Curling Day in Canada and the Huntsville Curling Club’s 125th anniversary are fast approaching, and the club is marking the milestone with a community celebration and the official launch of a new Crokicurl rink at River Mill Park.
The event will take place on January 31 from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m., where community members can try out the Crokicurl rink, meet members of the Huntsville Curling Club (HCC), and snap photos with a giant inflatable curling stone. Festivities will also include food, hot beverages, music, a kid’s corner with family-friendly activities, and a history corner showcasing photos, artifacts, and stories from the club’s 125-year history. The celebration will continue at the HCC from 2:30 to 5:30 p.m., featuring a variety of activities, including Canada’s Big Shootout, a national curling contest taking place that day.
Crokicurl is a large-scale version of the board game Crokinole combined with the sport of curling. The octagonal natural ice rink will be 25 feet in diameter and complete with painted markings, wooden pegs, and plastic stones. The rink is a partnership between the Huntsville/Lake of Bays Chamber of Commerce, the Huntsville BIA, and the HCC. Following the launch event, the Chamber will continue to maintain the rink so it can be used by the public on weekends throughout the winter.
The HCC says preparation of the rink is now in its final stages thanks to dedicated team of volunteers, including Kim MacPherson, Perry Mercer, Eric Snell, and David Gummo, who have contributed their time and hard work into design, construction, and maintenance.
Community member and volunteer Doug Profitt played a major role in consulting, applying his knowledge and expertise. Dave Gilroy, owner of Mill on Main, and Steve Campbell, owner of the Huntsville Festival of the Arts building, provided the team with access to a water source for the flooding.
The HCC says the event was created to “entertain, educate, and thank” Huntsville and surrounding communities for their continued support.
“The event not only marks Curling Day in Canada, but it gives us the unique opportunity to say thank you to a community that has supported us for 125 years,” said MacPherson. “The Curling Club is not just a sports facility; it is a place to gather, connect, and honour a great Canadian tradition.”
