History of Curling in Pointe-Claire
Club
Historian: Hu Whitehead
Download this PDF file written by Hu Whitehead
The History of Curling in Canada
Curling in Montreal - circa
1855 (water color on newspaper line drawing) (Courtesy Hu Whitehead)
The History
of the Pointe Claire Curling Club is a history of people and happenings.
Curling
is said to have begun in Pointe Claire in 1918 with "irons" (borrowed
from Montreal Thistle Curling Club), the games being played on the
ice of Lake St. Louis in the bay at the foot of Brunet Avenue.
However, clearing snow from the ice became such a formidable job that
in 1919 the rink was moved to the quarry on Cartier Avenue, where
the games were played for the next two years.
On
October 29, 1921, a group of twenty-four sportsmen met in the frame
school house on Cedar Avenue, and the Pointe Claire Curling Club was
formed. A two story clubhouse and two sheet rink was opened
on February 28, 1922, on the corner of Lakeshore Road and Cartier
Avenue. "Irons" were used in club events, but granites were
acquired for use in games with other clubs who used "stones".
Membership for the first season was 80. Artificial ice was installed
in the old rink in the fall of 1946.
The
present Clubhouse and three-sheet rink was completed for the season
opening on October 6th, 1954, on land purchased in 1948 for $3,000.00
from the Beaconsfield Golf Club.
The
"Guests' Cup" was presented to the Club by
five Scotsmen in 1957. The "Royal Victoria Jubilee
Trophy", the first major curling competition, was won by
PCCC in 1964, and the Club hosted many social evenings for all teams
in the first "Air Canada Silver Broom"
competition in Pointe Claire in 1968.
In
1973, the Senate was formed by eight retired members.
The Club celebrated its 50th anniversary
in 1971-1972 at which time membership had increased to 232 ordinary,
40 associates, 27 non-residents and 17 Honorary Life members with
a mix of gala reunion parties and Bonspiels for members and guests.
In 1997-1998 the Club celebrated its 75th Anniversary.
Throughout
the history of the Club, members have been actively involved in all
aspects of club activities.
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TROPHIES
- Historical Items of Note
Trophies (Not
belonging to the PCCC)
When
you look around our Club, you see a number of trophies. Trophies
represent history. Some of them represent history that many
of us may not know. The following are a few that were found
interesting and it was thought some of the Club members who are not
familiar with them, may also find interesting. Also researched
were some trophies that have been in and/or out of the Club on various
occasions.
QUEBEC
CHALLENGE CUP
This
trophy does not grace our premises, but has been here on a number
of occasions. The cup is the oldest Curling Trophy in the Canadian
Branch's jurisdiction and in America. It was donated by the
Quebec Curling Club, Quebec City, in 1874 for challenge between the
clubs of Canada, restricted later to the iron playing clubs, i.e.,
the Canadian Branch of the Royal Caledonia Curling Club. Granites
were used for the first time in the 1951 - 52 season.
LORD
ELGIN TROPHY
Presented
to the Canadian Branch on November 2, 1926 for a single granite competition,
by the Earl of Elgin (10th) and Kincardine (14th), when he was President
of the Royal Caledonia Club of Scotland. He was Governor General
of Canada from 1846 to 1854. This was the first granite competition
under the jurisdiction of the Branch. It was first played for
in the 1929 - 30 season.
EDINBURGH
TROPHY
Presented
to the Granite Curling Association in 1924 by Mr. T.Howard Stewart,
to encourage granite play. It was a one-day event and 12 ends
were played. Each club had to be represented by 50% of their
granite curlers. The first Edinburgh Trophy bonspiel was held
at the Montreal Forum in 1925. The PCCC won the trophy in 1926.
In the 1938 - 39 season, 262 rinks competed for it.
