Ottawa Curling Club

Coordinates: 45°24′39″N 75°41′25″W / 45.41081°N 75.69015°W / 45.41081; -75.69015

Ottawa Curling Club
Entrance to the club.
Location	440 O'Connor Street Ottawa, Ontario, Canada K2P 1W4
Information
Established	1851
Founder(s)	Allan Gilmour
Club type	Dedicated Ice
CCA region	OCA Zone 1
Sheets of ice	Five
Rock colours	Red and Yellow
Website	http://www.ottawacurlingclub.com/

The Ottawa Curling Club is an historic curling club located in O'Connor Street in the Centretown neighbourhood of Ottawa, Ontario, Canada. It is the oldest curling club in Ottawa, established in 1851 by Allan Gilmour as the Bytown Curling Club. The Club first played on the Rideau Canal until 1858. It subsequently moved to different locations around the city until finally settling at its current location on O'Connor in 1916. In 1931 the Club was expanded to the current capacity of 5 curling sheets. Artificial ice was also installed at that time. In 1998 and 1999, former club member John Morris won the Junior Men's World Curling Championship. The Ottawa Curling Club is one of two clubs in Downtown Ottawa, the other is the Rideau Curling Club, which maintains a rivalry with the Ottawa.

History

Ottawa Curling Club, 1904

The By Town Curling Club was established in 1851 under the presidency of lumber businessman Allan Gilmour. Its earliest facility was a rudimentary shed located near Lisgar Street adjoining the Rideau Canal. Canal water was used to construct the single ice sheet. The club constructed a new rink on Albert Street east of O'Connor in 1867, expanding play to two sheets. In 1878, the club spent $510 to move the building structure to a property near Wellington Street west of Kent on the former Vittoria Street which is today federal property in the Supreme Court district. The rink structure was replaced by a brick building which opened in December 1906. In 1914, the club lost the land due to a significant federal government expropriation.^[1]

The club's present location was opened on December 1916 when premises on O'Connor Street were provided through a gift by James Manuel, a wealthy local businessman, curler and club president.^[1] In 1927, the club was threatened with eviction by Toronto General Trust which represented Manuel's estate at that time. The club maintained that the terms of agreement with Manuel that it had rightful control of the property as long as the facilities were maintained for curling.^[2] In the following year, the courts ruled that the club had no formal claim to the property due to the club's unincorporated status at that time, combined with the lack of a written will or agreement regarding Manuel's wishes. The club therefore was required to purchase the property from the estate.^[3]

Formal incorporation of the Ottawa Curling Club Limited was completed in 1929.^[1] Artificial ice and expansion from four to five sheets followed in 1931.^[1]

Presidents

1. 1851-1895: Col. Allan Gilmour
2. 1895-1914: John Manuel
3. 1914-1917: James Manuel
4. 1918-1921: William Manuel
5. 1922-1936: George F. Henderson, KC
6. 1936-1942: Hugh Carson
7. 1942-1950: Darcy Finn
8. 1950-1952: Olin Beach
9. 1952-1955: W.E. Hodgins
10. 1955-1958: Ted Moffat
11. 1958-1961: B. Brocklesby
12. 1961-1963: Howard Grills
13. 1964-1966: Alan Brown
14. 1966-1968: Gordie Perry
15. 1968-1970: Harold Scrim
16. 1970-1972: Bill Davis
17. 1972-1974: E. Macdonald
18. 1974-1976: Don MacKinnon
19. 1976-1978: Dick Rich
20. 1978-1980: Dave Smith
21. 1980-1982: Stan Grover
22. 1982-1984: Ted Root
23. 1984-1986: Pat Craig
24. 1986-1988: Bob York
25. 1988-1990: Rod Matheson
26. 1990-1992: Sandra Chisholm
27. 1992-1994: Brad Shinn
28. 1994-1996: Steve Mitchell
29. 1996-1998: Eric Johannsen
30. 1998-2000: Barbara Brown
31. 2000-2002: Terry Clark
32. 2002-2004: Gord Perry
33. 2004-2006: Gayle Greene
34. 2006-2008: Gord Critch
35. 2008-2012: Geoff Colley
36. 2012-2014: Michael Loewen
37. 2014-2016: Tom Sinclair
38. 2016-present: Matthew Kellett

Leagues

The Ottawa Curling Club has a number of different curling leagues that participate at the club. Some are club leagues, while others (like the teachers league or the Rainbow Rockers Curling League) are rentals. Official leagues at the club are the Monday Ladder (open). Business Women (Tuesday), Open Cash (Wednesday), Business Men (Thursday), Mixed (Friday), Saturday Men, Sunday Open, Daytime League, Little rocks/bantam and the University/College League.

