The Reminder is making its archives back to 2003 available on our website. Please note that, due to technical limitations, archive articles are presented without the usual formatting.
Willow Park History The Willow Park Curling club is the last 'private club' left in the curling community in Flin Flon and area. The loyalty of its member goes right back to the beginning in 1950. Charter members such as Andy Galambos, Ed Martin, Bill Wingert, Reece Romphf, Grace Lethbridge, Doris McFarlene and Marg Beever helped see the club grow from its infancy into what it is today. Doug Gourlay Sr. remembers the first building that was a part of HBMS property, used as a warehouse in experimenting with zinc residue. It was torn down and brought to the current Willow Park site and re-erected Ð giving the club a curling rink and a men's club room (later to become the lounge) with the entrance and the stairs running up the middle of the front of the building. Galambos smiles, "Yes, that rink was built with all volunteer labour and the materials were supplied by HBMS and the community." Gourlay stated that "the rink was built in such a way that a sheet of ice could be added on either side if necessary." Willow Park's opening in 1950 gave Flin Flon 19 sheets of natural curling ice with nine sheets at Uptown, six sheets at Ross lake and four at Willow Park. That first year there were 33 men's teams. The first mens' executive consisted of C. Hope as president with other members being R. Kinglsey, P. Smith, W. Phillips, Joe green, J. McDonald, M. McCrimmon and Bill Duncan. (The following information came from a book of the minutes of the first meetings held by the Willow Park Ladies Curling Club). On Monday, November 6, 1950, a group of ladies met at Willowvale School for the purpose of organizing a ladies' curling club for Willow Park. The main instigator was Isabelle Ketchen, who asked for nomination of club officers. After a couple of women turned down the nomination for president, Mrs. Ketchen was nominated by Mrs. Doris McFarlene. The motion carried, resulting in Mrs. Ketchen being the first president of the Willow Park Ladies' Curling Club (WPLCC) for the 1950-51 season. The other members of that first executive were Mrs. E. Duncan (vice- president), Mrs. R Yeo (secretary), Mrs. R. Evans (treasurer) and joining for a two-year term were Mrs. Joy Longmore and Mrs. Wallace. The honourary president and vice-president were Mrs. Steventon and Mrs. Roche. A motion was made by Mrs. McDonald and seconded by Mrs. Thompson that rinks be made up with each skip choosing her own third and the names of seconds and leads be drawn from a hat. It was agreed that a general meeting be called to make up the rinks on November 17 at Willowvale School with a social evening to follow. It was also agreed that any competitions during the year would be the executive's responsibility, and that at the closing of the season a club supper would be held at which time the presentation of all prizes would be made, followed by the annual meeting. A meeting was later held at Ross Lake Curling Club to discuss the Flin Flon Ladies Bonspiel, which would include Uptown, Ross Lake and Willow Park. It was decided that Uptown would have six representatives while Ross Lake and Willow Park would have three. To be continued... The Extra End runs Wednesdays.
