The best young curlers in New Brunswick took to the ice at the Heather Curling Club in St. Andrews last week for the 2025 New Brunswick Under-20 Curling Championship. With stakes high and national representation on the line, the competition delivered thrilling matchups, emotional victories, and a story of sibling rivalry that played out in the men's final.

 Vicki Hogarth and Nathalie Sturgeon – Local Journalism Initiative

The championship, presented by the Jake Thomas Celebrity Curling Classic, ran from February 6 to 9, bringing together the province’s top young talent.

On the women’s side, the championship title went to Team Forsythe, representing the Capital Winter Club and Curl Moncton and led by skip Melodie Forsythe.

"It means a lot to us, and this is our last year to compete, so we are going to play our hearts out at nationals," said Melodie Forsythe.

But the most gripping moment of the tournament came in the men’s final, where it was brother against brother in a battle for provincial glory. Rajan Dalrymple, Skip for the team from Gare Curling Club and Curl Moncton, faced off against his younger brother Sahil, Skip for the Gage Curling Club team. With family and fans watching closely, Rajan ultimately claimed victory.

"I know my parents were behind the glass, and it's hard to pick a side," said Rajan Dalrymple. "It was surreal to know that one of us would get the chance to go to nationals."

Rajan and his team will now represent New Brunswick at the Under-20 Nationals in Prince Edward Island this March. But there’s good news for the Dalrymple family—Sahil has earned his own shot at national success, qualifying for the Under-18 National Championship.

"He's actually going to the U-18 nationals for New Brunswick as well. He swept the field there, and I'm really excited to see what he can do," said Rajan about his brother Sahil.

Beyond the action on the ice, the championship was a testament to the dedication of the Heather Curling Club and its volunteers. Raj praised the work behind the scenes, crediting the venue for its high-quality ice.

"It's great to play in a small town like this, where you really get to know everyone and appreciate the work that goes into hosting a tournament like this," said Rajan. "The ice was incredible, and we couldn't have done it without the amazing volunteers."

After hosting both the Women’s Provincials in January and the U-20 Provincials in February, the Heather Curling Club is proving itself as a premier venue for high-level curling competitions.

"It’s been very exciting to have these two events. It speaks volumes about what our members and volunteers can do," said Roger McNabb, Heather Curling Club President. "We have the infrastructure, the talent, and the dedication to keep hosting major curling events here in St. Andrews."

With another successful tournament in the books, New Brunswick’s top young curlers cam now set their sights on the national stage in PEI, carrying with them the experience, passion, and pride of their home province.

Road Block for St. Andrews' Argyll Residences 

A major housing development in Saint Andrews has hit a roadblock.

John Rocca, the developer, says engineers were using the wrong survey, which has resulted in the building being too high above the sidewalk.

“The civil work for this project was done by the engineering firm, unfortunately, using the incorrect survey plan," said Rocca. "That problem was discovered after construction started when the walls were done."

The proposed plan is to seek an encroachment agreement from council – essentially take a portion of the sidewalk away to build the entrance level with the building while maintaining barrier-free access.

It was an error that drew swift concern from council – citing both safety concerns with the design but with the error itself.

"A group of us go for coffee every morning across the street from your building and everybody at the table noticed that the height was above the sidewalk," said St. Andrews Councillor Lee Heenan. "That really bothers me, that we, as individuals, could see this and yet a whole lot of people working there did not."

"I definitely think we have to do something about the bricks on the curbside, but I really just see that as being a hazard," said St. Andrews Councillor Annette Harland.

The proposed encroachment would likely require the removal of the red brick that lines the sidewalks in Saint Andrews - leaving about 1.66 metres for the remaining sidewalk.

It is a new, more modern design than is customary to Water Street in downtown Saint Andrews. Rocca says redesigning would require a significant project delay and upwards of $200,000.

Council discussed several options including asking the developer to pay for the sidewalk, but only agreed to the encroachment in principle while staff worked toward a resolution.

Premier Holt Heads to Washington for Tariff Talks

Finally, Premier Susan Holt is leading a group of New Brunswick business leaders to Washington, D.C., this week as the threat of new tariffs from the United States loom. The three-day trip includes meetings with U.S. lawmakers to highlight key industries like energy, seafood, forestry, and agriculture.

Businesses taking part include Cooke Aquaculture, J.D. Irving, Limited, New Brunswick Crab Processors, Mrs. Dunster’s, and Potatoes New Brunswick. While in Washington, Holt will also join other Canadian premiers for discussions on strengthening trade with the U.S.