ROYAL
VICTORIA JUBILEE TROPHY
Presented
to the Canadian Branch by the Royal Caledonian Club of Scotland in
1897, to commemorate Queen Victoria's Diamond Jubilee. Play
started for this trophy as a double rink competition, but in 1910
it was changed to the single rink championship of the Branch.
Unfortunately,
the Ormstown Curling Club had a disastrous fire during the 1927 -
1928 season and the original trophy was destroyed in it. Obviously
it was later replaced, or Ernie Nash and his rink of Walter Karabin,
Bill Reade and Gordon Hubbell, could not have won it on January 18,
l964. This was one of the PCCC's greatest curling achievements.
This trophy has been won by other
PCCC rinks since this time.
More information on this
page
J.
H. GORDON LAKESHORE TROPHY
Presented
by James H. Gordon (the 1st President of St. Annes) in 1923, for iron
competition between the lakeshore clubs (Lachine, Pointe Claire and
St. Annes). This was the first trophy to be competed for
on the Island of Montreal, where games counted. Two rounds of
12 ends were played during each season. Each club played two
rinks at home and sent out one rink to each of the other clubs.
The first competition took place during the 1923 - 24 season.
GORDON
INTERNATIONAL MEDAL
It
was inaugurated in 1884, when the medal was presented by Robert Gordon
of New York. It consisted of an annual match between Canada
and the United States, played in each country in alternate years.
It was a granite competition between clubs under the jurisdiction
of the Canadian Branch and the Grand National Curling Association
of America.
PROVINCIAL
SENIORS
Our
Club was honored with two teams who made it to the 2000 Provincial
Senior Play downs. David Moon and his rink of Bruce Lerner,
Bill Ellyett, and Lachine import Bob Martel, qualified by winning
the Section "A" of the Play downs.
Don Aitkin's rink of Doug Hanson, Brian Ross and Bob Suderman claimed
the "B" section of the Play downs to qualify for the Provincial competition.
Unfortunately,
the two Pointe Claire teams were placed in the same section of the
draw at the Provincial's. When all the stones had come to rest
after the round robin, our teams along with Cote Nord had identical
records forcing the ever exciting "Shoot Out", with the winner getting
a bye into the semi finals, while the two other teams would playoff
for the other playoff berth.
Team
Moon managed to win the Shoot out by the narrowest of margins, (Approx.
13 inches) forcing team Aitkin into the playoff with Cote Nord.
Cote
Nord won the tiebreaker against team Aitkin, but lost the playoff
to a near perfect team Moon, giving Pointe Claire a berth in the "Finals".
Cote
Nord was eliminated by Port Alfred, setting up Sunday's final game.
The
final game was indeed a thriller, which lasted for 11 ends.
Team Moon took charge early and held the lead throughout the game,
often having their opponents in major trouble.
Persistence
paid off for the Port Alfred team as they battled back through
the middle ends to eventually tie the score in the tenth end when
they scored two points (by measure) when they had the hammer.
Score
tied, Pointe Claire with the hammer in the extra end the game was
on !
Keeping
the end open, team Moon was struck with bad luck when the thirds last
take out shot jammed the opponents rock on the outer 12 ft.
Exchange of the skips first stones, left the Port Alfred Skip with
a draw to the 8 ft. for his last shot. Skip Moon removed the
opponent's shot rock, but was truly unfortunate when his shooter rolled
into the 12 ft. leaving Port Alfred shot stone by a fraction of an
inch.
Congratulations
to both our teams who truly represented the Montreal Region with distinction.
Congratulations also to team Aitkin lead Bob Suderman, who was named
All Star Lead, for the second year in succession.
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Trophies
(BELONGING to PCCC)
"PAT-LID"
CHANNEL STANE (Yes, the two words are
spelled correctly.)
Presented
in 1925 by T. Howard Stewart Esq. to the Granite Curling Association
members of the Pointe Claire Curling Club for annual competition.
In 1926, the trophy was evaluated at $100. The most recent evaluation
is $5,475.
