Gail Baker and her husband Bev curled at the Willowpark Curling Club rink for nearly a quarter-century.
And just as they hoped the rink would never close, as it did two years ago, they were dismayed when the landmark building was torn down last week.
“I’m really sorry to see it go,” said Gail.
It only took two days to take down a building that held decades of memories as demolition began last Tuesday, Nov. 25, and wrapped up the following afternoon.
“I haven’t even gone down there. I don’t want to see it,” Gail said. “It’s a sad day for both [my husband and I].”
Feeling the loss of the building along with the Bakers was long-time curler Marg Beever.
“When I looked at it, it didn’t feel very good,” said Beever.
Though she doesn’t remember the length of time she spent on the ice at Willowpark, she says her children, now grown, were basically raised in the building.
“I felt really bad [seeing it torn down] because my kids grew up there,” said Beever. “As soon as they were done supper they were there to see if they could play. They would sit around waiting for a game.”
Throughout her decades of involvement with Willowpark, Beever bore witness to many changes.
“It’s not like it is now,” she said, noting there were fewer rules many years ago. “You could take a drink out on the ice and just have fun.”
Despite the changes, countless curlers cherish many fond memories of Willowpark.
Beyond the sport itself, Gail says the Willowpark rink offered a sense of family among its members.
“It was a very close-knit group that curled there,” she said. “Our New Year’s parties were incredible.”
At those gatherings, friends would assemble with a potluck-style supper and laugh the night away to ring in another new year.
“It was just a real close-knit group,” Gail recalled. “There were a lot of good times. I’m really sorry to see it go.”
Joining that close-knit curling family in 1965 was John Munson. The avid curler spent 47 years enjoying the sport at Willowpark before its 2012 closure.
“It’s too bad it has to go,” Munson said.
“I’m sad to lose it. When I first came here there were an unbelievable amount of curlers. People just seem to have too many things to do now.”
Munson has memories of the club being “very active” when he first joined, but as the years went on the numbers dwindled.
Flin Flon and area once had four curling rinks: Ross Lake, Creighton, Willowpark and the Uptown Curling Club. Today, only the latter rink still operates.
“When I first came in 1965 there were 30 men’s rinks and 20 ladies rinks,” said Munson. “And now there’s hardly that combined.”
