The Citizen, 2015-04-09, Page 8PAGE 8. THE CITIZEN, THURSDAY, APRIL 9, 2015.
Sports
Brussels Curling Club celebrates 50th anniversary
The Brussels Curling Club will
celebrate 50 years of curling in
Brussels this weekend with a
banquet and dance at the Brussels
Legion.
It was in 1964 that a group of
interested curlers gathered at the old
arena to discuss the formation of a
club in Brussels. Many of those
present had been curling elsewhere
in the area but thought “why not
here in Brussels?” Many of the
original settlers of the area were of
Scottish descent and thought curling
was a tradition worth bringing to
Brussels.
The group gathered in November
of 1964 and after great discussion,
the formation of the first executive
of the Brussels Curling Club was
formed. D.A. (Ike) Rann was the
first president and George Mutter
was the secretary. He sent the list of
29 members into the Ontario Curling
Association in 1965 and curling
began in January with 90 registered
members. In the two months after
forming, all the curling equipment
had been purchased and all members
paid.
There are still two original
members of the club in the area, Dan
Pearson of Brussels and Ross Veitch
of Listowel. Although, not listed on
the original membership list, Orval
Bauer was also there from the
beginning. He came along to help
the arena manager make the ice, and
then was just given the job of
making the curling ice. He stayed
around to curl most draws so has
been a 50-year curler. Another
familiar name is Bob Alexander. He
started in 1965 as a spare curler, but
he loved the sport and just kept
coming back every year for the last
50.
They were a very competitive
group of curlers, curling two days a
week, Tuesday and Wednesday, with
two draws each day on the four
sheets of ice. Many curled more than
one draw, so the full ice meant 64
curlers played each draw. A playoff
system determined the top winners
for the year and D.A. Rann donated
the first trophy for the team with the
highest points. That trophy is still
presented today. The first winners of
the trophy were Bill Turnbull, Edna
Pearson, Alex Pearson and
Reinhardt Bauer. This year, in the
50th year, the trophy will be
presented to Mike Alexander, Jeff
Cardiff and Karen Uhler.
The ladies of the club felt they
needed their own division of the
club. In 1967, the ladies started and
hosted a bonspiel. Bonspiel meals
had previously been served at the
Legion or American Hotel, but in
1967, the old lounge above the
dressing rooms of the old arena was
renovated and meals were served
and the room was licensed. There
was a private entrance for the club as
well.
Brussels has always had a
reputation over the years for
producing some very good curlers.
In 1974, two men’s teams won the
Silver Tankard for the zone. They
included Murray Hoover, Jim Smith,
Ernie Lewington, Brian Adams,
Ross Veitch, Stewart Steiss, Leslie
Knight and Bob Alexander. Not to
be outdone, the ladies of the club
won the Ladies Tankard in 1974 with
team members Jean Oldfield, Jackie
Pettepiece, Nora Stephenson, Wilma
Rathwell, Edna Pearson, Leona
McDonald, Barb Dunbar and Eileen
Mutter.
It was decided by the municipality
to build a new arena and in 1977 the
new Brussels, Morris and Grey
Community Centre was built. Many
of the curlers felt at that time that a
separate curling ice should have
been built. It was decided not to have
the extra ice surface and some
members of the club decided to curl
in the neighbouring towns that had
curling ice only. Club numbers went
down and curling moved to Monday
evenings.
Jack Bryans decided the future of
curling in Brussels rested in the
youth and a Junior Curling Club was
formed. Jack was very instrumental
in the formation of the club. There
were five ice surfaces in the new
arena and the Junior Club filled
them. The first president of the
Junior Club was Jim McDonald and
he was also the first winner of the
Junior trophy with team members
Mary Ireland Dickson, Brad Knight
and June Bremner. Many of the
junior players had parents that curled
and now, many of them are still
curling today.
Bonspiels have played an
important part of the history of the
club with as many as four spiels a
year. The ladies club would cater to
the meals and many of the local
business people sponsored events.
