YEAR IN REVIEW

The WCC has seen another curling season come to an end! And it has been a very busy and active season.

In January, the Berwick Curling Club warmly welcomed the WCC members to their fantastic new facility. Meeting and curling with new fellow curlers is indeed a curling perk! A great time was had by all.

Curling for the Cure, held in February, was again a successful fundraiser for Cancer. Over $10000 was raised for the fight against cancer. This event continues to be one that carries significant meaning for all of us.

The John Dorman Trophy was won by the WCC this year. This Bonspiel began 3 years ago by members from both the Windsor and Wolfville Clubs to remember the late John Dorman. Windsor hosted the last game followed by a very tasty lunch.

The Brier Lobster Bash, held March 8th, organized and hosted by Brian Boutilier and his many helpers, was a huge success. The top team not only had to curl well, but also had to earn extra points off the ice. The picture tells the tale.

 

NEW SUPER SENIOR CLUB MEMBERS

On March 27th , three new members were inducted into the Super Seniors Club. These newest inductees prove that age is just a number.

The Thursday morning ladies had their best season yet. There have been on average three sheets of ice played every Thursday morning. Twenty ladies bade farewell to the season with lunch at Joe’s Emporium, evidence that demonstrates the camaraderie existing amongst the ladies.

 

The Closing, held March 30th, had a bit of curling, a bit of skating, then a potluck supper, followed by a bit of dancing, a great way to end a fantastic season of curling.

It would be hugely negligent to not acknowledge all of the wonderful volunteers who helped make each and every event a success: to those who made and brought food, who helped set up for an event, who washed dishes, (many, many dishes), who cleaned after the event, who worked the ice , who worked the bar, and anyone who contributed in any way, a great big thank you does not seem to be enough. Without you, the volunteers, there would be no curling club.

 

SHIP HARBOUR BONSPIEL

 

THE MCLELLAN CUP COMES TO WOLFVILLE

A Bit of History: The McLellan Cup

This is the oldest continuously challenge trophy in North American curling. This year marks its 112th year. It was first competed for in an inter-Provincial Bonspiel between the New Brunswick and Nova Scotia clubs at Moncton in 1887. It was the gift of the Honourable D. McLellan, Provincial Secretary of N.B.,1883, and Member of the Legislative Council to 1890. Travelling along with this trophy are massive record books that document each game that has been played in the competition over the years. Included are club represented, team player names, and game scores.

The challenge takes place with 3 teams selected from interested male club members on a Wednesday afternoon. The winner then travels the next Wednesday to defend against another club. This will continue each Wednesday for the travelling club until they are unsuccessful in the defence of the cup. In this case, the host club will travel the next Wednesday. The challenge is so popular that clubs must express their intention to challenge almost a year ahead of time. When it first started 21 ends were played; then 18 ends, and now we play 14 ends. In the early years, the winning team had to keep on hosting until they lost. That was changed in the 1980's, with the winning club travelling the next Wednesday to a new host club.

A refreshment break is taken mid-afternoon. After curling the 14 ends, the host club provides a dinner. The winner is decided by a total score of all three teams. The winner then meets at the challenging club the following week based on the schedule as designed by the challenge co-ordinator. Though the competition is open to and has been challenges for by clubs from New Brunswick, Prince Edward Island, and Nova Scotia, it now mainly takes place in Nova Scotia. By entering the competition, curlers must be willing and available to travel and defend the challenge if they continue to win over an unknown number of successive Wednesdays anywhere in the Maritimes.

• Team #1: Brian Boutilier, Hugh Curry, Wendall Graham, Alister Thomson
• Team #2: Matthew Gowland, Mike McKillop, Vern LeBlanc, Greg Williamson
• Team #3: Tony Stirling, Fred Crouse, Glenn Joudrey, Peter Rice

 

WOLFVILLE KEEPS THE CUP FOR SIX WEEKS

This was the most successful McLellan Cup season for Wolfville ever. Wednesday Feb 13 turned out to be a snowy day and Mayflower Club decided NOT to drive to Wolfville to play. So we won the cup by default. The next Wednesday we took the cup to the Halifax Curling Club and soundly beat them, retaining the cup for another week.

We then took the cup to Westville, where we won, and then to New Caledonia were we also won. On Wednesday March 27 we took the cup to CFB Halifax where we lost on the final shot of the third game and gave up the cup. So we had four wins and one loss, and a lot of fun. CFB Halifax were left with the task of taking the Cup to Moncton for the last match of the season.

