Curling club all set for new season

The Fort Frances Curling Club held its annual general meeting last week and detailed plans for the upcoming season, including hosting the Northern Ontario provincial Bantam playdowns in February.
“This is a fairly big thing to host for us,” said club president Maureen Thomson, who added winners will go on to the Ontario games.
The tournament, which will run from Feb. 14-16, will require a chairman to be named fairly soon, Thomson noted, since attendees will want to book hotels and make other arrangements sooner than later.
In other news, league curling will begin this Monday (Oct. 15), but will be preceded by a novice and intermediate curling clinic on Saturday and Sunday (Oct. 13-14).
The club also will host a Hallowe’en-themed mixed open bonspiel on Saturday, Oct. 27, with curling starting at noon, followed by a banquet and dance.
The curling club itself will see some renovations in mid-November, including repairing the roof and ceiling, as well as installing insulation.
While last Wednesday’s annual general meeting didn’t draw a huge turnout, Thomson said the recent league registration yielded some good news.
“Basically our league curling [membership] is about the same,” she noted. “Our junior and Bantam program have taken quite a big leap, and that’s a good thing, because we consider that to be our future,” Thomson added.
Last November’s visit by Guy Hemmings, the famed Quebec curler who promoted the sport in schools across the district, may have been responsible for the spike in interest amongst the younger crowd—up to about 80 youths from 60 last season.
Thomas also noted tickets to the club’s fundraising concert featuring Billy Andrusco, which goes tomorrow night (Oct. 11) at the Townshend Theatre, are still on sale in limited numbers.
Meanwhile, Thomson encouraged anyone to drop by the curling club on Eighth Street.
“A lot of people think you have to be a member [to go in],” she said, explaining the club is always open to the public for anyone hoping to take in a game or learn more about the sport.
To register for any events or to learn more about the Fort Frances Curling Club, visit the club’s website at www.fortfrances.curlingclub.ca or call club manager Rick Grenda at 274-6667.