Sponsors included R.J. Bauer
Massey Ferguson, the first sponsor
of a spiel of 1965 and through the
years, Brussels Stockyards,
McDonald Lumber, McGavin’s,
Huron Feeding Systems, Mulvey
Insurance, Cook’s, Brussels
Agromart, Brussels Lions, Pannell
Kerr MacGillvary and Oldfield’s
Hardware have contributed to the
success of the club. Today, the
Brussels Curling Club hosts only
one bonspiel a year and sponsors the
event itself with prizes donated by
many business enterprises in
Brussels and area.
During the years, the Brussels
Curling Club has contributed to the
Brussels, Morris and Grey
Community Centre. A donation of
$4,000 was given to aid in the paving
of the parking lot, $2,000 to aid in
operating costs and other donations
towards flooring and other items
have also been given over the years.
The Brussels Curling Club has
managed to continue to operate
through the good and bad years of
fluctuating membership. From the
beginning enrolment of 90 paid
members in 1964 and to a high of
132 into the early 1970s to a low of
just 32 curlers in early 2000. There
had been two draws of curling on
Monday evenings and in 1997 the
club dropped to just one draw on
Monday night. The Ladies Curling
Club curled on Tuesday afternoons
and the Ladies Club folded around
2004.
Consistently over the past five
years, the club membership is around
45 members. Those members include
members who have curled all 50
years to our newest member curling
for just the last half of this year.
Throughout the years, a lot of fun
has been enjoyed with a sport that
encompasses many age groups. The
young and the old can curl and learn
from each other. Three generations
have curled this past year at the club
from the Alexander family.
Grandfather Bob, a 50-year curler,
son Mike a 31-year curler and his
Wingham Golf
And Curling Club
40292 Jamestown Rd., Wingham ~ 519-357-2179
MEMBERSHIP FEES RATE
ADULT..................................$575
COUPLE ............................$1000
FAMILY ..............................$1150
SENIOR................................$500
WEEKDAY or WEEKEND ..$480
YOUNG ADULT (19-39) ......$400
YOUNG ADULT COUPLE ..$700
JUNIOR (18 & under)..........$200
CART MEMBERSHIP..........$500
GREEN FEES RATE
* 9 Holes (Spring/Fall)..........$13.27
9 Holes (Peak)....................$17.70
* 18 Holes (Spring/Fall)........$22.12
18 Holes (Peak)..................$28.31
Twilight Rate (After 3 pm)..$16.81
Ticket Trax (10 Rounds)........$150
* Spring = Open - May 15, 2015
* Fall = September 8, 2015 - Close
RENTALS RATE
Cart Rental
9 Hole Power Cart............$17.70
18 Hole Power Cart..........$26.55
9 Hole Pull Cart..................$2.65
18 Hole Pull Cart................$4.42
Club Rental ........................$8.85
PRICES
DO NOT INCLUDE
13% HST
“In accordance with PCP Act 63/09 the
annual report is available for viewing in the
pro shop and it will be presented at the
annual meeting on April 13th at 7 pm.
Bruce Pewtress
IPM #1520”
Annual
Meeting
April 13th
7 pm
SOUTH HURON
DRIVING SCHOOL
Opening At
Huron Christian School
87 Percival St.Clinton
July 6,7,8,9
9am - 2:30pm,
$699 HST Incl.
Aug.10,11,12,13
9am - 2:30pm
$699 HST Incl.
Oct.1,8,15,22,29
3:30 - 7:30pm
$699 HST Incl.
Dec.19,21,22,23
9am - 2:30pm
$699 HST Incl.
Driving instructor: Rick Jonker 519-235-2402
Also 4 Saturday’s.
April18,25,May2&9.
@ Centre for
Employment in Exeter
Apr.30,
May 7,14,21,28
3:30 - 7:30 pm
$699 HST Incl.
TO REGISTER CONTACT:
Kathy Delbridge
519-235-4485 or 519-933-8977
or register online at
www.shds.ca
A big event
While the celebration of the 50th anniversary of the Brussels Curling Club is this weekend,
the club’s year-end bonspiel, shown above, was held at the Brussels, Morris and Grey
Community Centre on March 21. (Shawn Loughlin photo)
Hurry hard!
The Brussels Curling Club has been making one of
Canada’s most popular games accessible and local for the
past 50 years. This weekend, the club will celebrate its
anniversary however, last month, they held their year-end
bonspiel at the Brussels, Morris and Grey Community
Centre. (Shawn Loughlin photo)
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