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.
Decked out in diamonds, gussied up in garnets and rocking hard in rubies; ladies from across the North put brooms to ice and did things up right for a 'bling' themed 60th Annual Snow Lake Ladies Bonspiel! This spectacular sexagenarian spiel was held the weekend of Feb. 1 at Snow Lake's Gordon M. Rupp Curling Rink. The official opening of the spiel saw emcee Lynn Smith introduce Mayor Clarence Fisher, who welcomed curlers, wished them luck and recited a number of investments in the curling rink the town has made over the years and plans to make this year. Representatives of the sponsors of each of the three events were also on hand and were called upon for a few words. For the first event, Tony Butt, Hudbay's local health and safety coordinator, offered well wishes. For the second event, Steelworkers Unit Chair Terry Hornyak did the same. For the third event, local businessman and town councillor Chris Samborski welcomed out-of-towners and acknowledged the hard work and volunteer hours that those within the club put in to keep the rink in tiptop shape. Club president Judy Peterson also conveyed her wishes for a wonderful weekend to the participants. See 'Curlers...' on pg. 10 Continued from pg. 9 Once greetings were out of the way, Cathy Stabback introduced a group of four curlers who would open the bonspiel. All were former residents and home for the 60th: Barb Korchinski, who held the broom; Janet East, who threw the first rock; and the duo of Tawney Eastman and Michelle Sicotte, who swept. With that, the bonspiel was underway and draws took place at two- and three-quarter hour intervals until 1 a.m., then resumed early the following morning. Evenly spaced draws took place throughout Saturday until just prior to the supper, when a draw to the button contest took place. This event, sponsored by Flin Flon's Northland Ford, saw each team pick a person to throw a rock and a person to sweep. Those individuals were then registered with Northland's Nikki McConnell and Doug Gourlay. All those entered then threw their rocks in turn. Anything that passed the far hogline was measured and, once the house was cleared and the tapeline retracted, the tandem of thrower Jamie Gogal and sweeper Elysia Henderson won $500 for their team! Following this contest, the banquet took place. The supper was catered by the Legion Ladies Auxiliary and, as is always the case, was first-rate. Bling As the theme of the 60th spiel was 'Bling', this was also the time for participants to show off their jewels. Costumes were paraded and the odd off-colour joke was told prior to curling resuming with the 8 p.m. draw. Some folks went back to the rink to curl, while most stayed at the Lawrie Marsh Hall for a firefighter-sponsored social. Draws once again went till the wee hours of the morning. Continuing the following day, the field was eventually narrowed to the two teams vying for the hardware in each event. Sunday's finals featured Lorna Rice's Flin Flon foursome of third Debbie McCombie, second Denise Davie and lead Brenda MacGowan besting Snow Lake's Judy Peterson rink of third Sandy Reeves, second Donalda Gale and lead Sherry Playford in the Hudbay First Event. In the Steelworkers Second Event, it was Bev Lantz's Flin Flon group of third Sharon Beck, second Michelle Simpson and lead Liz Gulliford who won over Snow Lake's Maureen Macleod rink of third Joanne Schuman, second Mae deGraff and lead Tanis Grandmont. In the Cornerview Third Event, Susan Brew's rink of third Georgette Sicotte, second Gail Eastman and lead Shelly Chrapun beat Flin Flon's Wanda Rogers foursome of third Lois Moberly, second Bonnie Wesner and lead Loraine Poirier. Other winners during the weekend were: Big End (in town) - Kelly Wiwcharuk rink - six-ender Big End (out-of-town) - Flin Flon's Bev Lantz rink - six-ender First Out (in town) - Ricki Henderson rink First Out (out-of-town) - Grandview's McDonald rink 50/50 Friday winner - Suzanne Kluke ($385) 50/50 Sunday winner - Anita Melnick ($362) Betty Stoupe from Blackfalds, Alberta, won an Asham curling sweater for being the person who turned 60 closest to the date of the 60th bonspiel. My Take on Snow Lake runs Fridays.
