Active History

By Krista McCracken

Curling on the Dartmouth Lakes, Nova Scotia, ca. 1897. Public Domain.

The days are getting shorter and colder, areas of Canada have already had the first snowfall of the year, and curling clubs around Canada are gearing up for the season.  Curling has been part of Canadian culture for centuries and is still a sport that holds popularity amongst Canadians.

The form of curling that exists today has seen substantial changes since the first incarnation of the game in the 16th century.  No longer are monstrously heavy bowling ball like stones being thrown down bumpy sheets of outdoor ice. Today’s curlers use circular stones with handles.  The earliest circular stones which date from the 1800s were still quite heavy, often weighing over 70 pounds.

In Canada the early circular iron curling stones are believed to have been made from metal-rimmed hubcaps from gun-carriages or from melted down cannonballs.  This form of iron stone is something that only existed in Canada with many other countries using granite or whinestone for the first circular stones. Today, the curling stones in Canadian curling clubs are made of granite and weigh 40 pounds.

Curling was brought to Canada by Scottish immigrants and the first curling club in Canada opened in Montreal in 1807.  In the following years clubs opened in Halifax, Quebec City, Toronto, and on numerous military bases.  The earliest accounts of curling games are often connected with Canadian forces and local police forces and often regimental officers were key in the formation of the first curling clubs.  Curling was considered good for morale, fitness, and as an acceptable form of socialization within a regiment.  By the mid 1890s curling had taken hold in many communities across Canada with popularity being strongest in Western Canada. The originally outdoor sport of curling, that required long sheets of ice and cool weather, was a perfect  fit for a Canadian climate.

Hockey tends to get a lot of the attention as a winter sport, that is deeply connected to identity in Canada,  but curling has played a significant role in shaping community and national identities in this country.  The Canadian Curling Association statistics from 2011 indicate that approximately 653,000 people curl across Canada. Curling clubs are typically designed so that curling can be watched from a separate area that facilities socializing.  These spaces often include tables, a bar, and a TV or two.  In many towns these spectator spaces are used by curlers and non-curlers alike for community functions like  dances, weddings, fundraisers, etc. Continue reading →