It’s 2022 and an exciting time for the Tara Curling Club as it celebrates its 75th anniversary.
The history of Tara dates back to the 1850s and, although the Club started in 1946, given the winters, it is likely that curling was already well established in the community.
The Club was started by the Arran-Tara Agricultural Society which built a pavilion that could be flooded and used for curling in the winter. With two sheets of artificial ice, the men’s games consisted of 12 ends and each curler had to purchase his own pair of rocks, which could then be left at the curling club.
Then, in 1975, the Arran-Tara Community Centre was built with separate rinks for curling, hockey and skating.
In the middle of the early-1946 Club room, was an oil space-heater and it was up to the first person who arrived to fire up the stove. Today, the Club room is a warm space with a viewing window to watch all the curling action.
Over the ice, the ceiling had wooden beams where the snow often blew in and settled. The all-important measuring stick was a half-inch copper pipe that was kept up in the rafters and sometimes a heavy load of snow prevented retrieving it. The outdoor ‘bathrooms’ were not a luxury either and were not a place to tarry in the frigid temperatures.
The first bonspiel was held in February, 1947 with 24 rinks playing in three events on six sheets of ice. Each rink had to pay a ‘hefty’ entry fee of … $6.00, and the Women’s Institute served homemade meals to participants.
On January 21st (2023), the Club is hosting an Anniversary Open House where memorabilia will be on display, such as rocks belonging to long-time Tara curler, Harvey Merriam.
Also, on the 21st, there will be a bonspiel of two six-end games at 9:00 a.m. and 11:00 a.m., where visitors can enjoy some top-notch curling and take in the memorabilia memories.
The bonspiel is open to teams of any combination for a fee of $240, that also includes the delicious roast beef dinner and prizes. For those not curling, the dinners is still available at $25 per person, but tickets are limited.
Proceeds from the Anniversary event will go toward the replacement of the aging ice plant. For information, dinner tickets or to register a team, call: Sherry @ 519-934-2265 or Ian @ 519-9374-2352 or email: thefunstons@bell.net or squaredealneil@bmts.com.
Everyone is invited to Tarry Awhile in Tara and help celebrate the 75th Anniversary of the Tara Curling Club on January 21, 2023 … hope to see you there!
