March 2020 Events a MESSAGE from the PRESIDENT

Upcoming St Thomas Curling Club News March 2020 Events A MESSAGE FROM THE PRESIDENT

Where to start, well let’s just say it’s been a year.

While I believe that everything we had planned went very smoothly on the surface it was not without its challenges. It was sort of like a swim- ming duck. All looks very peaceful on the surface but underwa- ter things were moving at a furious pace.

Just a few weeks before the Provincials, I was called into the Annual kitchen by the ladies league and informed that the dishwasher General was making funny sounds. A service call resulted in the information that a new pump was required for the dishwasher Meeting and it might seize and stop working at any time. A new pump Date and Time was ordered and it was installed only days prior to the Seniors. During the installation a rusted locking nut was discovered and, To be announced of course, it broke during installation. The $1.28 part is not stocked and so it had to be overnight shipped to the installer and the installation was finished mere hours before the Seniors began. Crisis averted.

The club hosted its second Tier 55 Bonspiel of the year in January and a full complement of 24 teams from SW Ontario competed. The Senior Men’s Kitchen Krew handled the meals and this event went off without a hitch.

The land sale has progressed smoothly and has passed every stage of approval from City Committee to City Council to area residents. The contractor has started clearing the land. 2

The club partnered with Roy Inch and Son’s and club member Peter Inch in hosting our first Chamber of Commerce Business After 5 in mid February. We had about 125 local business people and politicians in the club, many for the very first time. The building was viewed very favourably and we may have some additional rentals down the road from local businesses who liked our facility.

The Senior Provincials went off basically without a hitch. At the closing banquet on Saturday evening each team was introduced and had a chance to speak. The comments about our club, the volunteers, Kevin and his staff came from everyone. One of the City Council members took me aside after the banquet and commented on the sincerity of the comments from each of the teams as to how they had been treated by the club and by the city in general. He was very impressed in all the efforts. Praise like this will go a long way in helping the club as we work with the city for next year’s event.

Our dehumidifier has been shut down since mid-October as it is starting to fail and was blowing fine black particles into the air that were ending up on the ice.. This is not unusual to shut the unit down as we have an excellent building and Kevin is able to make good ice for us without undue humidity in the building. This cannot happen next October and a new humidifier has been ordered. Plans are to keep the ice in for a few more days than normal to allow heavy equipment onto the ice surface to remove the old unit and install the new one in the ceiling at the south end of the club.

And then the season came to a sudden grinding halt.

It was all over the news, this new virus and the rapid increase in cases day to day and week to week from other parts of the world. The Board met, and decided to get ahead of this curve of increased cases and close the club the very next day. It gave me no pleasure to present this to the Board and to accept their recommendations that we close, but it was the correct decision to make. It must be noted that the London club and Highland followed suit. According to the curling community over 100 clubs have closed early along with all the National and World Championships that were planned. Let’s hope this passes and come October it is but a distant memory.

It has been a pleasure to act as the President of the St Thomas Curling Club this year. I look forward to seeing you all in October.

Have a wonderful summer

Mike Langley

BAR The bar has continued to perform well and remains on budget. Sales have been as expected and our bar staff has done an admirable job. Costs could have increased as many suppliers are now charging delivery fees for smaller orders. It has been quite the challenge to order appropriately to keep these charges to a minimum and yet not get over stocked with product that takes a while to sell. A job well done by all.

The chair of the Senior Provincials was provided with average bar sales for the days of the week that the event would be running on and I am happy to report that sales greatly exceeded the amounts spent by our club members on a regular basis. The event definitely made money for the club through the bar.

All in all our bar staff has done an excellent job this year and they are to be congratulated for their efforts.

