Photo gallery: Hawkesbury curlers hold grand reunion

The Hawkesbury Curling club has been active since 1923, despite the loss of the entire building in a fire during the 1960s.

On October 22, the club hosted a reunion of players. The club's dining room was turned into a museum.

Old trophies and photographs were on display, as well as curling rocks and pins going back to the 1920s.

Donna Richardson, who is director of membership and publicity for the curling club, said it was "time that all recognize what a jewel we have in Hawkesbury."

She has prepared the following report on the history of the curling club.

The History of Hawkesbury Curling Club

In 1920 the Vankleek Hill Curling Club was formed. Eight sportsmen from Hawkesbury, used to travel 7miles by horse or by train to play.

Jim Holtby, Captain Lawler, E.C.Higginson, D.C.Sinclair, Dr. A.P.Rutherford, Dr. H.H.Kirby, Dr. R.M.Rutherford and John Knox decided to form their own curling club in Hawkesbury.

In 1921 these men purchased a piece of land on John Street, which was being used to store cut wood. John Knox was the most experienced curler, so he supervised the excavation and construction of the curling arena. As no heavy equipment was available, the excavation was done by horses with scrapers and men who dug with shovels.

The Hawkesbury Curling Rink consisted of two sheets.
The curling season lasted only 6- 8 weeks as the ice was natural and weather dependent. The curling stones were made of iron and you were expected to bring your own stone. Irons had to be kept cold and were left exposed if you were traveling by horse. If you traveled by train the irons were kept on the platforms of the car or on the engines cow catcher.

Men's irons were 64 lbs and women's were 32 lbs. (Now about 44 lbs.)

The Hawkesbury Curling Rink received its Provincial Charter in March 1922 and in 1923 they applied for and were granted membership into the Canadian Branch of the Royal Caledonia Curling Club. Dr. Frank Pattee, the Club's first president presented the members with their first plaque on Christmas 1922. Curlers played often and became excellent players. In 1928 six years after the club formed, K.Robertson, Jack Farmer, D.C.Sinclair and Jim Holtby won the Royal Jubilee. In 1930 two teams from Hawkesbury were in the finals of the Governor General.
Curling friendships began long ago between Buckingham, Montebello, Cornwall, Ottawa and other clubs around the region. Bob Allen was the first official ice maker. In 1951 artificial ice was made and rocks were switched from iron to granite. Curling membership doubled as the curling season was extended from Nov to April. Other curling groups emerged. In 1956 the Lumberjack group was formed. Montcalm Parisien, Lomer Carriere, Germain Tessier and Jean Guy Parisien traveled all over Eastern Canada and the United States as good will ambassadors. The Lumberjacks were hugely popular and made many lasting friendships. They often played in large bonspiels in Utica and won the Dewar trophy twice.

In 1957 Doctor Perrier, Rolland Belle Isle, Bernard Perrier and Jean Guy Parisien won the Omega Trophy in the Quebec Bonspiel.
Between 1958 and 1960 both Jack Young and his wife Helen were president of the men's and ladies groups. It was such a special occurrence, that the annual mixed trophy was born.
In 1959 the roof structure had many rotten timbers and the whole rink structure had to be torn down. A new building was erected with provisions for a 3rd sheet and a full mezzanine above the 3rd sheet. On Dec 31, 1961 Jim Holtby was elected Dean of the Club and presented a special reclining chair.

In February of 1962, the Hawkesbury Curling Club opened the winter carnival with a very successful bonspiel. 48 teams (198 players) attended the bonspiel, in large part due to the long history of the good will ambassadors The Lumberjacks. Curlers would walk between the 6 sheets of ice at the Memorial arena and the two sheets of ice at the Hawkesbury Curling Club. 230 people socialized in the mezzanine of the club that Friday night. The finale was played at the Hawkesbury Rink with a prize valued around $ 2000.

On Jan 15th 1965 a fire broke out at the Hawkesbury Curling Rink. Fire trucks arrived 10 minutes after the fire was discovered and the whole building was lost in less than one hour. All was lost except for a plaque and 2 curling stones. Hawkesbury curling members were devastated after all the hard work and effort that had gone into their club.

Curlers were welcomed into the Brownsburg and Vankleek Hill rinks, while decisions were made about the future of the Hawkesbury Curling Club. Discussions were held on rebuilding and as well relocating and forming a combined Golf and Curling Club with the Abenaki Golf Club. In the end, the Lavigne and Montgomery farms were purchased and the official Hawkesbury Golf and Curling club opened in 1967. That was 42 years ago and some of those members are still here curling today.

What a tribute to the sport of curling, to the men and women who have passed on from generation to generation, their love of the sport of curling. We are very grateful to all of the past and present members of the Hawkesbury Curling Club, for their dedication and devotion. Curling equipment may have changed over the years, but the curling spirit remains alive and strong. We hope to carry on the curling legacy which has enriched our Hawkesbury community.

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