O'LEARY, P.E.I. — From needing to anchor the rafters of the club house with a cable attached to a sand truck to rebuilding the curling shed twice, there was a long gap between deciding to build the Maple Leaf Curling Club and throwing that first stone.
More than 20 people, including Orville Willis, a long-time curler and still one of the club’s biggest fans, and current members Sherrill Barwise and Clair Sweet attended that first planning meeting back on April 23, 1973.
Construction of the ice shed started in 1976, but, with all the wind damage, it was December of the 1978-79 curling season before the 112 first-year members were able to join. Nine of those original members are still playing the game, including four who made the shift to stick curling, which has seen a great rise in popularity.
Jim Baglole, George Bernard and Kenny Banks were part of one of the winningest teams in club history, collecting back-to-back-to-back provincial masters titles.
Charley Fraser was part of the winning team in 1994, and Willis was with them in 1995 and 1996.
Junior curlers from the club have also achieved much success, including 19 provincial titles since 2003, with titles at every level from U-11 to U-21. The Matthew MacLean and Amanda MacLean rinks factored in many of those wins with Amanda skipping a Canada Games team and Matthew winning a U-21 provincial championship and claiming a national mixed doubles title.
Emily Gray from the Amanda MacLean rink was part of Team Canada Curling at the Youth Olympics.
“Primarily, what you have, are role models,” long-time youth co-ordinator John Martin said.
This year the junior program has 25 youth curlers who receive coaching by club members and parental volunteers.
An introduction to curling for newcomers has started this year with positive results.
Recently, the club became home to the P.E.I. Curling all of Fame. Two club members are included: Willis and Sweet.
Sweet is also part of a committee planning 40th anniversary celebrations for the club, Feb. 7-10. A member from the start, who still curls competitively, he has been on the club’s executive for many years, including nine as president.
Keeping the club operational, he says, is largely due to many volunteers who make it work.
The club grew 15 acres of potatoes for five years to help pay the bills, with local farmers donating the equipment and club members helping with the harvest.
“It was a lot of effort,” he said, “but it helped the club get its bills under control.”
There were also several celebrity roasts held in support of the club.
The club, which has had a membership as high as 146 members in the mid to late 1980s, has seen its numbers decline in recent years. Sweet said fundraising efforts have been crucial to its survival, including a late spring banquet and lobster suppers during the Potato Blossom Festival. “People are great to support us in those kinds of endeavours.”
They’ve compiled a list of over 130 different sponsors and donors from over the years.
Over the years, bonspiels, such as the Fish and Chip spiel and the Loose Goose, have drawn as high as 46 teams. This weekend, to celebrate the anniversary, club members are going back through its lists and contacting former members and bonspiel participants, inviting they back for an anniversary bonspiel sponsored by the Centennial Auto Group, which is also celebrating 40 years.
Organizers have already achieved the initial target of 32 teams for the event and are still holding out hope of hitting 40.
There will be mussels and entertainment Friday evening, Saturday afternoon entertainment and a Saturday evening steak barbecue. Teams and individuals who have not yet registered have until Tuesday to do so and can call the club at 902-859-3012.
