Curling

CR December 18, 1914 – … Where is the local athletic, baseball, hockey, curling, football, or the dozen and one other clubs and teams that we used at various times and seasons to interest and to provide the opportunity for the beneficial letting of spirits, so necessary to the younger members of any community.

 

CR November 20, 1925 – Skating Rink is Assured Creston

Opening the fair building is a move that will meet with the approval of everyone in the district. The fact that there has been no place in the village where our young people could go for recreation during the winter months has been for some time recognized as a situation that is more of less serious, every public spirited citizen will be relieved to know that with t he opening of the Creston Rink this situation will no longer exist.

 

CR December 4, 1925 – The curlers were out in force for the organization meeting on Tuesday night at which the following officers were elected: President– Dr. Henderson.  Vice-President–W. Fraser.  Secy. Treas.–M. R. Joyce. Executive–H. S. McCreath, C. H. Robinson, R. B. Staples.

To the executive was delegated the authority to purchase the club curling stones, and it was agreed to limit the membership to 32. The fee is $10. and members will be taken on the line of first come first put on the club membership list for this season.

 

CR December 25, 1925 – Curlers to Make Up Rinks Dec. 30

A meeting of the Curling Club executive, with the president, Dr. Henderson, in the chair, was held Monday evening for the purpose of dealing with the secretary’s report on the canvas for membership.

The secretary reported a fully paid up membership of sufficient numbers to enable the club to draw up a season’s schedule and to keep the one sheet of ice, which the club has at its disposal, busy for at least five nights each week.

Aa meeting of the club will be called for Wednesday evening, December 30th. This will be held in W. Fraser’s store, at eight o’clock, and will be for the purpose of appointing skips and rinks and drawing up a playing schedule for the season. This schedule will be based on the number of members actually paid up, but the books of the Club will be kept open until 8.30 on the night of this meeting for the purpose of accommodating anyone who wishes to join.

By playing tow games each nigh double the present membership can be handled and the club is anxious that every man in the district between the ages of seventeen and seventy who enjoys a good laugh and healthful exercise be given a chance to join the “gang”. The secretary figures show that 20 per cent of the present members have never seen a curling stone and consider brooms domestic weapons of offence, so that no one need keep on the score that they do not understand the game.

Sufficient curling stones for the season’s play are either on hand or in transit. The executive hope for a big turnout of paid up members, and new members accompanied by ten dollar bills, at next Wednesday’s meeting so that advantage can be taken of the first cold break in the weather.

(other page) A display of curling stones and brooms in the window of Creston Growers, Limited, reminds that the curling enthusiasts are to meet at Fraser’s bakery on Wednesday night to elect skips and choose the rinks for the 1926 season.

 

CR March 19, 1926 – Curlers Enjoy Annual Banquet. Creston’s short but quite satisfactory curling season was officially closed on Friday night when the Bowman, Fraser and Joyce rinks, who triumphed over the Moors, Staples and York squads in the president vs. Vice-president competition at the opening of the season were guests at a banquet at the Creston Hotel, which was jointly in charge of President Dr. Henderson and vice president W. Fraser, and with but two of the 24 members absent from the spread.

Host Beninger provided a menu that was thoroughly enjoyed, and the service was equally satisfactory, the dining room being appropriately decorated for the occasion. …

… The list of toasts was not a long one but what lack there may have been in oratory was made up in good measure by the musical numbers, each of the rinks contributing a quartette. The toasts were handled as follows, opening, of course, with God Save the King: “The Game,” proposed by M. R. Joyce and Frank Rose; responded to by R.S. Bevan and J. W. Wood. “Our Guests,” proposed by M. York and Dr. Henderson; responded to by J. Fleming and W. Fraser. “The Skips,” proposed by G. Hull and E. C Gibbs; responded to by J. Bowman and Chas. Moore. “Kindred Sport,” proposed by C. F. Hayes; responded to by S. A. Speers. “The Ladies,” proposed by D. T. Scrimgeour; response by C. W. Allan. …

(other page) With the exception of two players every member of the curling club was out for the bean supper at the Creston Hotel on Friday night. A most enjoyable time was had.

