in first place in Pool A at 5-1. 

“We’re not getting ahead of ourselves,” Bonot said in an interview with CBC News before Tuesday night’s win.  “I’m not trying to diminish the fact that we played really well so far, but we’re not going any further than one game at a time.

“I’m very happy with how the boys have been coming out to play,” he said. “We’re really supporting each other and just really enjoying the moment. It’s incredible to be playing in front of all the spectators.”

Bonot is playing in his first Brier, as are most of Team Northern Ontario: McCarville has played in the bonspiel previously, and Hackner has two Brier wins to his name.

“I can’t speak enough of how proud I am of my team and the way we’ve come together this week,” Bonot said. “We’re just so supportive of each other, and we all know that we’re working really hard and grinding out these games.

“We want to be known as a team that doesn’t go away.”

Thunder Bay TVs turned to curling 

Bonot’s success so far has been a major source of celebration at his home club in Thunder Bay. 

“It’s fantastic to see their success at the Brier,” Fort William Curling Club President Kevan Stranges said. “Around the club, everyone’s talking about it, they’re excited, members are buzzing with conversations just about their performance.

“We’re all watching, embracing the excitement alongside them as fans,” he said. “It’s definitely clear that they’re generating a lot of excitement around the club, and the curling community in general.”

That excitement isn’t just local, Stranges said.

“This past weekend, I was in a spiel in Superior, Wisconsin and there was quite an ovation every time they showed some game updates from northern Ontario, especially when he was making some just key shots leading to wins, which is just awesome to see.”

Stranges said the televisions at the club are always tuned to the Brier when there’s a game on, and he’s expecting there will be plenty of celebration the next time Bonot and his team walk in, regardless of how the rest of the week turns out.

“They’ll come back and they’ll talk about the stories and the shots and the moments, and the members will let them know how just how well they did,” Stranges said. “It’s really amazing to see it.

“Maybe it’s just the story of the underdog a little bit, he said.

“I think even the boys themselves at their sendoff, they made a comment, ‘we’re 100 to one underdogs’ kind of deal or whatever the case might be.

“The underdog teams often capture the heart and imagination of fans a lot quicker than others, because they represent hope and determination and the possibility of achieving the unexpected, and maybe the journey is just more relatable in that sense, and I think that’s why that support’s going to keep growing for them.”

Brier results, and a schedule of upcoming draws, can be found on the event’s website.