The Lindsay Curling Club is celebrating its 150th anniversary with 24 straight hours of curling on December 11 and 12 that will support local charities including the Ross Memorial Hospital Foundation — with some members donning 19th-century attire to mark the anniversary.
Called 150 Ends of Curling, the event at 18 Peel Street in Lindsay will run continuously from 7 p.m. on Friday, December 11 to 7 p.m. on Saturday, December 12, with curlers ranging in age from six-year-old beginners to 90-year-old veterans taking to the ice.
The event begins on the 150th anniversary of the club’s incorporation on December 11, 1876.
“We are proud to support our local hospital as we know it’s a place everyone will eventually need at some point in their lives,” said club president and 150th anniversary committee co-chair Kelly James in a media release.
While the curling will continue around the clock — including during the early morning hours — the public is invited to spend Saturday at the club for an open house designed to introduce people to the sport.
The December 12 open house will begin with a pancake breakfast and feature raffles, games, curling demonstrations, and opportunities for visitors to try throwing a stone themselves.
“Curling can be enjoyed by everyone, and we hope anyone who has been curious about the sport will come to our open house on December 12,” said anniversary committee co-chair Deb Hatch. “It’s a chance to throw your first stone, learn about the leagues we offer, and support some great causes.”
Proceeds from the anniversary event will benefit several local non-profit organizations, including the Ross Memorial Hospital Foundation to support a major project to modernize and expand ultrasound services at the Lindsay hospital.
Thanks to a matching challenge from FDC Foundation, donations to the ultrasound project will be doubled when the community raises $500,000, unlocking an additional $500,000 from FDC Foundation.
“We’re grateful to the Lindsay Curling Club for hurrying hard for local healthcare in this historic anniversary celebration,” said Ross Memorial Hospital Foundation CEO Erin Coons. “Community support like this helps expand and modernize ultrasound services close to home.”
The anniversary celebrates a curling tradition in Lindsay that predates the club itself.
Before the Lindsay Curling Club was formally established with 10 members in December 1876, local curlers played friendly challenge matches outdoors on the frozen Scugog River.
After its first season, the club purchased property on Russell Street and built a rink. Seventeen years later, it moved to its current Peel Street location.
Women were admitted as members in 1947, and mixed curling grew rapidly during the following decade as the club modernized its facilities.
The 150th anniversary celebration also echoes an earlier milestone. During Lindsay’s Canada centennial celebrations in 1967, the club hosted a three-day bonspiel involving 42 teams, with members dressing in period costumes for a parade and other activities.
Today, the Lindsay Curling Club has more than 400 members and associates and continues to host recreational and competitive curling, bonspiels, and community activities.