 

CR April 16, 1926 – D. T. Scrimgeour presided at the meeting on Tuesday night last at which members of the curling club discussed outdoor sports in general and a committee consisting of Messrs. Gibbs, Fraser and Moore was named to investigate the possibilities of a combined bowling and tennis club, and Messrs. Alan, Speers and R. B. Staples were deputed to look over suitable sites and report as to the possibilities of golf. There will be another meeting to hear committee reports tonight, 16th.

 

CR Friday, September 17, 1926 – A Call to the Curlers

Everyone interested in curling is asked to attend the meeting of Creston Curling Club, which is announced for Monday night, at which the special feature will be to find out if the roarin’ game enthusiasts are sufficiently enthusiastic to finance an addition to the rink building so as to provide an extra sheet of ice and permit of an enlargement of the club membership. …

 

CR September 24, 1926 – There was a fair turnout at the curlers meeting on Monday night at which the club executive was authorized to wait on the directors of the Creston Valley Agricultural Association to get permission to put a lean to on the main building 30 feet wide and extending 50 feet to the rear of the building, which will give plenty of space to install two sheets of ice for curling purposes solely. If the enlargement is made the club will be able to double its present membership of 24.

 

CR October 1, 1926 – A meeting to wind up the affairs of the 1926 fall fair will be held early in the week, and at this meeting the directors will also decide whether permission will be given the curling club to put a lean to on the main building for curling rink. If this is done the whole of the main building would then be available for skating.

 

CR December 3, 1926 – Curlers to Build Permanent Rink. Creston Curling Club, which last winter shared the main fall fair building with the skaters, will this and succeeding seasons have a rink of their own. This was decided at a meeting of the curlers on Thursday night, when ten of the more opulent and enthusiastic agreed to invest $100 each to finance the erection and equipment of the rink, which will include the purchase and installation of the Delco light plant now used by Jas, Adlard in lighting his residence.

The meeting was in charge of the president, Dr. Henderson, and after the[sic.] building committee had reported on securing a desirable site on the west side of the fair grounds, just in front of the old grandstand, and the need of having two sheets of ice for the season’s play was made apparent, a canvass of those present for the wherewithal to build resulted as above stated.

The land has already been levelled for flooding, and construction is now under way. The proposed rink will be 30 by 158 feet, providing[sic.] a comfortable waiting room, a centre walk and end platforms for the use of spectators. The $1000 of new capital will also provide for the purchase of another eight pairs of stones for the use of club members.

The meeting agreed on a membership fee of $12.50 for this winter and all who wish to curl are asked to pay those dues to the secretary, M.R. Joyce, on or before the night of the annual meeting, which has been set for Wednesday, December 8th,   at 8 p.m., at the town hall.

The early payment of the annual fee is urged so that all can vote in the election as officers and be available to serve on the committee that will be named to select the skips for this winter – ten of which will be needed with a membership[sic.] of at least forty in prospect.

(other page) December 3, 1926 – The mild weather of the past week has been just to the liking of the curling club which has had the scrapers at work levelling up the rink site, and work of erecting the rink building is now under way under the direction of M. J. Boyd.

 

December 10, 1926 – Rapid progress is being made with the erection of the curling rink and all the exterior carpenter work should be completed by very early next week if the present activity is maintained.

 

CR December 17, 1926 – Members of the Curling Club should be out for the special meeting to-night at which the season’s skips will be named, and arrangements made for selecting the rinks. It looks as if almost 50 players will be on the membership, with the possibility of a rink from Wynndel.

 

CR December 24, 1926 – Curlers Placed for Winter’s Games

There was a large turnout of members of the Curling Club for the special meeting on Friday night, at which the chief business was to receive the recommendations of the executive which had been asked to submit a tentative list of skips for the season.

With 44 members with their dues paid up, eleven rink heads were required and the choice of the executive was accepted, as follows: M. J. Boyd, Ray Chrisler, W. Fraser, Dr. Henderson, M. R. Joyce, H. McLaren, A. L. Palmer, S. A. Speers, R. B. Staples, Matt. York, John Wood. At the adjournment of the meeting these got together and made a selection of rinks as follows:

  1. B. Staples, skip – F. Putnam, E. Cartwright, F. V. Staples.
  2. Fraser, skip – F. Celli, V. Mawson, D. T. Scrimgeour.

