ALBERTA CURLING UNDER ONE ROOF AFTER 100 YEARS
Three regional associations finally agree to amalgamate during weekend gathering
It took an entire century, but let the banners wave and the bagpipes wail. Alberta has finally been united as one in curling.
As a final act of the celebration of their centennial, the Northern Alberta Curling Association chose to end 100 years of existence by voting itself out of existence.
By unanimous vote of the delegates from the three curling associations in the province — the Peace Curling Association, Southern Alberta Curling Association and the celebrated NACA group — became one at the Shamrock Curling Club in Edmonton on the weekend.
Curling Alberta was born with a president from Calgary and head offices to be located in Edmonton.
The amalgamation has been headed to this result for two years since the movement was initially revealed by your correspondent during the provincial men’s championship in Westlock when NACA officials revealed they had decided it was time to end the 100-year war (most years mostly for bragging rights) and to work toward becoming a single association like in other provinces.
It was partly inspired by the deterioration to dysfunctional Alberta Curling Federation that loosely tied the groups together for purposes of providing provincial playoffs. But there were significant financial benefits and logistical improvements including delivering services to the 21 member clubs of the PCA, 70 members of SACA and 92 of NACA.
Jill Richard, after a decade working for Tennis Alberta, has agreed to take over as executive director and will begin the process of building her staff from the nine employees that made up the former associations. Regional offices will remain in Calgary and Grande Prairie.
“The response from everybody involved as we worked toward this day was, ‘This needed to happen!’ and ‘It’s about time!’” said Curtis Fairhurst, the first president in Curling Alberta history.
“Our goals are increased communication with the clubs and improved grassroots programs while finally getting everyone in our province united like in the other provincial curling associations.”
Fairhurst said funding “was quite stressed” in several areas and having one body to obtain sponsorship, grants, et cetera, should result in dramatic improvements. Curling Alberta will operate out of the former Alberta Curling Association offices at the Percy Page Centre beginning immediately.
“A unified board with a unified direction should benefit curling in every corner of the province,” Fairhurst said.
Fairhurt’s initial board will include Jody Meli of Lethbridge, Steve Young of Banff, Josephine MacGillvary of Calgary, Steve Gerlitz of Stettler, Jenilee Streatch of Edmonton, Marvin Trimble of Sherwood Park, David Heavenor of Edmonton, Vern Hafso of Viking, Brenda Asmussen of Manning and Jeff Ginter of Dawson Creek.
The NACA will maintain an office for another year during the transition period and go out celebrating its history.
A book, World Capital of Curling, has been commissioned and a final banquet next spring will celebrate the 100-year history of the association that has provided some of the greatest names in Brier history, including Cliff Manahan (2), Billy Rose (1), Matt Baldwin (3), Hec Gervais (2), Pat Ryan (2), Randy Ferbey (4) and Kevin Martin (4), with Martin winning an Olympic gold medal and Kevin Koe the Brier and World Curling Championship out of the same club in 2010.
The most ballistic curling events have been held in Edmonton. Matt Baldwin’s 1954 Brier win at the Edmonton Gardens has been given credit for inspiring an unprecedented number of curling clubs in Canada. But it’s been the recent hostings that brought international focus and acclaim.
A record 242,887 attended the 1999 Brier and an all-time curling record attendance of 281,985 that still stands returned to watch Ferbey win it in 2005.
The largest men’s world championship attendance record of 184,790 from 2007 still stands, as does the 175,920 for the 2009 Roar of the Rings Olympic trials.
Southern Alberta clubs were formed as part of the Royal Caledonian Alberta branch based in Calgary. Back in 1917-18, when it all started, there were 18 curling clubs involved in what is now the NACA, but then went under the Alberta Curling Association moniker.
The fees they paid for the pleasure of becoming one with each other and separate to the Royal Caledonian crowd in Calgary were calculated with a formula related to the number of registered curlers each club claimed.
It cost Edmonton’s Royal a whopping $30, the highest price paid.
Camrose ($16.15), Capital City ($24), Chauvin ($4), Coronation ($8), Fort Saskatchewan ($4.75), Lacombe ($7), Leduc ($4.40), Lloydminster ($8), Mannville ($9.75), Provost ($5.40), Ribstone ($6), Strathcona ($19), Tofield ($11.15), Vegreville ($10), Vermilion ($15), Viking ($5.90) and Wainwright ($9) were also originals.
It had a pretty good run.