HIGH ACHIEVERS: University, part-time job take priority over curling for scholarship-winning Nathan Poklar

By Martin Cleary

Life has been extremely busy for University of Ottawa freshman Nathan Poklar for the past two months.

The Oakbank, MB, resident has been so engaged with a new school environment and working a high-profile part-time job he hasn’t been able to commit to curling this season, which has been his mainstay fall and winter sport for a dozen years.

Day after day, Poklar, 18, travels between the House of Commons, where he assists the members of parliament and guests as a member of the page program, and his university classes in political science and juris doctor in French immersion.

But as he heads into the core of the curling season, he can reflect on two brief, but meaningful curling experiences he has had since arriving in Ottawa. In September, he received a prestigious curling scholarship from the Governor General’s Curling Club. On Sunday, he went to the Navy Curling Club to serve as a volunteer in a coaching role with a group that included his two nephews.

During the 150th Governor General’s Curling Club gala at the Ottawa Hunt and Curling Club, Poklar was presented the Fran Todd All Heart Scholarship, which is part of the Curling Canada Scholarship Program.

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Amber Gargul of Beaconsfield, PQ and the Pointe-Claire Curling Club received the For the Love of Curling Scholarship, which also is under the Curling Canada Scholarship Program.

Poklar and Gargul were selected by the Governor General’s Curling Club from 93 applicants and received scholarships of $2,500 each from donations by club members.

“It was an honour to be honoured by the Governor General’s Curling Club,” Poklar said in a recent phone interview. “It’s good to be recognized for the work that has been put in. It reminds me that curling is a wonderful sport.”

Poklar used a portion of his scholarship money to cover some of his university expenses. He also plans to upgrade some of his curling equipment and take out a membership at the Navy Curling Club in the future.

On Sunday, he visited the Navy club to volunteer as an instructor with a young group of curlers, including his nephews Eli and Tommy Lincoln.

“I don’t have a curling team this year. It’s my first year in Ottawa and I don’t know anyone,” added Poklar, who would like to join the University of the Ottawa Gee-Gees’ curling program in the future. “This will be my first volunteer role; with work and school there’s no opportunity to curl.

“I’m so excited. I miss the rink, the atmosphere … being at the club every weekend. But for the first time I’ll be a volunteer to coach. I’m excited for other perspectives to give back.”

As much as he enjoys studying at the University of Ottawa and working in the House of Commons, there’s an equal amount of sadness about not having enough hours to squeeze curling into his young life.

Poklar was told by his parents when he was young that curling would be a part of his life. His parents were long-time curlers and saw the sport as a good activity for him. At six years old, Poklar became part of the Little Rocks program at Elmwood Curling Club in Winnipeg.

He met a lot of children his age and developed many friendships. After the COVID-19 pandemic cancelled his introduction to high school curling in Grade 9, he became the skip and coach of his school’s B team in Grade 10.

For his final two years of high school, Poklar represented St. Paul’s Crusaders in Winnipeg at the provincial interscholastic championships. He also skipped his own curling team, winning a local junior league competition about two years ago, which he called “a big moment of growth.” His Charleswood Curling Club team also attended two Manitoba boys’ U18 championships.

“I miss the sport,” he admitted. “It’s fall and fall means curling to me. I am a little sad that I’m not curling, but I understand and I’m not upset. I love working and going to school.”

Once his academic classes are done for the day, he heads to the House of Commons to work 15 to 20 hours a week as a page.

Once there, he feels he’s in a special environment, where he is serving the members of parliament in a variety of ways in a non-partisan and confidential manner for one year.

“It’s an extremely amazing experience,” Poklar said with enthusiasm. “It’s surreal. There’s never a moment I don’t want to be in the House of Commons. I’m working in the heart of democracy.

“There are 2,500 who work in the House, but only 70 are allowed in the chambers and we (pages) are 40 of that 70. We’re there to help the House run smoothly. There’s a lot of paperwork. We help send the paperwork to the right people and help and serve the MPs to do their job.”

Poklar learned about the page’s job in the House of Commons during a visit to Parliament Hill, when he was in Grade 7. He immediately made that a personal goal and applied for the page’s job about a year ago. Poklar had an interview, did language testing and even worked curling into the process.

“I brought up curling and mentioned that it made me a better student. It played a role for me to get the job,” he said. “It (being a page) has changed my life.”

Curling also has been another life-changing experience for him.

“It’s always an opportunity to challenge yourself. I like the mental aspect, achieving things that you are not good at and growing yourself. It’s always stressful, but teaches you how to work under stress and stay calm. It’s a challenge to improve yourself,” he added.