Nunavut Brier team hopes to build on last year’s first-ever win

The goal is clear for Team Nunavut at the 2024 Montana’s Brier: build on the relative success of last year.

The Brier, Canada’s men’s national curling championship, opened Friday in Regina, Sask., and runs until March 10.

At last year’s event, Nunavut won its first game since the territory became a participant in the event in 2016.

This year’s Nunavut roster includes mostly the same players as last year.

Sheldon Wettig, Brady St. Louis and Christian Smitheram are returning as vice-skip, second and lead, respectively.

Shane Latimer, an electrician from London, Ont., is the new skip and is making his Brier debut. Peter Van Strien, president of the Iqaluit Curling Club, has joined as the team’s alternate.

“Now that the win’s on the board, the bar has been raised for us,” Latimer said in a phone interview.

“We’ve set the goal to match last year, but the main goal is we want to be out there and perform to the best of our abilities.”

The team has been practising down south for the past week in preparation for the Brier, linking up first in Winnipeg.

With players living in different parts of Canada, the curlers have been communicating remotely to train and shape up.

Nunavut’s first game is Saturday against Team Quebec, and they expect to face some challenging opponents over the next week.

Notably, on Tuesday they’ll be up against Brad Gushu’s Team Canada, the two-time defending Bier champions hailing from Newfoundland.

“They’re all gonna be tough,” Latimer said.

“I’m trying not to dread or really be excited for any specific one; I’m at each game, I’m going love each one for when it happens.”

Latimer is Nunavut’s “import” player, as he described. Curling Canada allows teams to include one player who is not from or not living in the territory or province to represent it at events like the Brier.

Regardless, Latimer said he’s proud to be part of the Nunavut team and wants to make the territory proud at the competition.

“There’s a lot of pride, actually, when you’re wearing the team flag,” he said.

“You want to represent them very well, and that’s what the goal is: to be out there to perform.”