Fun fact: Golden is home to the oldest curling club west of Winnipeg. This tidbit was shared at the Golden Curling Club’s anniversary open house on Sunday, November 5th, which celebrated 130 years.
They had a day of celebrating which included free lessons for people wanting to try out the sport, friendly competition between skilled players, memorabilia displays and a presentation from the club, the mayor and the CSRD director. Rotary was also there running a barbeque concession for attendees to fuel up between games and sharing stories from the club’s history.
Club president Brett Salmon started off the presentation with some club history.
The first curling rink that was used by the club was located at Reflection Lake. They had two tents that covered their curling ice. This would suffice for a couple of winters until 1893, when the club was officially registered, and a wooden shed was built to cover the ice. In the winter of 1896, a heavy snowfall collapsed the shed’s roof. They were able to patch the roof up and continued there for a couple more seasons.
When they were no longer satisfied with the shed on the pond, it was decided that Golden needed a building that would serve curlers and ice skaters. 1898, their second location was built, which would have been behind the Papa Bear’s Kitchen building. It featured two sheets of natural ice and a skating oval around the outside of the sheets. Many bonspiels and events were held at this location, which served the community until the 1960s.
In 1967, the Golden & District Centennial Skating & Curling Arena, where the high school is now, was opened and sported artificial ice. Unfortunately, a heavy snow load collapsed the roof for the second time in the curling rink club’s history.
In February of 1977, the local Kinsman club advised the town council that they would be developing a curling rink complex for their 25th-anniversary project. They emphasized that this building was a worthy and much-needed facility for the Golden area. They brought the community together through local businesses, residents and donations to help support the supplies and labour for the new building, which opened in the fall of 1978.
“This club is a little bit of curling, lots of socialization. The longevity and success of the Golden Curling Club can be found in the commitment of its volunteers and community support from local businesses, the Town of Golden, and the regional district. I can only thank you for the ongoing efforts and welcome the community to be part of the next 130 years.” said Salmon.
Next in the presentation was Mayor Ron Oszust: “Today, we celebrate a remarkable milestone in our community, 130 years of the Golden Curling Club. The Club has been a beacon of winter joy for over a century, providing a winter activity for both young and old as an integral part of Golden’s active lifestyle.
This started in the late 1880s, during the beginning of our community, and I believe it set the stage for how things get done in our community. People get together, roll up their sleeves, and get things done. People work together, not just coming together but interwoven, to be stronger and move our community forward.
As we reflect on the history of the curling club, we are reminded of the amazing memories and stories, friendships forged, and the dedication of countless individuals who have kept it going throughout history. To all those folks, past and present, we say THANK YOU. Thank you for the endless hours of dedication and commitment to your recreation and our community.”
Columbia Shuswap Regional District Area A Director Karen Cathcart was also in attendance. “I have enjoyed being here and listening to the stories and history of the Golden and Area A curling club. On behalf of the Columbia Shuswap Regional District, congratulations to the Golden and area curling community on this amazing milestone. Today, we recognize and celebrate the many volunteers and club members who have worked tirelessly to achieve today’s legacy. Thank you for all you do. We look forward to another 130 years!”
The Golden Curling Club Vice President, Gilles St. Yves, closed out the presentation: “We have to thank our community, our membership for the support we’ve had over the last 130 years. There’s not a whole lot of clubs that are this old, even in the world. For Canada, BC, and our little community of Golden, 130 years is a [heck] of an accomplishment.”
If you want to try a new activity this winter, be sure to try curling! Visit their Facebook page, Golden Curling Club, to stay current on future events and opportunities to try the sport.
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