Scott Campbell
SHAWVILLE – The longest running sporting event in Shawville is the Community Bonspiel; this year, it will be 40 years since the Bank of Montreal won the coveted Toilet Seat trophy, built by Bob Findlay, in the first bonspiel held in 1976, at the Shawville Curling Club on Lang Street.
Then Shawville Mayor, Orla Young, presented the trophy to
Scott Campbell
SHAWVILLE – The longest running sporting event in Shawville is the Community Bonspiel; this year, it will be 40 years since the Bank of Montreal won the coveted Toilet Seat trophy, built by Bob Findlay, in the first bonspiel held in 1976, at the Shawville Curling Club on Lang Street.
Then Shawville Mayor, Orla Young, presented the trophy to
winning team members Brian and Debbie Kilgour, Janet McCord and Gordon Pehleman. “I remember it well,” said McCord, adding that it didn’t seem that long ago. “Kudos
to the Curling Club and the
community for keeping it going all these years,” she added.
The 1976 Bonspeil began at 5am on February 2 when Claire O’Donnell threw the first rock; there were 23 men and one woman
competing in the first three matches. The event continued all week long until February 8 and was considered an open house for the Curling
Club. Overall, 48 teams competed.
Harold Hall, who was the Curling Club’s president in 1976, believed
the yearly bonspiel would make the
Club a recreational and social
centre of the community.
During the bonspiel’s peak years close to 70 teams participated. The Club hoped to have the same
number of teams playing in the event to mark its 40th year; even though that goal was not achieved, they came close with 66 teams on the ice this year.
“It’s a big money maker for the Curling Club,” said Chairman Stu Stark, who is retiring from his role after spending 10 years organizing the bonspiel. He first played in the event nearly 15 years ago when he moved to the area; he was brought on board the Bonspiel Committee by Laird Murray. “Laird once said, if it wasn’t for the bonspiel, there would not be a Club. Even if there are fewer teams playing now,
keeping it going for forty years is fantastic,” he concluded.
The 40th annual Community Bonspiel will kick off January 29 at the Curling Club; the public is
welcome to attend. The winners will be declared 10 days later on the afternoon of February 8.
