Championship Season Approaches for Curling, "Still A Canadian Sport"

In much of the United States, curling is one of those quiet sports that nothing is heard of until it is one of the "offerings" served up to us on the television network coverage of the winter olympic games.

In Canada, curling is a big deal. It is a sport with a national culture and history. Its championships, bonspiels, are covered regularly on television. Moreover, in recent years as professional hockey Gary Bettman-style has fled the frozen north in favor the American Sun Belt & Madison Avenue, many have embraced curling as a sport that continues to reflect true Canadian values.

As we reach the climax of this year's season, you can gain some insight to the sport in Canada through this website I located through http://www.culture.ca/:

Bonspiel! The History of Curling in Canada
The history of curling in Canada extends back to the origins of this country's earliest European immigrants. It is an important history that reflects Canada's social and cultural development and tells the story of curling as Canada’s unofficial national sport from its distant origins to its current popularity. Includes digital images and documents as well as bibliographical references.http://www.culture.ca/launcher.jsp?http://www.collectionscanada.ca/curling&lang=e&cat=/Recreation/Sports/All-Sports/Curling