Matt. York, skip – Dolf Weir, Bob Maxwell, H. S. McCreath.

Dr. Henderson, skip – C. W. Allan, G. Greenwood, C. B. Twigg

  1. J. Boyd, skip – J. W. Craig, Geo. Johnson, C. F. Hayes.
  2. McLaren, skip – J. F. Rose, W. R. Long, G. H. Kelly.
  3. Wood, skip – G. Davie, S. M. Watson, Major Mallandaine.
  4. Chrisler, skip – R. M. Telford, J. M. Jantz, T. W. Bundy.
  5. L. Palmer, skip – R. S. Beyan, E. C. Gibbs, Rev. J. Herdman.
  6. R. Joyce, skip – M. J. Beninger, T. Goodwin, R. A. Palfreyman.
  7. A. Speers, skip – J. Bowman, Ted Staples, Bob Crawford.

The play should be decidedly interesting this winter as the rinks are very evenly balanced as to the playing material, the Chrisler quartet being the only green rink on the list. whilst sever of the eleven skips are holding the broom for the first time.

The electric light plant has been installed and this week the roofing is being put on, and with the extra lot of stones already to hand the customary opening series of games by rinks representing the President and Vice-President will get under way with the holiday festivities over this week.

 

CR December 14, 1928 – Fraser Heads Curlers, 1929

There was a large and enthusiastic turnout of curlers at the annual meeting of Creston Curling Club on December 4th, with the retiring president, Dr. Henderson, in charge. A very satisfactory balance sheet was presented by treasurer M. R. Joyce showing that after all running expenses had been met and $30 apiece had been paid to the nine men who had financed the building of the rink, the club had closed the year with a cash balanceof$20. Last season the club membership was 47. Officers elected for this season are : president – W. Fraser. Vice-president – M. J. Boyd. Secretary treasurer – M. R. Joyce. Chaplain – Rev. W. A. Greer. Executive – H. W. McLaren, Dr. Henderson, T. W. Bundy. Auditor – R. J. Forbes. Ice Committee – Dolf Weir, M. J. Beninger, H. W. McLaren.

The matter of securing an ice maker and caretaker was left in the hands of the executive. The executive was also authorized to choose the skips and to report to another meeting of the club, at which the rinks will also be chosen.

There was considerable discussion on the matter of allowing the ladies to use the ice and it was finally decided to ask the ladies to form a club and a fee of $2 each will be charged them for the use of the ice on afternoons to be arranged.

In view of the splendid financial showing of last season the dues for this year were placed at $10. and a preliminary checkup of old players and new talent available indicates that the present season will probably see at least twelve rinks in action.

 

CR February 1, 1929 – The final game in the series for the cup presented by President W. Fraser was played at the curling rink on Thursday night, The winner was the Bundy rink who scored three on the twelfth end to beat the Craig quartet 11 to 12.

 

CR November 1, 1929 – There was quite a good turnout of members of the curling club Wednesday afternoon when a bee was staged spreading earth to level up the rink it having been found that one end was mare than a foot lower than the other. The annual meeting of the club will be held before the end of the month.

 

CR December 2, 1932 – ICEMAKER WANTED – Sealed tenders for the work of icemaker and caretaker for Creston curling rink for the winter of 1932-33 will be received by the undersigned up to noon Thursday, December 8th. For all information apply F. V. STAPLES, Creston.

 

CR December 16, 1932 – Orin Hayden has been named ice maker for the curling club for this season, and commenced work on Thursday last.

 

CR January 21, 1960 – Last reference to bean feed found. Banquet on 19 Jan ’60.

The history of curling in Creston dates back to 1925 when natural ice was shared by curlers and skaters. Construction of a dedicated curling building began the following year and by 1929 curlers were playing under electric lights! Upgrades continued and in 1938 a concrete floor was poured; 1943 brought a new roof and clubhouse improvements. It was during this year that the Creston Curling Club became affiliated with Curl BC. In 1945 an ice making plant was built which, according to published reports, made Creston the smallest community in Canada to have artificial ice.

Flash forward 91 years from the start to where we are today – as they say, we’ve come a long way baby! The sport of curling in Creston continues to see growth and strong participation with curlers as young as 9 and those who are still amazingly active into their 80’s.