Every year in the late Winter, four good buddies gathered their curling gear, some cash, some sets of cards, some snacks, and some drinks to travel from the Sault to Manitoulin Island to participate in the Manitowaning Open at the Assiginack Curling Club.
We arrived at the Wayside Motel Manitoulin on Friday evening. Later that night, we won our first game. Back at the motel, we settled in for some card games, snacks, and drinks before going to bed.
The next day, the weather was overcast and cool, not as cold as normal for mid-March. We curled well and won two games, qualifying for the semi-final on Sunday morning. That evening at the motel, we were engaged in our normal boys’ night activities when we heard a noisy racket coming from outside a neighbouring motel room. We ran outside to see a man being beaten with a straw curling broom. We learned the next morning that the man’s wife had decided to follow him to the motel where she caught him with his girlfriend. Needless to say, we were excited to share the news the next morning over breakfast at the curling club.
Early on Sunday morning,the outside temperature was above freezing, and in a clear, blue sky the sun started to heat the metal roof on the curling club. We managed to win the semi-final game after six ends as we had scored well earlier before the natural ice (normal in those days) started to develop a light film and the opposition conceded.
After lunch as we started the final game, we realized that the ice had now developed some water spots. After both teams attempted to throw a few rocks which were unable to travel very far, the two skips decided that the only way to settle the match was to flip a coin!
On our way home later that day, we treasured “winning” the bonspiel and having two amazing tales to relate to our friends at the Sault Curling Club.
Not only had the heat melted the ice to provide an easy win but also the heat had likely melted a marriage as well.
And this occurred many years before “Climate Change” became a common phrase.
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