Mike Langley -Bar

RENTALS

Rentals have continued strongly this year and January and February, our two biggest months, went very smoothly. In addition to the big bonspiels we hosted, Teen Center and Big Brothers as examples, we had a good number of outside rentals. Smaller groups of 12 to 30 people, who contacted us about using the club as a fun night, learn to curl event. I attended a number of these to greet and to aid in a bit of on ice instruction to get them underway. A good time was had by all and I think we might well see some new members on Guest Week next October Mike Langley –Rentals

FACILITIES REPORT

During the winter months the following items have been repaired or replaced:  the beer tap cooling pump system replaced  kitchen dishwasher overhauled  purchase of new carpet for front & rear entryways. Installation of carpet at rear entry hall and stairs completed. The installation of carpet in front entrance will be completed before fall  repaired or replaced 3 emergency lights  electrical receptacles and a light installed in ice plant room  shoe racks purchased for front entry  new entry mats purchased for all doors  fluorescent light covers purchased and installed in ladies & men's change rooms and in hallway Brad Kellestine, Facilities Chair 4 ICE Kevin and his crew continue to provide us with excellent playing conditions. I do visit many clubs in Ontario (and some out of province/country) throughout the curling season and have done so for many years - we are extremely fortunate at our club to have the playing surface that we do – I would rate it in the top percentile. So please let Kevin and the crew know what a fine job they are doing. At the end of a game usually half of us will be happy the other half not so much!!! However, in reality win or lose our ice is really good. Kevin has also managed to keep within budget for ice maintenance and prep. The board passed a motion to purchase and install a new dehumidifier which will be done before the ice goes out this season so that the required installation equipment can be used without disturbing the sand floor and related refrigeration pipes. The old dehumidifier has exceeded its life expectancy and is no longer functional. A dehumidifier is needed in order to install the ice in the fall and to regulate humidity periodically throughout the summer and the days leading into the installation. Four quotations were received for the new equipment and installation. Before the board made the final decision references were checked and referrals were confirmed. The board certainly feels that due diligence was done and the right decision made for our club. A new electrical supply line and related electrical equipment are required for the operation of the new dehumidifier. Currently one of our club members has volunteered to do the work, if possible, in order to reduce overall costs. Again – hopefully there will be more to report at the AGM. Colin Sinclair –Ice THANK YOU This year was the first in a few years where our club hosted two CurlOn events. These events generate needed money for capital projects but also provide us with the opportunity to show- case our club and our members. We should all be very proud of both. Your Board of

Directors would like to thank its members for generously volunteering as league executive members, league convenors, Kitchen Krew, bonspiel and event organizers and also volunteering in whatever capacity required for our special events. Our club functions under the guidance of mostly volunteers with the exception of our ice staff and bar staff. Everyone should be very proud of their accomplishments this year and look forward to an even more exciting season in the fall. Rest up as we are going to need your help again!! THANK YOU! Your Board of Directors 5 SENIOR PROVINCIALS The events, held at the club Feb 19 – Feb 23, 2020, were, by all accounts, a success thanks to the 60 plus volunteers that made it happen. The teams advancing to the Canadian Senior Championships are the team from Thornhill skipped by Sherry Middaugh and, on the men’s side, the team from Ottawa skipped by Howard Rajala. We have received a great deal of feedback from players and visitors alike – it has all been extremely positive. Kudos to Kevin and Dave for providing exceptional ice conditions throughout the event. Our committee chairs were Ellen Luft, Mary Ellen Bolt, Ray Parkes, John Roberts, Brad Kellestine, Mike Langley, Ward & Kristy McKenzie - these folks did a wonderful job of keeping everything on track and organized. Ivy McCarty did a masterful job with the photography which was very well received by the teams. I am sure that I have probably left someone out but, as I said, everyone stepped up to the plate and did a wonderful job. These events cannot take place without the support of sponsors. Please support all our sponsors whenever you can and please let them know that we appreciate their contribution and that is what prompted you to use their services. The financials have not been finalized as yet – however it would appear that the events brought in sizeable revenue for our club. Hopefully the reconciled report can be presented at the AGM. What made it such a great success was the team work and efforts of our volunteers. It was a joy to see everyone working together toward a common goal – it was an energetic, exciting atmosphere throughout the entire event that really showcased what our club is all about. Well done!! 6 HEALTH & SAFETY Wow! What a year this has been for Health and Safety! Rowans Law, Liability Forms, and now Coronavirus-COVID-19.

Thank you to everyone for their patience and understanding as we navigated through all the paperwork especially at the beginning of the year. It was a learning curve for all involved.

We had a number of falls this season so please have a look at your grippers and make sure they are in good condition and if they need replacing make a note of it for the fall. Make sure you have the proper footwear and appropriate headgear when the season begins don’t wait until you have a fall. We will be encouraging people to get new grippers on a regular basis.

