The Barrie Curling Club is ready for another season of throwing rocks, sweeping and most importantly fun.
The club started its first league games of the year on Oct. 17 and have a full slate of activities planned for the new season.
While curling is the main part of the clubs day to day schedule, there are a host of other interesting events and nights that help keep the 175 Essa Road building rocking year round.
Gord Smith has been a member of the club for 21 years and club manager for the last six. Smith believes in the club and all it stands for and is encouraged by the year to year sign-ups.
“I can see the growth of the game through the years that I’ve been here,” said Smith. “We have a large, youthful membership mixed with the older crowd who helped shape us. It’s the main reason I love this club; the people and the values that are here. This is a big family,” Smith said.
There are always new events at the Barrie Curling Club but it stems from a great and storied history. Curling in Barrie dates back to the frozen waters of Kempenfelt Bay in 1877.
As a housed sport, enthusiasts have flocked to many locations in Barrie over the last 100 years.
In 1899 there was a rink by the old Barrie Collegiate until the Barrie Curling and Athletic Club was incorporated and built a rink on the corner of Clapperton and Sophia streets.
1931 saw the amalgamation of the Barrie Curling and Athletic Club and the Barrie Thistle Club to form the now known Barrie Curling Club. The old Barrie Fairgrounds on Essa was the site of the 1952 construction of the rink that still stands.
Smith knows a lot has changed over the years and many upgrades have been made - and still need to be - but mainly everything that has worked, still works.
“Oh, we have a few things that need fixing but overall we are up-to-date,” said Smith. “We spend about $30,000 a year in maintenance and repair but the club is well taken care of by the members."
"As far as what works for the running of the club, we keep it simple," he said. "Our first big Bonspiel of the year is Saturday Oct. 29 and is our 24th annual Oktoberfest Bonspiel. We’ll have a host of curling tournaments for the year mixed with fun non-curling events for all. If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it.”
One of the non-curling events for the Barrie Curling Club is the Saturday Nov. 26 Christmas Craft Show and Bazaar. Admission is free and seventh annual event runs from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.
For years curling was viewed as a sport for the older generation. It is clear nowadays from the popularity of the major televised curling events that isn’t the case.
Many of the nation’s top stars are 19-34 years old, and the club has programs in place to keep that going. Little Rocks is a division for children aged 6-12 that teaches kids the basics of the game while also creating a fun atmosphere for them. Once they master that, they can head to the junior program for ages 12-18. Junior curling is a very popular division with a well-watched few weeks on the TSN January schedule.
“You’ve got to start somewhere and all the best have been junior curlers at some point,” said Smith. “We have a large junior division and we’re proud that some of them came from our Little Rocks. It’s wonderful to watch these kids grow up in the club and become the future of the city and the game. One day they could be involved in some big tournaments and representing us on a larger stage.”
The Barrie Curling Club is no stranger to hosting big events having hosted a successful 2013 Ontario Men’s Tankard at the Barrie Molson Centre. That event saw thousands of people attend over the course of the week with local favourite Glenn Howard winning the right to represent the province at the Brier.
Smith doesn’t believe that it’s in the cards to host another provincial championship any time soon, but the club will keep an eye on other events.
“We’d like to look at hosting a Grand Slam event some day and a few other Ontario Curling Association events such as a Men’s Tankard qualifier on Dec. 16 to 18th,” said Smith.
"When you have well-known events at your club, it only gets people interested even more. Someone who may not have necessarily played much will come in and see the magnitude of the day and maybe want to get involved," he said. "I was a competitive bowler looking for something to do in the winter and that’s how I got interested, you never know where the next player will come from. Some events can be stressful, but if we help grow the game locally then it’s well worth it.”
For now, Smith encourages anyone who is interested in the game to come out and take a look.
League games are happening throughout the day to accommodate those who may work nights and want to play during the morning and afternoon. Most teams are always looking for a spare and spares usually get a chance to play as sometimes work or family keep a full team from hitting the ice.
Check the Barrie Curling Club website for details on joining the club and trying the game out for yourself.
