Shauna McGill, president of the Cornwall Curling Club’s board of directors, and former president Chris MacDougall, go over plans for the club’s 40th anniversary celebrations March 31-April 1. McGill co-chairs the anniversary committee with fellow board member Sharon Campbell. MacDougall, a board member this year, is also on the organizing committee.
CORNWALL – The Cornwall Curling Club is ready to throw a party more than 40 years in the making.
The club is planning a gala celebration to mark its 40th full season of operations during its traditional closing Red and Blue bonspiel March 31-April 1.
The first stones were thrown in Cornwall in late January 1982 after the club launched its tentative inaugural season in the fall of 1981 with a Sunday night curling schedule at the Belvedere Golf and Winter Club because the new club wasn’t quite ready to host operations.
The first full season in Cornwall was 1982-1983. Plans to hold earlier anniversary celebrations were derailed by Covid disruptions.
The 40th anniversary event is open to all Cornwall members, said club president Shauna McGill. More than 400 curlers are playing at the Cornwall club this season and McGill is hoping that many of them will compete in the closing bonspiel or attend the anniversary banquet.
“It’s going to be a big celebration to mark our anniversary season,” said McGill.
The Red and Blue is a single entry event where each team will play three, 6-end games with an entry fee of $40.
The signup sheet is expected to fill quickly and curlers are encouraged to get their name on it early to avoid disappointment, said McGill.
While the bonspiel can accommodate 24 teams and 96 curlers, more than 200 club curlers are expected to participate in the celebrations. Daytime, stick, junior and senior curlers will all be divided into Red or Blue teams with games throughout the closing week or so.
Points accumulate in each category and are added to the results of the Red and Blue teams playing in the closing bonspiel to determine the overall winner. Commercial and Sunday morning drop-in curlers are also eligible to play in the bonspiel.
McGill said the banquet at 1:00 p.m. Saturday, April 1 will include local dignitaries, original board members, founders and volunteers from 40 years ago. Club curlers unable to play in the 40th anniversary bonspiel are invited to the closing banquet where tickets are available for $20.
McGill and fellow board member Sharon Campbell are co-chairing the 40th anniversary committee.
“We’re hoping for a good splash to close out this milestone season,” said McGill. Awards will be presented at the close of play later Saturday.
“We hope our curlers will participate as much as they can by playing or attending the banquet in support of the club,” said McGill.
“It’s been a great season in Cornwall with no Covid-19 closures or issues.” Things went very smoothly after shutdowns and disruptions the previous three seasons, she added.
For more information about the 40th anniversary celebrations, contact club manager Travis Jones at 902-566-4427 or by email at cornwallcurling@eastlink.ca
