Josh Shaw is padding his resume — in a highly positive and productive manner.
Shaw, the Saskatchewan Roughriders’ Manager of Operations and Facilities, has taken a week’s vacation to volunteer at the Brier.
He is assisting the icemaking crew at the Canadian men’s curling championship, which began on Friday and continues until Sunday at the Brandt Centre.
“They have qualified icemakers here and I wouldn’t call myself qualified or an icemaker at this point,” Shaw said during Tuesday’s afternoon draw.
“In the fifth-end break, we change the pads (at both ends of all four sheets of ice) and we sweep debris off the ice, and we mop the ice when needed.
“Between draws, we clean the building and do some ice maintenance and a lot of vacuuming. With all the blue carpet (at ice level) that has to be vacuumed throughout the week, it’s non-stop.
“I’m kind of a Jack-of-all-trades. It’s something I’ve never done before and it’s a lot of fun.”
Although the specific responsibilities are new, Shaw does not require an introduction to the venue, the sport, or many of the people involved.
Before joining the Roughriders in 2019, he was the Manager of Events for the Regina Exhibition Association Ltd. (REAL).
“I was responsible for concerts and the exhibition and major events, such as the Juno Awards, curling events, the Memorial Cup and the Regina Pats games,” he recalled.
“In my former life at REAL, I’ve done the men’s world curling championship here. I’ve done a Brier and a Scotties. I was on the delivery side, so I wasn’t really close to the ice. I had more to do with the Patch and those kinds of things.
“To get involved down on the ice, I had always wondered what it was like and I was always intrigued about what went into it. That was kind of part of it, too.
“Last year, I took a warm vacation to Florida. This year, I thought, ‘Why don’t I stay home and take a cold vacation in the Brandt Centre?’ ”
Most people take vacation time to relax, but Shaw isn’t of that mindset this week.
“I don’t have the scope to work with the actual icemakers,” he said. “Greg Ewasko and his crew have that expertise. They’re here at 6 in the morning and some nights they’re still working at 2:30 or 3 in the morning.
“They’re sanding rocks or tinkering with the ice or trying to get more curl in the ice, so they’re here all hours of the night, getting the ice playable for the players. There’s a lot of interaction with the players to find out what they want to see on the ice.
“Because of the late nights and early mornings, they’re sleeping here overnight. They’ve got a couple of couches in the room. They’re putting in a long, long week to make sure they have optimal ice conditions. I’m lucky I can come in and work half those hours.
“I just have an appreciation for the whole crew and for the volunteers. I’ve seen it from a Rider Squad and F Troop level, so I certainly appreciate what we do. But when you’re on the other side and you’re the one working the hours, it gives you a different appreciation for the scope of what the volunteers do.”
The interest in volunteering was sparked by a conversation with Darren Gress, who is the Ice Manager at Regina’s Highland Curling Club.
“I curl out of the Highland and Darren mentioned that they needed some extra hands for the week at the Brier,” Shaw recalled. “I thought it would be an interesting opportunity.
“I come from a curling family, so I thought, ‘Why not?’ I’ve spent a lot of time around events, such as the Junos and the Grey Cup, but I’d never really done a curling event. I thought it would be interesting and eye-opening to see the other side of it and to give back. It’s something I have really enjoyed.”
The volunteerism, while time-consuming, does not detract from Shaw’s ability to enjoy the Brier or to tend to Roughriders-related duties if need be.
“I’ve been able to keep a pulse on what’s going on at work,” he said. “There’s enough down time here that I get to watch a lot of curling.”
He is grateful for that, because his cousin/brother-in-law, Ben Hebert, is the lead for the Calgary-based Brendan Bottcher foursome at the Brier.
“Ben and I started out as cousins and we married sisters, so we’re doubly related,” Shaw said.
“I get to watch a lot of their games and I’ve enjoyed that. Between the set-up and the fifth-end breaks, I’ve been able to watch a lot of the curling. The shot-making here is incredible, so I’ve really enjoyed it.”
Especially the “eye-opening” part, referenced earlier.
“There’s the skill and expertise that the icemakers bring into their craft,” Shaw marvelled. “I had no idea what went into this.
“I’m probably one of the few on the crew that isn’t an icemaker. They have icemakers from all across the province here. Greg Ewasko does all the Briers and he’s the lead and Darren Gress of the Highland also plays an important role.
“There’s so much skill and care that goes into the ice. It’s not just a matter of, ‘Turn the plant on and make some ice and some rings and you have a curling event.’
“There’s so much expertise that goes into it. There’s the math and checking temperatures constantly and trying to find the perfect temperature. The care and consideration they put into the ice has really been eye-opening.”
Shaw’s curling connections are an eye-opener in their own right. In addition to being related to Hebert, two first cousins — D.J. Kidby and Dustin Kidby — also have Brier experience.
“I stick to Thursday night men’s league, so I don’t think I’m going beyond that,” Shaw noted. “We have trouble getting out of our club on Thursday night, so I don’t have any delusions of grandeur.
“When I was younger, I was more of a football guy (as a receiver with the Martin Monarchs and Regina Rams) and I was into hockey. I probably have the Brier dream now that I’m approaching 50, so it’s a little bit late. Maybe I’ll go into the masters championship or something.”
You never know. Curling-wise, this Josh-of-all-trades could prove to be a master of one.