Now with the new Coronavirus-COVID-19 we had to end our curling season early which is a disappointment for everyone. We all need to practice social distancing while the country tries to get this virus contained. We know some members still need to get their personal items from their locker and as soon as it is safe for all of us we will send an email and set up times for the club to be open.

Safety tips for Coronavirus: 1. Disinfect surfaces around your home and work daily. This includes tables, doorknobs, light switches, handles, desks, computers, phones, keyboards, sinks, toilets, faucets and coun- tertops. 2. If surfaces are dirty, clean them - use detergent or soap and water prior to disinfecting. 3. Wash your hands for at least 20 seconds with soap and water or sanitizer. 4. Cover your nose and mouth with a tissue when coughing or sneezing and throw used tis- sues in the trash. If a tissue isn’t available, cough or sneeze into your elbow or sleeve, not your hands. 5. Avoid touching your eyes, nose or mouth with unwashed hands. 6. Avoid close contact with people who are sick. 7. Stay home if you are sick, except to get medical care. 8. Stay home if you can and avoid gatherings of more than ten people. 9. Practice social distancing by keeping a distance of about six feet from others if you must go out in public. 10. Wear a facemask if you are sick. If you are sick, you should wear a facemask when you are around other people (ie: sharing a room or vehicle) and before you enter a healthcare provider’s office.

Thank you and Stay Healthy and Safe over the spring and summer months! Nancy White, HR and Health & Safety Board Chair

News from The Leagues

TUESDAY LADIES LEAGUE The Tuesday Ladies League enjoyed another great season, with a full house in each of the 3 draws held during the year. With approximately 60 curlers, we welcomed both new and returning members. It’s always great to see familiar faces and new friends alike. The Tuesday morning ladies league finished the 2nd draw February 11. Winners from Mighty Maples division were Margaret Smith (skip), Ann Lapchinski (vice), Shawn Whittaker (second) & Britany Classens (lead). The Powerful Pines division was won by Ann Meuse (skip), Carol Gagen (vice), Corinne Toms (second) & Heather Marchment (lead) Although we didn’t complete the third draw, and therefore can’t announce a winner for each division, it appears that the teams led by Sandy Ferguson and Joyce Hepburn had each taken an early lead in their divisions. Looks like it would have been an exciting finish! We wish each member a healthy and happy summer and look forward to seeing you all back in the Fall. 2019-2020 Convenors: Marg McKay, Laurie Aaviku, Suzanne Devlin

THURSDAY LADIES LEAGUE

We had a great third draw. The winner of A side was team Quin. The winner of B side was team Green. I want to say thanks to Sandy Jones and Beth Kewley for their hard work. I also want to welcome Joanne Buda who will be joining the team next season. I want to wish everyone a safe and healthy summer. See you in the fall.

Kathleen Lane

8 WOMEN’S LEAGUE

The Monday Night Women’s League had a great season with 10 teams. Overall season winner (Burton Trophy) was the Curtis team, Dale Curtis, Joanne Curtis, Rebecca Lane and Mary Ellen Bolt. Unfortunately our Playoffs ended suddenly, but we hope to see everyone in the fall.

The Wednesday Night Women’s League had an awesome season with many new curlers, which resulted in most nights with 32 curlers. This is a great learning league with flexibility, with a lot of fun and laughter had by all. Even though the fun ended early many will be back so we look forward to growing and having fun in the fall.

Over our season we host 3 regular bonspiels: The Curlers Care Bonspiel held in November raised $950 which was donated to Inn Out Of The Cold. This bonspiel will be renamed next season to "Family & Friends Curlers Care" The other two, (One Day Women’s Bonspiel in February and the Breakfast Spiel in March) were both very successful which will result in $1485.00 being donated to the club.

In addition to the bonspiels, we had a raffle for a curling duffel bag generously handcrafted and donated by Darlene Vance which was won by our very own Mary Lou Gordon. We thank all club members who purchased tickets as $590 was donated to the club.

We would like to thank the Senior Men's Kitchen Krew for catering the many events at the club. Your hard work is very much appreciated. Thank you to all our bar staff who work all the different days, evenings and weekend shifts to make our leagues and bonspiels such a success and to Kevin and the assistant ice techs that work so hard and give us such great ice every year.

