Rocks On Ice From 1895 to 1958 to 2008
by Bruce Rogers
Once upon a time, we're talking the eighteen hundreds now, curlers in the Port Perry area gathered on cold winter days to sweep their granite rocks in a cavernous, barn-like arena on Mary Street, just west of Water Street. Way up above their heads there were open rafters; there was no ceiling. That arena was up the slope behind the old Creamery back in 1895. An old
gelatin photo of the time shows men in jackets and ties. Many wore hats, mostly bowlers. They wielded large straw brooms. One curler in the foreground of the photo wears a Scottish tam with checkered band. William J. Carnegie, one of the nineteenth century curlers, donated that old photo. A digitized version is in the collection of the Scugog Shores Museum. Among the gentlemen curlers pictured one hundred and thirteen years ago are William McCaw, George Gibbs, Howard Clemes, Bert Bruce, James Lucas, R. Holtby, C. Allison, James Carnegie, William Ross, Joshua Davis, and Joshua Curts.
Later, but still way-back-when in 1921, in another large, barn-like space, the
curlers of Scugog and environs shared ice with hockey, that other winter
enthusiasm. That cavernous hall of ice was just off Water Street at North Street,
near what is now the CIBC's parking lot. Of course
there also have been times over the years when the
game was played on lake ice cleared of snow at the end
of Queen Street. In the good old days, not so very long
ago, some curlers wore breeches or jodhpurs or even
plus fours. And nearly all wore heavy knitted wool
curling sweaters adorned with club crests and tokens of
victories.
In the 1950s local curlers started to think they needed a curling club of their
own. In 1953 enthusiasts bought some used rocks from the Barrie Curling Club.
They paid $800.00 and received 25 rocks rated "good" and 15 considered "fair".
Two extra handles were thrown in gratis.
Then, in June 1958, nine men borrowed a thousand dollars each to finance an
arena to be built at the corner of Bay and Old Simcoe Streets. Robert "Bob"
Avery Kenny donated what had been his mink farm. The first President was
chiropractor Dr. Charles "Chuck" Bathie. The Letters Patent for the
incorporation of the private club bear the date June 18, 1958. The concrete block
foundation was built Labour Day weekend and the first rocks were thrown in
November that year.
Among that handful of founding fathers, way out on that financial limb, was
Howard Hall. He was the club's Secretary/Treasurer. Later he would be elected
Mayor of Scugog Township. Other founding builders in 1958 were Oscar Stanley
Beare, John Theodore Hayes, Gordon Holdershaw, Grant MacDonald,
Herbert Roy Scott, and David Thompson. The original cost of the building was
