Local Curling Club gears up for new season

The Blind River Curling Club (BRCC) is thriving and looking forward to another great season on the ice and in the community.

“The Blind River Curling Club was started in 1957,” explained club Secretary Cathy Jenson. “A lot of families in the community were involved in the building of it back then, and the old mill was also an integral part of it. You can still see that old wooden wall today. It is still very much a hub of the community.”

She added, “We have four sheets of ice, washrooms, change rooms, a nice club house and bar, and a kitchen, too.”

The curling club is an incorporated not-for profit and is run completely by a board of directors and lots of volunteers. There are two part-time staff who open and close the facility and do maintenance. 

Curling club membership has been very stable over the years, at about 170 members. There are leagues for all ages, including a Little Rockers league which is run by the young people in the club, according to Jenson. 

“In addition, we host an Elementary School bonspiel each year and invite students from the area schools, to show them how to curl and hopefully interest them in getting involved,” said Jenson.

An Adult Learn to Curl event is coming up October 8 to 10. “This is free, and involves three nights of showing them the basics, with a fun spiel at the end,” enthused Jenson. “It’s a popular event which always attracts new people. We have a lot of new residents here who have expressed interest in trying out curling.”

The Blind River Curling Club is a social club, with lots of fun events being organized throughout the year. 

“October 4 to 5 is our Iron Broom event, where participants get to play a lot of golf and a lot of curling over a two-day period, finishing off with a great dinner and dance,” Jenson laughed. “They are usually pretty sore at the end of that!”

The Ladies Bonspiel is always a popular themed event. “The ladies get dressed up for that, and the men do all the cooking,” explained Jenson. “In the end, it’s all as much about the socializing and fun as about the curling.”

Club President Andrew Roberts chimed in, “The beautiful part about curling is that it's as much about community as it is the sport. The clubs I've visited, played at are all the same:  a tight knit group of people working together to keep their clubs alive and healthy. We're generally all non-profits staying afloat on the backs of our volunteers.”

He added, “I got involved because I love curling and in order to continue having the opportunity to play the sport we love, we all have to do our part. We're very fortunate at the BRCC to have the volunteer network and support of our local businesses that we do.”

For more information about the Blind River Curling Club and to register, visit the website here.