Enjoy your extra-long break from curling and come back in October ready to go. Stay healthy everyone! Nancy White President Women’s League 2019-20 SUNDAY NIGHT DOUBLES CURLING

The Sunday Night Doubles league ran throughout the curling season with 8 teams. Round robins were played and two teams tied for the most wins. Honourable mention goes to the team of Peter Morch and Grant Feltham, and to Ken & Linda Barker, with Bob McInerney as their alternate. Each team had 10 wins over the course of round robin play. Not only is Doubles a different twist to our sport, but is also a great way to meet people from other leagues. Watch for sign-up during registration for the 2020-2021 season. Multi-person teams are welcome and spares always welcome!

Wishing everyone a safe and healthy summer! Protect one another now and be ready to rock the 2020-2021 season Joan McGregor 9

TUESDAY MEN’S OPEN LEAGUE – FINAL UPDATES The Tuesday night league was barely into our final round robin play when the doors closed on the season. After only two of the five planned draws we do not have enough results to crown champions. The best we can do for 2019-2020 is to recognize the standings after the second draw…and come back next year ready to pick up the competition where we left off! With all curling clubs closing, we also lost the opportunity to challenge for the Malahide Medal that was scheduled to be played March 18th at the Aylmer Curling Club. All is not lost for 2020 because the Aylmer club has committed to setting a new 2020 date for October so that we can keep this historic annual competition alive and continuously contested! Stay tuned for future details as available… We have a special sponsor to recognize this year. Roy Inch & Sons have sponsored a new trophy for our third division. Thanks to Peter Inch, we now have the Dave Gilbert Memorial Championship, replacing the Earnest Beattie Third Flight Championship trophy. Brad Kellestine provided the woodworking expertise to construct the trophy’s board (along with two spares!). The new trophy plaque, as well as championship team plates catching up the previous three years (planned to be unveiled at the 2020 closing dinner), will be on display for the start of the 2021 season! The loss of the end of the season is also the loss of opportunity to thank all the people and groups that made our season possible. I want to thank our Ice Maker Kevin Brevik for his hard work keeping our ice game ready and consistent through all the different groups and special events. Thanks for the good ice also goes to our Assistant Ice Makers: David Walsh, Henry Mulders and James Ferguson. I also want to thank Cathy and the other bar staff for all their assistance (and patience!). We didn’t make it to our closing event but I also want to thank our understanding caterer, Crav- ings Simply Delicious Catering, as well as our prize suppliers and sponsors, Charlton’s Quality Meats and Railway City Brewing Co. Please look up these local businesses and give the YOUR support! To all of the curlers on our league’s 22 teams, and to all of the many spares who filled in when called, I want to thank you for keeping my job simple. With fingers crossed for a slightly LESS eventful 2020-2021 season, I want to wish everyone a safe and healthy summer. Good curling everyone! Cheers!

10 ROUND 5 – STANDINGS AFTER 2 DRAWS The early end to the season allowed for only 2 of the 5 final draws in Round 5. That was not enough play to crown division champions, but here are how the standings looked before the closing: A – FLIGHT – CLUB CHAMPIONSHIP B – FLIGHT – LEAGUE CHAMPIONSHIP

1 – Carl Taylor 1 – Terry Walker 2 – Ken Baute 2 – Barry Westman 3 – John Lyle 3 – Henry Mulders 4 – Rob Morin 4 – Colin Sinclair 5 – Shawn Buchanan 5 – Craig Van Ymeren 6 – Steve Gilchrist 6 – Jim Lyle

C – FLIGHT – DAVE GILBERT MEMORIAL D – FLIGHT – 4TH DIVISION CHAMPIONSHIP CHAMPIONSHIP

1 – Ryan Matches 1 – Phil James 2 – Tom Devaney 2 – Dave Igras 3 – Craig Carman 3 – Don Bull 4 – Dave Bowden 4 – Dan Peterson 5 – Lloyd Harris 6 – Dave Walsh WEDNESDAY NIGHT MIXED LEAGUE Well, like all the other leagues we were unable to finish our season. However, our 10 teams enjoyed a fun year with lots of good curling, bad curling, but lots of laughs. As usual we alternated between 6 end and 8 end games, with snacks after the 6 end games. With a regular start time of 8:00, everyone seemed to enjoy the format. Because we did not have our closing night, we have some funds left over. We are setting some aside for next year’s league and passing the rest to the club to help offset the financial loss of the early closing. Sue and I are stepping down as convenors of the league. Next year everyone can look forward to Rosie Triebner and Cindy Quick running the league. I know we are in good hands. Everyone stay safe and this will pass. See you in the fall at the club. John and Sue Lyle

FRIDAY NIGHT SOCIAL

On behalf of my wife Nancy and myself, I would like to encourage all members of the St. Thomas Curling club to stay safe, follow the advice of health officials and medical experts.... and be strong. Our group is loving, caring and supportive of one another. I trust that everyone will take the necessary precautions that will help us get through this crisis.