(NOTE: The Pat-Lid pins have been
provided by the Branch each year since 1926, to all clubs under their
jurisdiction.)
W.
WHITTAKER POINTS TROPHY
Donated
to the Club on 25 January 1926 by W. Whittaker for annual Points competition.
It is the oldest PCCC trophy of which I could find any record.
Unfortunately, it is no longer in the Club. The rules said that
any three times winner could retain it. W. Ernie Jones apparently
did just that, and away it went.
SYDMER
W. EWING CHALLENGE CUP
Donated
to the Club by Mayor Sydmer W. Ewing on 25 January 1926 for challenge
matches. The first match for it was held on 02 February 1926. In 1926,
the trophy was evaluated at $100. The most recent evaluation
is $2,271. During the period of most active membership, this competition
consisted of 12 rinks with games played on Tuesday nights. It
currently consists of 6 rinks with games played on the bottom half
of Monday nights.
HELLIWELL
TROPHY
Presented
to the Club in the 1930-31 season by Wallace W. Helliwell, as an unclassified,
challenge, ladder, event to build up strong rinks for outside competitions.
Over the years, this trophy became the senior trophy. During the period
of most active membership, this competition consisted of 12 rinks
with games played on Monday nights. It currently consists of
6 rinks with games played on the top half of Monday nights. The winning
rink is considered to be the top team in the Club and generally represents
the Club in major outside events.
POINTE
CLAIRE TROPHY
Donated
to the Club in 1947 by Ross Glibbon for annual competition.
WAR
MEMORIAL TROPHY
Donated
to the Club in 1948 by Colin Rankin for competition on New Year's
Day.
BUD
STEWART TROPHY
Donated
to the Club in 1949 by a "generous old sport", Bill Legault, for Points
Competition, in memory of Past President A. G. "Bud" Stewart.
MACDONALD
TROPHY
Donated
to the Club in December 1949 by Mrs. Walter M. Stewart for competition
in the PCCC International Invitation Granite Bonspiel. It was
last played for in 1988-89.
(Note: The number of rinks competing
in the December 1950 Bonspiel was 50!)
PRESIDENTS
TROPHY
Presented
to the Club in 1951 by all the Past Presidents. It went to go
to the winning rink of the Presidents Prize Competition annually.
It is currently curled for in match competition.
(NOTE: It was pre-dated by the "President's
Prize" for full rink competition.)
UNWIN
TROPHY
Donated
to the Club in 1954 by Mr. & Mrs. Larry Unwin for the Sunday Mixed
Curling winners.
VICE
PRESIDENTS TROPHY
Donated
to the Club in 1956 by Frank W. Mills for annual competition.
It is currently curled for in match competition. Club skips
are not allowed to curl in the skip position.
(NOTE: It was pre-dated by the Vice
Presidents' Prize for doubles competition, which started prior to
the 1928-29 season.)
GREEN
SINGLES TROPHY
Donated
to the Club in 1956 by Jack Stronach for green curlers. In the
early days, before there was a trophy, the winner was presented with
a pair of irons.
Rollie Desrochers,
a curling Senator who passed away during the 2004-2005 season, won
the Green Singles trophy in 1944-45; he left the Club to raise a
family and rejoined the Club 40 years later.
REG.
PIPER TROPHY
Donated
to the Club in 1956 by Reg. H. Piper for Senior Doubles competition.
STU
STEELE TROPHY
Donated to the Club in 1956 by Stu
G. Steele for Junior Doubles competition.
POINTE
CLAIRE INVITATIONAL BONSPIEL TROPHY
Presented to the PCCC in 1982 to
commemorate the 25th anniversary of the Industrial Park.
PCCC
FOUNDERS TROPHY
This
is the first trophy presented for draw curling. It was last
played for in 1991-92. The other three still being competed
for are: the Pat Lid, Presidents and Vice Presidents.
NOTE: The four Senate trophies
are not referred to in the above.