‘We anticipate an Olympic bump’: Curling clubs and bars gear up to welcome Olympic faithful

CTV’s Joseph Bernacki reports on how Manitobans are celebrating the 2026 Winter Olympics.

Inside the East St. Paul Curling Club, dozens of seniors take the ice for a friendly league match. Regulars here said it’s fun to see how their game stacks up against Olympians on the world stage.

“When you see it on TV and you’re doing it too, you think you can do what they do and you try it. It’s a lot of fun,” Bill Funk said.

“In the Olympics and stuff like that, you see all these pros doing their bit and ‘Go Canada Go,’” Gerald Tesarski said with enthusiasm.

Funk and Tesarski curl here multiple times a week. Both men said they’ll have their eyes glued to the competition overseas.

They said the Winter Olympics gives them an extra sense of camaraderie among friends right now.

“We watch all the curling,” Funk said.

“I love all the skiing and the sledding and all that. Big hockey fan. Curling, absolutely. I just love the Winter Olympics.”

“It’s great to see the people enjoy the sport with you. Whether you win, lose, or draw, it’s all OK,” Tesarski said.

East St. Paul Curling Club General Manager Rob Mol said there is a buzz in the air at the rink.

They are encouraging curlers to dress up in all Canadian colours and Olympic trivia is featured on site.

Mol said it’s another opportunity to grow the sport with other generations.

“We really anticipate an Olympic bump,” Mol said.

“It’s going to reach people that don’t normally watch your sport and what we’re also doing is towards the end of the Olympics, we’re doing a try curling event here at the curling club as well. So if people watched it on TV, they have an opportunity to come and try it.”

It’s not just creating a buzz for sports clubs.

Inside Elephant & Castle, General Manager Dwight Benson said he hopes to extend their hours for the Canadian hockey crowd.

They would have to open earlier to accommodate the time difference in Italy.

“We’re going to be opening for all the Canada games,” Benson said.

“So if they make it to the gold medal game, we’ll be open at that 7:40 a.m. slot, and we’re going to be open for that Thursday game on (February) 12th for 8:00 a.m.”

CTV News Winnipeg reached out to the Liquor, Gaming and Cannabis Authority of Manitoba to see if they will consider following Saskatchewan’s lead and allow licensed establishments to sell alcohol early in the morning.

We have not yet heard back from our inquiry.