The Friday Night Mixed league enjoyed another successful season prior to the abrupt disruption caused by the current health crisis. Once again, we had another successful KegFest bonspiel at the end of February... which seems like ages ago now. I am happy to report that our event raised just over $3100 which was donated directly to the club. Special thanks to Laurie Welbourn for her great work with the meal, and all of the participants and volunteers from the Friday night league.

Our group continues to expand. We had more than 80 people on the roster this season which allowed us to run two draws of five games each for the early and late sessions. We had a great group of newcomers who picked up the game quickly. The curling 101 sessions certainly help, as do the contributions from the Bolt family, Christine, and other Friday members who pitch in with instruction.

I have been looking after the Friday Night league for several years now, and the time is right for both me and my family to step aside from the convening duties. I notified our group after the Christmas holidays and put the call out for a new group of volunteers to take over me. At this time no one has stepped forward but I am certain that there is interest out there within the club. I will have the files prepared for schedules, participant lists, and other general notifications. Rest assured that I will absolutely make myself available to help the new convenor (s) get up to speed as quickly as possible for the new season.

I would like to thank the Friday Night Mixed league for all of their support, consideration and cooperation over these past years. I have always worked hard to increase participation, maintain a reasonable amount of recreational balance, and ensure that everyone has a good time... both on the ice and in the lounge. I look forward to more great times ahead.

Warmest regards, John Wilson

12 SR MEN REPORT Well it has been an interesting year that has come to an abrupt end as a result of the illness spreading around the world. I would like to focus this report on the Sr. Men’s Kitchen Krew.

This tireless group of men along with several others who assist from time to time, including our friendly bartender Maddie, have provided service to 16 events this year. I would personally like to thank all of them for the support they have shown to our league and to the club as a whole.

In particular I would like to thank Paul Hachey, John Roberts and Don Gagen who have served on this team for many years and are retiring from the Krew to just curl. Your efforts over the years is greatly appreciated. You will be missed in the kitchen.

All of the money raised by this Krew goes into the account of the Sr,.Men’s league and then is available on a regular basis to support activities of the club.

As was the case in many leagues, we will have an empty space on our trophies this year with the exception of the Graham Sanderson Award for the most improved new curler to our club, and this years winner is Dennis Minor.

It was a very close vote between Dennis, Tim Burns and Don Wallace, the closest vote in a long time. Congratulations Dennis, who will be in a 2 week quarantine starting March nd 22 . We will present this trophy at our opening lunch in October. Be well, be safe David Kerr

From left to right-Roger Petit, Bill “Soup” Campbell, John Roberts, Ed Rempel ( standing), Paul Hachey( sitting), Ed Norris, Murray Vanzanten, Don Gagen. Missing from photo is Ray Burgess 13

BUNWARMER BONSPIEL

The third annual BunWarmer Bonspiel was held on Tuesday, March 10th. 40 Curlers participated in a Beach Party Themed fun event. This bonspiel is open to all Female Members of the Club. It is designed to be a relatively inexpensive spiel as far as costs are concerned as all funds raised will go to the Club’s Fundraising efforts. Congratulations to the Bonspiel Winners. $560.00 will be donated to the Club. Thank you everyone for taking part and to everyone who helped make the day special. Hopefully we can have a full draw next year, hmm, won- der what the theme will be. Something to look forward to I am sure.

Ellen Luft 14

TEAM HAVING THE MOST FUN

Shawn Whittaker. Diane Marcou, Patti Roberts, Pat Quin, Early draw participants on this team included Nellie Barton and Ann Lapchinski

WINNERS OF THE BUNWARMER BONSPIEL

Margaret Smith, Marg McKay, Dorothy Purchase, Marg McKay and Kandee Peckham