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Start of 2. Curling |
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Curling in the Maritimes 1860
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Curling probably began in Scotland around 1540 – the first written records appearing around this time. The sport was brought to Canada by early settlers and quickly adopted, our winter climate being perfect for curling.
The earliest stones were called "loofies", from the Scottish word for the palm of the hand. These stones, taken from the beds of streams, had been smoothed by the flow of water and, at first, weighed around 2 kilograms. A niche or hollow was added for the thumb and fingers of the players.
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60 kg curling stone 1860 (?)
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Some were so large that they were given names. Their development can be traced by the samples found in the bottoms of rivers and streams. Some went though the ice because they were too heavy while some were abandoned and sank when the ice melted.
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Curling stone with early handle 1840 (?)
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The 1650s saw the first handles, often nothing more than iron hinges from gate posts, making it easier to move the heavy stones. It wasn't until the late 1700s that the stones began to be ground into a spherical or round form, but even well past this date their form and shape could vary. Conical-shaped stones were used until the 1830s.
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Wooden curling stone 1880 (?)
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"Stones" were also made of wood, often as practice stones for children, or adults, who wanted to learn the game.
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Wooden curling stone with lead weights 1894 (?)
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One such stone was found in St. Stephen. Dating from the late 1800s or early 1900s, it has four holes drilled into it which were filled with molten lead for weight. This particular one was probably used by a child as the handle is too small for a man's gloved hand.
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Modern curling stone 7 May 2004
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Modern stones have metal handles and weigh around 20 kilograms plus a one kilogram handle.
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Curling brooms from late 1800 to mid 1900 1950 (?)
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Brooms are used to polish the ice and clear a path for the stone. Modern brooms resemble their ancestors, which were the same brooms used in the house. In fact, household brooms were used well into the 20th century.
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Curling sweaters and tams 1950 (?)
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Curling is an old and popular sport in St. Stephen. In 1885 a group of St. Stephen's men invited four Saint John curlers to the town to teach them the game. Lacking a covered ice surface, they cleaned a sheet of ice on the St. Croix River and beat the men who came to instruct them.
This roused such interest in the game that in 1895, a three-sheet rink with an ice surface of 160 by 42 feet, was constructed and served the town for over 50 years.
"The curlers numbered about 70 to 80 and were nearly all older men over 40 years of age, younger men couldn't afford the $15.00 membership fee. When I joined the club in 1927 at 21 years of age, I was by far the youngest member." When travelling, ". . .We took our own stones with us in special leather straps. Stones varied in weight from 38 pounds to 52 pounds and some curled a lot while others ran almost straight. A game was 16 ends." (St. Croix Courier, October 1, 1996, C.-A. Nicholson author)
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Arthur D. Ganong 1930 (?)
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The Ganong Family & Ganong Cup - 1930 to 1980
The Ganong family of St. Stephen, best known for their world-famous chocolate, are among the first hometown sports heroes in curling. In 1930 Arthur D. Ganong, family patriarch who himself was both an enthusiastic and accomplished curler established the Ganong Cup.
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The Ganong Cup 1930
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In an effort to improve the quality of the competition in New Brunswick, A.D. Ganong donated a trophy, the Ganong Cup, to the provincial champion. He also donated individual prizes and a sum of money to assist the winning team travel to the national championships. While his dream of seeing a New Brunswick team win the Brier was never realized, several teams have come close. A.D.'s contribution to the sport did not end there: he served as President of the NB Curling Association in 1923-1924, as Honourary President in 1935 and 1936, and was named an Honourary Life member of the NB Curling Association.
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Rink skipped by Cappy McWha. . . takes Ganong Trophy. . . January 1930
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In 1930 the inaugural year of competition for the Ganong Cup, fittingly, a hometown team took the prize. The St. Croix Courier reported: "Rink skipped by Cappy McWha, ace of local curlers, takes singles championship and Ganong Trophy in decisive manner." The report continues with McWha ". . . has an excellent record as a curler and is recognized by his fellow curlers throughout the province as one of the best skips in the game. He is expected to give a good account of himself when he takes his rink to Toronto for the Dominion championship." In addition to "Cappy" McWha, the rink consisted of W.B. "Bruce" Buchanan (mate), H.N. "Hardy" Ganong (2nd stone and Chair of the bonspiel's organizing committee) and Evans Hill (lead).
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New Brunswick Champions in Toronto 1930
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Like A.D. Ganong, Hardy Ganong served as President of the NB Curling Association (1935-1936), as Honourary President (1941-1945) and was named an Honourary Life member. Bruce Buchanan also served as Honourary President of the Association in 1967-1968. While these team members' devotion to their sport can not be denied, it is team skip Arthur Clifton "Cappy" McWha who stands as a true renaissance man of sport in St. Stephen.
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Thistles Hockey Team 1904 1904
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Arthur Clifton "Cappy" McWha
Winning every award offered by the St. Stephen Curling Club might have been enough for some athletes, but McWha changed sports with the seasons. Taking all of his sports seriously, believing that "practice perfects", he was team captain and starting forward of the 1903 and 1904 St. Stephen Thistles. The Thistles were the champions of the newly-formed NB Hockey League both of these years. During these seasons the Thistles won 75% of the games they played. During the final game of the 1904 season, McWha scored a goal and assisted with the other, providing the Thistles a 2 to 1 victory over Sackville's team.
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