 

FUNSPIEL 2019

On January 19th, Audrey Dorey organized and held her 16th Ladies’ Annual Bonspiel! And what a great day we had! When Audrey held her first FunSpiel 16 years ago, there were so few ladies signed up that she invited ladies from Glooscap to fill the teams. Now, however, there were so many ladies who signed up that a spare list had to be created! Audrey put the teams together in such a way as to meet and make new friends. Two six end games were played with a fun “get to know your” team activity in between the draws. Lunch was then prepared and served by our wonderful volunteers. Audrey then announced the winners of this year’s Funspiel: Jane Harrington, Jane Cayford, Patricia Gallant, and Debi Sponagle. Our Fun Day finished with Maeve Webster introducing us to some Irish Step Dancing: she put us through some steps that proved we were much better curlers than dancers! The FunSpiel could not be so fun and so successful without the fantastic volunteers who contributed their time and energy: the ice crew, the bartender, the cooks, and many others who helped. Thank you! And a very heartfelt thank you to Audrey who does all the planning and the organizing. This curling event is, without a doubt, the season’s highlight for the Wolfville Curling Ladies!

 

 

2019 CURL FOR CANCER

 

WHAT'S HAPPENING IN WOLFVILLE

The Wolfville Curling Centre (WCC) 2018-2019 season is off to a sterling start! This season, there are 28 curling teams playing over Monday through Thursday evenings. On Friday evenings, the club plays Mixed Doubles curling, and often includes a social gathering. Monday, Wednesday and Friday mornings are busy with seniors mixed curling. Tuesday mornings are reserved for the stick curlers in the club, and Thursday mornings are for the ladies. On Saturdays the WCC invite the youths to come learn to curl. The commercial league rounds out the week Sunday evenings.

On November 2nd & 3rd, the WCC held their second John Dorman Bonspiel which celebrated our late friend, and also raised some much needed funds for the club.

On November 11th, we had the honour and pleasure to host a group of 16 women curlers who were on a USA- Maritime Ladies Friendship tour. After Jeff Cantwell (Mayor) and Mac Maidens (club president) offered words of welcome, we shared a lunch, and then had a friendly game of curling. On December 1st and 2nd, the WCC held the U21 Men's Qualifier Bonspiel.

The WCC season is well underway, and buzzing with activity! However, new curlers, skilled or not, are always welcome! For more information, check out the website Wolfville Curling Centre, or email: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..

 

USA LADY CURLERS VISIT WCC

On November 12th, the Wolfville Curling Club had the great pleasure to host 4 US Women’s Curling teams on their Friendship Tour here in the Maritimes. Sixteen American ladies represented their respective States: Colorado, Ohio, Pennsylvania, New Jersey, Wisconsin*. They began their journey in PEI, then in New Brunswick, ending their tour in Nova Scotia. They will have played ten games over a 2-week period in ten different curling clubs when they finally head back to their homes on Friday the 16th. We welcomed the ladies with a curling broom arch as they got off the bus; they then viewed the music video She’s Called Nova Scotia by Rita MacNeil. Lunch, prepared and served by our fantastic club volunteers, followed after Jeff Cantwell, (Wolfville mayor) and Mac Maiden offered warm words of welcome. We then played a friendly game of curling. After the game, the American ladies serenaded us with songs they had composed, which were very entertaining. And they touchingly asked that they sing “O Canada” with us. We ended our time with them with all of us singing “Farewell to Nova Scotia”. It was a great visit, enjoyed by everyone present. It could not have been as successful as it was without Audrey Dorey’s organizational skills, Betty Mattson acting as Master of Ceremonies, and without the contribution of our volunteers who prepared, served and cleaned! Thank you! The Wolfville Curling Club can justly be proud of their role as hosts! * Apologies if I missed some states.

 

JOHN DORMAN SECOND ANNUAL BONSPIEL A SUCCESS

The Wolfville Curling Club kicked off the 2018-19 curling season on November 2nd & 3rd with the second annual John Dorman Bonspiel. Members had quickly signed up to make a complete field of 16 teams. The battle to win the John Dorman trophy ensued in a good natured spirit of friendly rivalry. Congratulations goes out to team (Cookie) Hennigar who topped the field.
The Bonspiel ended with a delicious dinner cooked by brother, Paul Pulsifer, and sister, Bonnie Morrison. Approximately 100 players and guests enjoyed the fantastic meal. A great big thank you goes out to all those who helped organize the Bonspiel! What a great way to have all the Wolfville curlers kick start the season!