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2023-24 LEAGUE AND MEMBERSHIP REGISTRATION

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Curling Club Blog

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Welcome back curlers!!! We hope you have had a great summer!!

With curling season fast approaching, we are pleased  to announce that registration for the 2023-24 season is now open!  
Please visit the Huntsville Curling Club to register.
If you experience any difficulties with the online registration, a reminder that assistance will be available at the Open House on Thursday September 21 from 4-7 pm.
If you have any questions about registration, leagues or membership, please contact membership@huntsvillecurlingclub.ca
 
 
See you on the ice!!

Greetings HCC Members,

We thought we'd share with you the exciting news that work has begun on the new ice shed at the club!! 
More to follow as construction continues...

 

Ice shed

 







Greetings fellow curlers!

While curling may not be front of mind this time of year, recently our Club held its 2023 Annual General Meeting (AGM).
2022/23 was a banner year and over the course of the meeting, multiple presenters shared a few of our many achievements along with a sneak peek at some of our plans for the coming years.  Here are some of the highlights that I believe you will find of interest:

Achievements:  After experiencing somewhat stagnant growth due to Covid, we experienced a very strong year in a number of key areas, including:

  • Our membership has grown to 263 curlers
  • Our Junior program had a bounce-back year with over 200 youths participating, highlighted by the Junior bonspiel, with 12 teams competing including 9 from out-of-town
  • We held ten Bonspiels over the course of the season, with more than 400 participants
  • We offered three Learn to Curl sessions,  with over 70 new curlers participating, many of whom subsequently joined one of our leagues
  • All these great accomplishments resulted in our core revenue being up $53,000 or 38%
  • Our capital fund balance at the end of the year was $233,000

Capital Expenditures: We continue to invest responsibly in projects that will improve our facility and ice:

  • $500k in capital expenditures since 2019, including: including new HVAC in the ice shed & building; new roof; new lighting in ice shed;  lounge/bar makeover
  • Additional $130k in capital investments this off-season, including a new ice technicians shed, Jet Ice filtration system,  new soffits & facia,  kitchen makeover & new dishwasher, masonry repair
  • Our goal is to have a fully accessible facility within the next three seasons. This includes: fully renovated, accessible change-rooms and washrooms;  installation of an elevator with access to all three levels; new front entrance with automatic double doors; new portico covering the main entry; entire building exterior painted
  • To help fund this final phase, we are launching an exciting new program called Access 125.  Watch for more details in the coming days

Membership Rates: Good news - there will be no change to Membership rates for the 2023/24 season. 

Volunteer Awards:  The following individuals were recipients of the 2022/23 Volunteer Recognition Awards:

  • Volunteers of the Year: Val Kittner, Dennis Roland, Marilyn Kreutzer, Dale Heiydt, Sue Bionda, Martha Lapp, Larry Hope, Richard Tousignant
  • Lifetime Achievement Award:  Nicole Dutkiewicz
  • To read more about our recipients and their contributions, please click here

Board of Directors: The following were elected to your 2023/24 Board of Directors:
     Ron Kreutzer (President)
     Mary Ellen Hope (Secretary)
     Jim Woodworth (Treasurer)
     Bob Gibb (Operations)
     Nancy Houle (Membership)
     Richard Tousignant (Sponsorship)
     Doug McKnight (Communications)
     Phil Ross (Marketing and Rentals)
     Lynn Southcott  (Volunteers and Bar)
     Dave Rigby (Bonspiels)
     Lou D’Alessandro (Health & Safety)

As you can see, last season was a very successful year for our club and we have a lot of momentum behind us.  A sincere thanks to all of you who contributed to these outstanding results and I am looking forward to another great season.  If you are interested in reviewing the slide presentation presented at the meeting, click here.
As always, should you have any questions, concerns, or suggestions, please do not hesitate to contact me.

Ron Kreutzer
HCC President
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Sun Life Logo

The men's Sunlife Bonspiel was held at HCC on March 25 and was sponsored by Alan and Steve Paton from Sun Life Financial in Huntsville.
Twelve teams competed in two divisions: Senior (60+) and Open (any age). Teams played 3 x 6 end games which were followed by a delicious smoked prime rib dinner.

Congratulations to Senior Champions
Skipped by Paul Sanderson with Len Brautigam, Mike Schultz, John Francis.
Senior A Champs

 

Congratulations to Open Champions South River team
Skipped by Hal Busch with, Frank Hill, Phil Taylor, Dave Stubbs.

Open A Champs

 

Thank you to our sponsor and all volunteers who made the event a tremendous success!!

See you next year!!


