Club History

1885

The first curling rink in Midland was constructed by D.L. White at the corner of Dominion and Gloucester Sts. The curlers had been using a skating rink at the corner of Dominion and Second before that.

1919

Two hundred people attended a town hall meeting on Thursday March 13 to discuss the creation of a curling club in Midland. Eleven directors were elected with D. S. Pratt as President. The first board of directors included W.S. Benson, N.L. Playfair, W.A. Bishop, Ed Letherby, P.J. Fasken, D.L. White, D. Horrell, Ed Burke, W.G. Cave and J.W. Bald. Fifty-one people joined the club that night. After numerous meetings with the Town and the Agricultural Society, plans were drawn up for a new building on the Midland Fair grounds. The building was designed by architect Wilfred F. Smith and constructed by J.C McMullen, and the Will and Isaac Cumming who became life long members of the curling club.. The address of the club was King Street and the telephone number was 55.

1919-1920

Twenty two teams took part in the first curling season. They played tankard rules, 12 ends with draws at 8:00pm.

The trophy presented at the end of the season to the winning team of R.F. White (Skip), W.A. Glass, (Vice), W.E. Preston (Second) and N. Laurendeau (Lead) was donated by D.S. Pratt, the first president of the club.

1922

The ownership of the building was passed on to the town.

1924

The first bonspiel for the new club was played on February 24. 36 rinks competed in the ‘gala’ affair with teams playing till 4 am then back on the ice at 7 am.

1931

A fire destroyed the hockey arena next to the curling rink. Arena gardens was built on the same site.

1933

The club used natural ice until 1933 when artificial ice was piped in underground from the Arena Gardens. Nine tons of cork insulation was installed along with 13 miles of cooling pipes under the floors of the two buildings. The ice plant used 17 tons of calcium chloride for the brine and 1500 pounds of liquid ammonia. At the time it was the only facility between Toronto and Winnipeg with artificial ice. and the largest ice surface in the world to be refrigerated by one plant.

1941-1942

This year marked the start of women’s curling at the club. Del Hastings and Fred Hill skipped a team that won the Ontario Governor General's Trophy.

1945

The Ladies Ontario Curling Association was formed. In the late 1940's mixed curling began.

1950'S

The Big Mixed Bonspiel was held using both the curling club and the hockey Arena. It later was renamed to the 30,000 Island Bonspiel.

1959

A new addition was built by Will and Isaac Cumming to the club building to include a lounge.

1976

Russ Howard skipped a team that won the Colts Curling Competition.

1978-1979

Three members of the Ladies Curling Club were appointed so sit on the Board of Directors for Midland Curling Club. Bill Howard is the Club Manager.


Bonspiels

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474 KING STREET BOX 604,
MIDLAND, ON L4R 4L3
705-526-5631
[email protected]

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