Cash League

The cash league which runs Wednesday evenings is the league with the highest calibre of curling. Some of the top curlers in the world curl in the cash league at the Ottawa Curling Club. Winners of games receive money, which can vary depending on the level the teams involved are at. The league is open, so there are both men's and women's teams. Curlers in the OCC Cash league include Lynn Kreviazuk, Chris Gardner, Craig Savill, Erin Morrissey, Karen Sagle, Ian MacAulay, Jean-Michel Ménard, Jamie Sinclair, Jenn Hanna, Pascale Letendre, Stephanie Hanna and Mark Homan.^[4]

University / College League

For the 2006-07 season, the Ottawa Curling Club introduced a league on Sunday nights for students in the Ottawa area to participate. At the time, no university in the city had a curling team, so this league was created to facilitate interest in curling from students in Ottawa. At the end of the year, the first championship was played between Carleton University and the University of Ottawa with Carleton winning 6-4.^[5]

Club Champions

The club championship is held annually. It is a playoff round featuring the top teams from each of the leagues at the club.

Current famous curlers

• Jenn Hanna - 2005 Scott Tournament of Hearts runner-up, current World Curling Tour participant
• Earle Morris - 1985 Ontario men's champion (represented the R.C.N. Curling Club); 1982 Quebec champion; 1980 Manitoba champion, invented the Stabilizer curling broom, coach of the Australian curling team skipped by Hugh Millikin)
• Jean-Michel Ménard - 2006 Brier Champion and World Championships runner-up
• Eldon Coombe, 1972 provincial champion
• Craig Savill - 2007 Brier and World Champion lead for Glenn Howard
• Rachel Homan - Four time provincial bantam champion, 2006 Canada Games gold medalist, 2010 Canadian Junior champion, 2013 and 2014 Scotties Tournament of Hearts champion
• Andrew Mikkelsen - 1996 Canadian Junior Champion
• Gilles Allaire - 2004 Northern Ontario Mixed Champion
• Chris Gardner - former provincial bantam and junior mixed champion
• Stephanie Hanna - 2005 Scott Tournament of Hearts runner-up (with sister Jenn)
• Matt Paul - 2005 Canada Cup of Curling participant
• Michael Raby - former World Deaf Curling Champion
• Neil Sinclair - 2007 Canada Games silver medalist
• Robyn Mattie - 2003 Canadian Junior Runner-up
• Emma Miskew - Four time provincial bantam champion, 2006 Canada Games gold medalist, 2010 Canadian Junior Champion, 2013, 2014 And 2017 Scotties Tournament of Hearts champion (third for Rachel Homan)
• Alison Kreviazuk, 2013 and 2014 Scotties Tournament of Hearts champion (second for Rachel Homan)
• Lisa Weagle, 2013, 2014 And 2017 Scotties Tournament of Hearts champion (lead for Rachel Homan)

Source: 2006-07 Ottawa Curling Club Directory. See also Hall of Fame

Famous past members

• Sir Sanford Fleming, inventor of standard time^[6]
• Alexander Mackenzie, former Prime Minister of Canada^[6]
• John Morris & Brent Laing, 1998 & 1999 World Junior Champions^[7]
• Brad Gushue - Alternate for John Morris at the 1998 World Junior Championships (Member in name only)^[7]
• Melanie Robillard - curled with Jenn Hanna in 2000 and posed nude in a curling calendar in 2005^[8]
• Markku Uusipaavalniemi - skip of the 2006 Olympic silver medalist Finnish team
• Hugh Millikin - skip of the Australian national team
• Roy Ananny - Canadian Football League player^[9]

Events

The Ottawa and Rideau Curling Clubs used to host the John Shea Insurance Canada Cup Qualifier. In 2003, both clubs hosted the 2003 Canadian Junior Curling Championships. The club also hosted the 2006 and 2007 Canadian Blind Curling Championships.

Provincial champions

* As Scotties champions, the Homan rink represented Canada at the 2014 Scotties Tournament of Hearts, without having to play in the women's provincials.

References

External links

• Website
• Rainbow Rockers Curling League