By Adam Frisk
Haliburton residents are getting into the competitive spirit and are eager to cheer on Team Canada as the Milano Cortina 2026 Winter Olympic Games get underway in Italy.
The Olympics officially got underway on Friday with three-time Olympic medallist in moguls, Mikaël Kingsbury, and two-time Olympic medallist in ski cross, Marielle Thompson, carrying the maple leaf and leading Team Canada at the opening ceremony.
An opening ceremony watch party was hosted at the Haliburton library, where people had gathered to watch Team Canada celebrate the start of the Winter Games. On Saturday, the Haliburton Curling Club hosted an Olympic-themed bonspiel, with members dressing in costume to support their chosen country for the afternoon competition.
While the Summer Games have their charm, many residents The Echo spoke to said nothing beats the high-stakes drama on the ice and snow. From predictions of record-breaking medal hauls to the perennial hope of hockey gold, residents were excited for Canada to hit the world stage in Italy.
For many in town, the Winter Olympics offer a level of excitement that the summer sports simply can’t match.
“I really like the Winter Olympics,” Nick Folco, owner of The Noble Barber, said in an interview last week. “A lot of the sports are just more interesting to watch for some reason.”
The shop’s front window display pays tribute to the Winter Games with handmade Olympic rings hanging in the window, a pair of timey hockey skates, and sticks on display, and of course, a large Canadian flag.
Over at the curling rink, members were set to catch all the action and had some bold words for Team Canada and especially for the women’s hockey team.
“I hope they beat the Americans,” Chrissy DeLyzer simply put it. “If they don’t win gold, but they beat the Americans, that will be fine with me.”
The curler noted that the winter edition is her favorite and had her viewing schedule already packed with plansto follow everything from the high-speed thrills of skeleton and skiing to the strategic patience of curling.
Fellow curler David Sikkema said the plans to follow both hockey and curling quite closely and predicts a “top two” finish for the women’s hockey team, but wasn’t quite sure how the men would fare.
With NHL players returning to the Olympic stage for the first time in more than a decade, expectations for the men’s team are high.
“It’s Canada’s game and always has been,” Folco said. “I’m hoping they can push for gold again… I have a good feeling about the team.”
According to the sports betting site Odds Shark, Canada entered the Games as a +120 betting favourite, while the U.S. was +210, Sweden +600, and Finland +1100 to take the gold.
Canada brought home 26 medals from Beijing in 2022, including four gold, and finished in 11th place overall. But local fans are betting on a much bigger haul this time around.
DeLyzer was the most grounded in her predictions and suggested that Canada would capture 25 medals, including six gold. However, both Sikkema and Folco predicted that Canada would shatter its previous best and bring home 30 or more medals.
The country earned its most hardware during the 2018 Winter Olympics in South Korea, bringing home a whopping 28 medals, including 11 gold.
Whether it’s snowboarding, hockey, or curling, the town was ready to cheer on our Canadian athletes as the first events got underway over the weekend.
