Cobalt Haileybury Curling Club

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Cobalt Haileybury Curling Club

• There is still much to look forward to in the
  social aspect with the clubs 100th anniversary
  dinner set for May 26, 2007. Invitations have
  been sent out to current and former members.
• The committee emphasizes that the effort to
  contact former members of the club may have
  missed some people, but all are welcome and the
  organizers would be pleased to hear from anyone
  who has not received an invitation.
• Festivities will get underway with a cocktail
  hour starting at 530 p.m. followed by a roast
  beef dinner served at 630 p.m.
• An evening of music, entertainment will finalize
  the commemoration of the 100 years of activity at
  the birthplace of curling in this part of
  Northern Ontario.
• Tickets priced at 25 per person are available
• through Mary Abraham at 672-5241.

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Cobalt Haileybury Curling Club Historical
Highlights

• Haileybury is the birthplace of curling in
  Northeastern Ontario. In 1906, near the site of
  the present curling club, brothers Henry and Noah
  Timmins built a private club. Within the year,
  they built an addition onto the club for three
  sheets of curling ice on a skating rink. They
  had poor lighting and no dressing rooms or
  lounge. In the private dining room of this club,
  on November 25, 1907, the first executive of the
  Haileybury Curling Club was formed. With colder
  weather to flood the ice, eight four man teams
  began play. In 1908, the club joined the
  Northern Ontario Curling association. Noah
  Timmins donation of the Timmins Cup raised the
  level of competition and encouraged others to
  take up the sport.
• In 1911, the club moved to the Market Building
  near the Haileybury wharf. During the summer,
  fruits and vegetables were distributed from the
  building. In the winter, on four sheets of ice
  with a small dressing room and club room, draws
  were curled and its first bonspiel was held. A
  club pin was designed. Curling in the Market
  Building continued until the Great Fire of 1922.
  By 1924, a new combination Market Building
  Curling Club
• was completed.
• Haileybury was the host for the TNO Railway
  Bonspiel in 1928. By the 1931 bonspiel, members
  of various clubs met and formed the TNO Curling
  Association and from that date on, the
  association was responsible for the bonspiel.
  During the Second World War, women also began to
  curl. A ladies section was formed and soon mixed
  curling.

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Cobalt Haileybury Curling Club Historical
Highlights (Contd)
In 1951, the curling club left the lake-side
Market Building. On the present site, the Cobalt
Haileybury Curling Club was built with six sheets
of ice in a beautiful building. Five years
later, artificial ice was made. The building had
major refurbishing in the early nineties. Since
1906 the Cobalt Haileybury Curling Club has sent
many teams to provincial and national events.
Emmett Smith is one of the most successful
curlers to play out of this club. In 1927, 1936
and 1937, he represented Northern Ontario in the
national Brier. Later he was inducted into the
Canadian Curling Hall of Fame. In 1966 Bill
Grozelle lead his team of Bob Grozelle, Ted Butt
and George McIlwaine to the Brier. Once again,
in 1967, Bill Grozelle skipped Bob Grozelle, John
Dunn and George McIlwaine to the Brier. In 1977,
Bill Grozelle, Linda Garrett, Don and Donna Sauve
were a team in the Mixed National. In 2002, Bill
Johnston skipped the team of Don Sauve, Ron
McCuaig and Tom McGrory in the Senior Mens
National. In 2004, Robbie Gordon skipped his
team comprising of Brian Fawcett, Steven Burnett,
Jeremy Landry and Larry Carr at the Brier, after
playing second for Dave St. Louis in the 1979
Junior Mens National. In 2006, Robbie Gordon
again skipped a team namely Dave McInnes, Steven
Burnett, Jeremy Landry and Larry Carr at the
Brier. During 2006/2007, we are celebrating our
centennial. Author Anne Dunnell Cobalt
Haileybury Curling Club
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