Simcoe Curling Club starts season, hosts open house

Simcoe Curling Club hosted an open house Saturday and Brenda Bradshaw was one of about 40 people on the ice trying the sport that afternoon.

Chris Abbott

Editor

League play at the Simcoe Curling Club started Oct. 28, three days before the club’s introductory open house on Oct. 31.

There is a very small window of time, explained Craig Thompson, past-president and draw chair, between the end of the Norfolk County Fair (Oct. 12), two weeks to make ice and a day to paint the ice, then more ice layers, and the start of the season.

“Once the fair ends, I think everyone at the club, we kind of watch the progress and think ‘OK it’s time, it’s time, it’s time.’ We’re absolutely excited,” said Thompson. “We have six months to curl and everyone wants to get as much out of the ice as they can.”

Nearly 40 people were on the ice Saturday afternoon learning the basics of the sport, including technique for delivering rocks.

“Once we press play on the season, it’s difficult to join some leagues, but most of the leagues, like the recreational league, play in seven-week draws. We’re in Draw 1 now, then it’s Draw 2, then Draw 3 happens…

“But if you are looking to join our Learn to Curl program or our Adult Instructional program, you can do that. Or if you are a parent and you want to get your kids into curling, our youth curling runs all year, every Sunday, so you can sign up anytime for youth curling.

“We also have a program like Senior Men’s, which runs Monday-Friday, and you can join anytime. And on Wednesdays we have drop-in curling, it’s just pay to play.”

Reach out to info@simcoecurlingclub.ca or membership@simcoecurlingclub.ca for more information.

On Nov. 7, for the first time, the curling club is co-hosting a bonspiel in Simcoe partnering with the Haldimand Curling Club, based in Cayuga. It will support Alzheimer organizations.

“They promoted it as the Haldimand Curling Club vs the Simcoe Curling Club. So we’ll see what happens,” Thompson smiled. “It’s their event, but it will be here.”

At the end of November, the club is hosting its Golden Gardens Cash Spiel, which features up to five Simcoe teams, and the rest from ‘anywhere.’

Regular league play will continue into December when the club’s leagues will take a short pause as Simcoe hosts the provincial Men’s and Women’s Masters Championship (Dec. 9-13), presented by Amplifon Hearing Care Experts.

“We did that four years ago, it was a great success. The winners of that event go on to nationals… so this is a BIG event. Eight men’s teams, eight women’s teams, ages 50-and-uo. If people want to come watch games, it’s open to the public.”

Qualifiers are held across the province leading up to the provincial finals and the event is run by Curling Ontario.

“We’ll see some really good curlers, it’s ridiculous. The quality of the curling is just crazy. You’re watching people who played at The Brier, who played at The Scotties, or people who are well-established curlers. So the shot quality is way up. Anyone who is interested in curling, we highly encourage them to come watch it here.”

For more information on the club, leagues, fees, curling guides, club history and more, visit their website at simcoecurlingclub.ca .

“People are always welcome to reach out to us. We have social dinners every Friday, open to the public, you just have to register. All the information is online.

“Our doors are always open to the public if you want to come watch curling, or if you want to come for Friday dinner. We are not a private curling club, we are here for everyone.”