Unity 鈥� Low oil prices might help or hinder the turnout, sponsorships and donations at this year鈥檚 14th annual Oil Persons Bonspiel in Unity. Dustin Brown
the event chair and an operator at Northern Blizzard expects the full impact will be known well before curling gets underway from Feb. 26 to March 1.
鈥淚 don鈥檛 really know yet,鈥� said Brown when asked about it on Jan. 8 when oil dipped below $49 a barrel. 鈥淲e鈥檝e got our second meeting coming up in two weeks. We鈥檒l have a pretty good idea of who鈥檝e we got for teams and sponsorships.
鈥淚 think it should be alright. It would be nice to have 鈥�20 some鈥� again.鈥� Brown said parts of his company in the Unity area are busy, notably their waterflood field, while other segments are slow as oil prices fell for the seventh week in a row.
Attending the bonspiel he advised all oil company employees it's a nice way to get away and take your mind off everything else. The stressor for Grant Huber鈥檚 team
is not oil prices, but how to stay alive as the defending A-Event champs with a target on their backs that they鈥檝e attached themselves. 鈥淲e鈥檙e putting a bounty on our backs. It won鈥檛 take much to get rid of us,鈥� joked Huber who senses his team's early fate at the Unity curling rink.
鈥淚f anyone does beat him, I鈥檓 sure they鈥檒l let him know,鈥� chimed Brown. Last year, was the first time in 13 tries that Huber skipped a team to glory when everything
clicked. 鈥淚 think we just all curled as a unit. As a team we curled pretty good, so that helped. It was lucky 13,鈥� he explained with faint hopes of a repeat this year.
鈥淲e鈥檙e going out there to have fun 鈥� that鈥檚 the main thing. We鈥檒l see what happens.
鈥淲e鈥檙e just happy to be able to participate. We鈥檙e getting old. I鈥檓 52 this year.鈥� Huber, who owns Huber Machining, also offered his take on the possible effect of low oil prices on the turnout of companies knowing there were 22 teams registered last year during busy boom times. 鈥淲e鈥檙e hoping that may have a better turnout, but who knows, it鈥檚 hard to say.
Maybe then they鈥檒l be watching their dollars then too,鈥� he hedged. He said the buzz in Unity on the impact of oil on activities levels is that it鈥檚 too early to tell in the second week of January. 鈥淓veryone鈥檚 kind of hanging in there waiting to see what the first quarter does. Into the second quarter it will tell the tale of what鈥檚 happening,鈥� he said 鈥淚 know some of the companies that have hedged in at better prices 鈥� they鈥檙e still busy.鈥� Huber reported business is steady at his shop with all types of jobs. 鈥淚t鈥檚 been steady. It comes and goes. It鈥檚 everything here. There a lot of service rigs in the area so I do some work for them,鈥� he said.
鈥淭here鈥檚 some welders around that do lots of oilfield welding and I do work for them - pipeline guys 鈥� they works for Plains 鈥� people like that.鈥� He added there is also a strong agriculture industry in the area that also supports the community and the bonspiel with prizes, donations and sponsorships. This year鈥檚 major oilfield sponsor is Tervita backed by various platinum, gold, silver and bronze sponsors from all sectors of the local economy.
The $280 team registration fee includes a minimum of four games, entry to the banquet and sponsored breakfast and lunch and a free cab ride home if needed.
Players who show up will discover their money has been well spent on improvements made to the Unity Curling Club during the off season. 鈥淎t the beginning of the season, we sanded the rocks so they curl quite a bit more and we redid the bathrooms,鈥� said Huber. 鈥淲e gave them a makeover so they really turned out well.鈥� The deadline to register is Feb. 15 to have a shot at winning some of the curling and banquet prizes that always pour in regardless of the price of oil.
鈥淲e鈥檒l have a good selection to choose from this year. We鈥檒l be putting for a TV. I think we鈥檒l have a couple of beer fridges to raffle off,鈥� said Brown. This will be Brown鈥檚 first full year as bonspiel chair and he has been curling once a week to hone his game and erase the memory of his team鈥檚 performance in 2014.
鈥淲e didn鈥檛 win a single game,鈥� he said noting he was too busy as the chair. 鈥淲e weren鈥檛 that good either,鈥� he admitted. This time around, he鈥檒l be playing third with the same group of guys he played with a couple of years ago from 麻豆视频ern Pacific Resource Ltd. when they won the B-Event title.
鈥淪o hopefully we can find some magic again,鈥� said Brown.