Screen Shot 2023 03 08 at 1.58.55 PM
The women's Fiesta De Marzo Bonspiel sponsored by Muskoka Gourmet was an affair "mucho excelente" and featured great curling, fabulous Mexican food, beverages, as well as curlers looked magnificent in costumes that captured the overall Fiesta de Marzo theme.

Thank you to Derek Gravelle from Muskoka Gourment whose generous support included providing each curler with delicious samples of Muskoka Gourment products to take home, as well as a tasting table for the event.

Thank you to all our sponsors for their fantastic support of Fiesta de Marzo;
Dr. Tim Lapp, Sandhill Nursery, Matt and Steve's Ceasars, The Cutter's Edge, Meat the Butcher, Deerhurst Resort, Fibre- Ladies Clothing, Artisans of Muskoka, The Record Shoppe Huntsville, BeeBAGZ, Lake of Bays Brewery.

Congratulations to the first draw and overall event winner, Team Ogryzlo, and to the second draw winner, Team Houle.

Overall and First Draw Winners
L-R Cara-Dawn Gilchrist, Cathy Ogryzlo, Sarah-Jane Simpson, Shelly McLean

Winners

Second Draw Winners
L-R Christine Dziewurski, Margo McKnight, Elaine Rowlands, Nancy Houle

Houle win

An event like this does not take place without the efforts of a great organizing team. Thank you to the organizing committee;

Nancy Houle, Marth Lapp, Kathleen Mair, Margo McKnight, Kerina Murray, Dawn Rigby, Lynn Southcott. 

Una Increíblemente Grande thank you to our volunteers who helped ensure the day ran smoothly;
Kitchen - Jennifer Cumming, Laurie Johnston, Scott Lasby, Kerina Murray, Joanne Osborne, Kim Scott
Drawmaster / Scorekeeper- Bob Gibb, Richard Burnett
Draw to the Button - John Murray
Bartenders -  John Kokonis, Cathy Ross, Richard Tousignant, 
Mary Ellen Hope - for her donation of a mucho bueno Margueritta Maker
Ice Makers - Rosey Adams, Lou D'Alessandro, Roy Sullivan 

 Screen Shot 2023 03 08 at 3.43.51 PM

Fiesta muy grande!!!  Gran momento lo pasamos todos!!

Congratulations to Team Trussler from Parry Sound!
Winners of Team with the Best Costume!!!

3 Team Parry Sound

2 Team Hope jpg
1 Team Bionda 4 Decorations
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.Levante

A fabulous time was had by all at the Levente Valentine's bonspiel.  Very big thanks are extended to our generous sponsor, Levante Roger's Cove and their retirement living consultant, Helen Thompson.

A heartfelt thank you to our volunteers;  Richard Burnett, Shelley Clouthier, Marielle Deurloo, Rachel De Sadeleer, Sue Hicks, Jonathan King, Marilyn Kreutzer, Martha Lapp, Ann Lasby, Scott Lasby, Mark Maslen, Shelly McLean, Kathy Ogryzlo, Mel Pegg, Jeff Verkley, Teresa Verkley,  Chris Zaludek, and Dave Zalude.

Levante First Draw, First place: Team Neil Hewitt

Neal Hewitt

 

Levante First Draw Second Place:  Team Jocko Houle

Houle

 

Second Draw First place:  Team Scott Verkley

verk

 

Second Draw, Second place: Team Chris Sabourin

sabourin

 Levante


Our Yesterday’s … 

by Dennis Rolland

Shots Fired” at the Huntsville Curling Club

In the winter of 1972, Huntsville experienced several winter storms resulting in heavy snowfalls and significant accumulations. By the afternoon of Wednesday, March 15, 1972, the weather turned mild with rain, that was heavy at times.

That evening, at 6:30 PM, the Police received a “Shots Fired” report at the Huntsville Curling Club. At the same time, many members of the club were arriving for the 7 PM draw. Club President Bruce Petch had parked his 1966 Pontiac Bonneville next to Executive member Tim Green’s brand new 1972 Mercury Cougar alongside the rink. Bruce and Tim entered the rink building with the Police to find no one inside – it was still and silent – until it wasn’t. 

The silence was shattered by a loud “shot” as a wooden cross beam split in half lengthwise causing the Center Street peak ridge of the rink roof to buckle in slightly. While inside the rink, another thunderous “crack” split yet another timber. The building was immediately vacated as a collapse was imminent. 

The Police cordoned off the area around the curling club. Not even the cars could be moved. There was the utmost seriousness of concern since the private two-sheet Curling Rink at the Lake of Bays Britannia Hotel collapsed from snow load in 1959 claiming 3 lives. Mr. & Mrs. Eric Chudleigh of Chudleigh Apple Farms in Milton, and a 14-year-old boy all died, and 11 others were injured, some seriously. 

