I was teaching in Germany and new to Lahr and the base. I hadn’t made friends yet, and I was feeling a bit sorry for myself. There was a Gordon Lightfoot concert on, and it was being held at the curling club. As I sat there, in Germany, it seemed just the ultimate Canadian thing to be doing: listening to Gordon Lightfoot singing over the sound of the rocks which I could see down below. That was a noise from my childhood. I had spent many hours watching my parents through the glass as I read my Nancy Drews. There were no little rocks in the 1950’s.
I decided that I should take up curling. Back home in Toronto, I joined the Royal Curling Club and the first time out I ran into a rather dapper old man in his 90’s. He told me he was still curling. I thought to myself, this is the sport for me – I can do it for the next 60 years.
As my first year was coming to an end, I was asked to support my friend Gail who worked at the Hugh MacMillan Centre which was a rehabilitation centre for children with mobility and disability problems. It was a curling bonspiel called Curl for Kids that was happening Easter weekend. Sure, I said. I had to collect pledges, but that was not a big issue. I had no idea.
What was a big issue was the bonspiel. I had certainly watched curling on television, but I had never thought that the curling I was going to be doing was with them. I was put on a team as lead, and I was completely star struck. Our mate was Paul Savage’s sister. Our skip had been to the Brier representing Saskatchewan. Curling on the sheet next was Russ Howard and Eddie Werenich, each with a team. There were 16 sheets in the old Avonlea Curling Club and each one had stars on it. The Celebrity Skips were put up in a local hotel and at night it was party time.
I curled my best. I had no idea what bored weight was – until it was explained to me as board. Between games we would hang out, and I got to meet more and more curlers. I was completely thrilled by their friendliness, joy, humour and willingness to let me feel like I was part of their community.
Somehow, my team made it into the final game. We were piped out on to the ice – another huge thrill. We had to throw to the button, and my skip chose me to do it. Horrified, I watched my rock not even make the hog line.
We didn’t win that year, nor did I win in the next few years. But my subsequent years’ skips were Mary Susan Bell who had been on Heather Houston’s team, Ian Tetley and a player from the Danish women’s world team – I still have the pin she gave me. I proudly wear my Curl for Kids sweatshirts to this day.
I haven’t made it to be a curler in my 90’s yet, but I am not so far off that now. When I retired and moved to Nova Scotia, my first requirement was that there be a curling club nearby. And it is a gem – Northumberland – with all my friends there. What a good thirty some years curling has given me. And I still feel that I am part of a community of those wonderful people who are curlers.
Other Images:1992-04-Kurl-for-Kids-2-with-Mary-Susan-Bell-ef68b377ad459e751fddd0d18e9b1603.jpg
1993-04-Ian-Tetley-and-team-at-Avonlea-84074cd8e2b01caf43f1bb1f0a7448ff.jpg
