If you want proof of the old adage “Times they are a changin’,” look no further than the curling scene in Flin Flon and area.
Fifteen years ago, we had at least four curling rinks going. Since then, we’ve witnessed the demise of curling at the Creighton Sportex and the demolition of the landmark Ross Lake and Willow Park rinks.
The only curling rink left standing is the Uptown Curling Club, and as The Reminder reported on Wednesday, their numbers are not where they would like them to be.
“We used to have six or eight teams of ladies playing on two nights each week and now we only have four teams total,” Keenan Kennedy, club president, said by way of example.
Last winter, there was even some concern over whether the venerable Ladies’ Bonspiel would hit the ice. Fortunately it did, and to borrow a cliché, a good time was had by all.
Curling is a Canadian institution. Flin Flon has as rich and deep a connection to the sport as any other community. Old-time curlers still recount the days of rocks clanking across multiple sheets of ice until the wee hours to ensure everyone got a chance to play.
For some of those veteran curlers, the decline of the sport locally has been difficult, if not emotional, to witness. Some even perceive it as the unravelling of a once-important component of our social fabric.
In some ways, curling is emblematic of the Flin Flon of yesteryear, when residents closely identified with their particular neighbourhood (Birchview, Willowvale, etc). Back then, if you lived in Willowvale, you proudly curled at Willow Park, no questions asked.
Flin Flon is definitely less territorial these days, more of a whole unit rather than separate parts. If social cohesion is the goal, that can’t be entirely bad.
But back to curling. The future of the sport locally may actually be more promising than some believe.
When I go to the Uptown Curling Rink, I still see lots of people having an awful lot of fun. I see friendly but respectful competition. I see an inviting atmosphere where newcomers are always welcome.
There is also a youth curling league, launched last season, with plans to resume play in January.
“It’s really a lot of fun and a great chance for the kids to learn the game,” said Kyla Reierson, who organized the league.
Curling will likely never again occupy the same prominence it once did on the Flin Flon mantle. That’s less about population decline and more about people pursuing other interests, including sports such as rec hockey.
Fortunately, curling is still very much alive in Flin Flon, its participants proud and grateful to be a part of the game. That sort of passion will surely rub off on other people who will eagerly take up the sport themselves in the years ahead.
Local Angle is published on Fridays.