HCC members nailed the rink door closed with 6” spikes to prevent entry while an Emergency Executive meeting of those present hastily reviewed ideas to save the club. Ultimately all ideas, including shoveling off the roof, were dismissed because it was deemed too unsafe to go anywhere near the rink structure. By this time, the situation was critical, as the unrelenting rain continued timbers were heard spitting every 15 minutes. 

Executive member Ross Payne, who was also the Huntsville Fire Chief, proposed  “shearing” off the snow with fire hoses, gradually and in a balanced way, from bottom to top, using two pumper trucks located at the north and south sides of the rink building in an attempt to relieve the snow load. Ross would be positioned on Centre Street atop a 40 Foot Ladder truck to direct the operation. 
The Board approved the plan as it was the only safe plan. The fire equipment was positioned and the planned effort had barely begun, when suddenly, at exactly 8:45 PM, only 2 hours and 15 minutes after the “Shots Fired” call, a rapid succession of loud shots was heard, sounding like a machine gun, as a multitude of wooden roof timbers shattered sending the roof structure downwards. 

The massive and rapid increase of inside air pressure, as the structure collapsed, exploded the rink doors from their hinges sending them flying outwards. The side walls burst 15 feet off their foundations onto Bruce Petch’s 1966 black Pontiac Bonneville and Tim Green's brand new 1972 Mercury Cougar. The explosion was so intense, the 40-foot ladder fire truck on Centre Street was blown back, with Ross Payne atop. Ross landed with a roll, and stood up unscathed yelling “I’m Okay!”

Within seconds, the entire destroyed roof structure was on the ground. 

View from Veterans Way Looking West

Note: This picture was taken in 1972 before the 1981 Kitchen Addition

Photo Credit: Huntsville Forester, Huntsville Ontario – March 23, 197

View from Centre Street Looking East

Photo Credit: Huntsville Forester, Huntsville Ontario – March 23, 1972

View from Veterans Way Looking North

Photo Credit: Huntsville Forester, Huntsville Ontario – March 23, 1972

Note: This last picture shows Bruce Petch’s damaged 1966 Pontiac Bonneville and Tim Green’s 1972 Mercury Cougar, parked alongside the rink. This was the sickening condition of our beloved club, 51 years ago, in March 1972. 

To add insult to injury, in the days following the collapse, a youth, armed with a pellet gun, fired shots from Centre Street at our exposed viewing glass. One shot popped a hole in the plate glass of sheet 3 which remained in the glass for the next 50 years until 2021, when the 70-year-old single pane plate glass, installed in 1951, was replaced with thermal, tempered glass as part of the Phase 2 Club Energy Efficiency renovations. 

Those pellet gunshots and the shot that popped a hole in our sheet 3 glass were the only real “Shots Fired” at the Huntsville Curling Club. 


Our Yesterdays- The Don Lough Trophy and some History of the Men's Bonspiel

by: Dennis Rolland

 

The 1952 Don Lough Trophy

The original 1940’s Don Lough Trophy was lost to the fire of 1951. Don donated this beautiful replacement trophy, the Don Lough Trophy, which was presented to the Huntsville Curling Club for Men’s Annual Bonspiel Competition beginning in 1952. The first rink to win the trophy was the Orillia rink of Pat Murphy, Ted Thorington, Ralf Lang, and Reg Miller (Skip). The Don Lough Trophy was handed out annually until 1969. It resurfaced for three years in 1982, 1983, and 1984 before retiring again.  In 2019 the Don Lough Trophy resurfaced again for Annual Men’s Bonspiel Competition. 

The Men’s Spiel
The Men’s spiel is the longest-running spiel in Huntsville dating back to the spring of 1900. The Huntsville Curling Club has been fortunate to have many great sponsors and supporters over the years. 

Pictured above, from Left to Right, winners of the 1983 Huntsville Men’s Spiel, receiving the Don Lough Trophy, are, Ken Carstairs, Glen Howard, Bill Howard, and Russ Howard. 

In 1983, while Russ was a member of the Huntsville Curling Club, he skipped his father Bill Howard (Vice), his twenty-year-old brother Glenn (Second), and his best friend & Best Man, Kent Carstairs. The Russ Howard skipped team went on to win the Huntsville Curling Club Men’s Open Bonspiel.
Do you want to add your name to this prestigious trophy?? There are still openings in this year's men's spiel, being held on March 25th and sponsored by Sun Life. 

If you are 60 or older, click HERE to register

To play in the open division, click HERE to register




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Copy of HCC Logo Yr1900

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6 Veterans Way
Huntsville, Ontario
P1H 1V9


Phone: 705-789-4571

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The Huntsville Curling Club is a proud recipient of an Ontario Trillium Grant as well as an Ontario Sports and Recreation Community Fund Grant.

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