About Us

President's Message

June 22, 2011

On June 1, 2011, we began a new era in the life of all who love the sport of curling...the beginning of the King Curling Club 2011-2012 curling season.

The memories held by those who founded, and continued, the sport in the Nobleton and Schomberg Curling Clubs are complete.  We now have the opportunity to create many more memories in our new King Curling Club.

The excitement and anticipation is everywhere, as people talk of our new season. During the week of October 10, we will play our first games in our long-awaited new curling club. With a wide variety of times and leagues, it becomes more a question of when and in what leagues should I curl, rather than a question of will I curl. We can all look forward to new challenges and new friendships, all on official curling ice and in a new lounge.

We have now been working towards this new King Curling Club for well over four years. The hard work and dedication of some of your colleagues is to be commended.  During that time, much has been accomplished.  A small group of your curling friends, with no budget, started with the simple hope of a dedicated curling facility attached to one of our rinks, a hope which resulted in a magnificent facility, far exceeding our dreams. 

Fund raising initiatives, like the very successful King Country Harvest Hoedown which generated $16,000 for the facility and the sales of a calendar depicting the history of both the Nobleton and Schomberg Curling Clubs,, have helped us to cover our costs, which included joining the OCA as an official Curling Club.  This has provided us the opportunity to host the Zone 9 Play-Downs, running from December 16th through to the 18th, for both the Tankard and Scotties Zone 9 competing teams. 

Successful promotion and marketing through posters, newspaper advertising, participation in local events and an amazing website have created a noticeable ‘buzz’, not only in the King Township Community, but also in neighbouring municipalities and throughout the provincial curling community.  League Conveners have created a schedule to meet a wide variety of curling needs, from once a week to 3 or 4 times a week during either the day or evening; and registrations continue to come in on a daily basis.  We are looking forward with great anticipation to our Grand Opening in October, featuring Glenn Howard as our special guest, and a full programme in the planning by our dedicated Committee.  The excitement continues!

I encourage you to come out and join, if you haven't already sent in your registration. Participate in any events you can, and bring a friend or two along for the ride with you.  There is something for everyone, and the club will be humming with activity throughout the season.  The Board and its related committees have put in countless hours, generously and happily donated to you, the curlers of the King Curling Club, with best wishes for GOOD CURLING!.

The time has passed like a whirlwind, and we shall very soon be sweeping in a brand new era of our continuous curling journey.  On behalf of all members of the Board and its Committees, I extend a most sincere welcome to everyone, and look forward to joining you on the ice in October.

Good Curling!

Doug Groombridge
President
King Curling Club

Brief History of Curling in King Township

For over 50 years, curlers of King Township have been meeting once a week in either Nobleton or Schomberg Arenas to curl on hockey ice.

Curling on hockey ice is one of thhe most masterful divisions of this winter sport. The arena employees do their best, with what tools they possess, to prepare the hockey ice for this once-a-week event. We curlers offer them our heartfelt thanks; but, no matter what they do, you can't change the fact that that this is hockey ice, hockey ice that is cleaned by a zamboni.

The resulting ice provides an enjoyable night filled with new challenges and creative skipping each week. Some weeks, a skip may have to stand on sheet four to skip rocks for sheet five. Other times, the rocks will not curl as they move complacently down a zamboni line, one after another, for the duration of the entire game. Throwing a rock from the hack is also a challenging task, as the house is not clearly visible from the opposite end of the ice. Faintly painted under the crease, zone and multiple other lines used for hockey are the curlng sheets. The muscles of the arena curler are much more developed, as take out weight on curling ice is only draw weight on hockey ice. There are many more exciting factors of Hockey Arena Curling, too many to list here.

The curlers of King Township have thoroughly enjoyed the relaxed atmosphere and moments of frustration of curling on hockey ice, but have decided on a change. The Township, with help from grants provided by the Federal and Provincal Governments, is building a new Township of King Recreation Facility, consisting of a Fitness Centre, the new Schomberg Arena and best of all, a new four sheet Curling Centre. Completion of the facility is scheduled for March 2011 and it is expected that Schomberg and Nobleton curles will be saying goodbye to their respective arenas after the 2010-2011 curling season and hello to a new home for the 2011-2012 curling season.

A Look at the Present and into the Future for Curling in King Township

In 2007, a small group of dedicated curlers met to discuss the possibility of a curling facility in the Township.  Initial discussions revolved around process. The first step was to create a working committee.  Moving forward, it was decided that a formal presentation to Council was necessary.

During the months following our first meeting, sub-committees gathered information, for the report to Council, which included:  a needs assessment, financials, estimated operating costs, site considerations, sources of funding, membership, etc.  In October of 2008, the 62-page document was formally presented to Council, which referred it to Staff for feedback. 

Township Staff responded in 2009 with plans for a multi-use recreation facility to include a fitness centre, hockey/skating ice pad, and 4-sheet curling facility.  An Emergency Medical Station would also be included in the site plan.  Land, a site on the east side of Highway 27 in the industrial area of Schomberg, was secured from York Region.  Both the federal and provincial governments supported the initiative with a combined total of $9.44M.  The balance would be raised through the municipality and the community.

A central fund raising committee, with representatives of the community user groups, was formed.  Each of the five groups would hold a major event, with proceeds going to the facility.  The Township organized its own fundraising programmes, which included the sale of bricks and naming rights for various areas of the building..

Ground was broken on the site in March of 2010, with completion of the facility scheduled for April of 2011.  The board of the King Curling Club continued its with its efforts in fund raising, promotion of the new curling facility through a website, working with the Township on details dealing with equipment and operations, and creating the policies and procedures for membership, leagues, etc.

With the dedicated commitment of members of the Nobleton and Schomberg Curling Clubs, community associations and organizations, local businesses and residents, all levels of government, and curling associations, a vision is becoming a reality.

We look forward to the official opening of the new King Curling Club, with our first curling season beginning in October of 2011.

Good Curling!

New Board of Directors

In anticipation of the completion of a new curling facility for King Township, the Nobleton and Schomberg Curling Clubs are in the process of forming a new curling club, with members of the Board of Directors coming from both clubs.

Since early 2009, the Board has been meeting regularly to ensure the new club is well prepared for its inaugural year. Papers of incorporation have been filed and the Board members are working hard putting plans in place to make the merge to the King Curling Club seamless.

At the first Annual General Meeting of the King Curling Club held on Wednesday June 22, 2011 a new board was elected for the 2011-2012 curling season. Many thanks go to the outgoing Board of Directors who were instrumental in creating the new club and getting a dedicated curling facility for King Township. The members of the 2011-2012 Board of Directors for the King Curling Club are as follows:

Feel free to contact any one of the Board members with your questions, or send your questions to info@kingcurling.com

Registration

Interested in Curling?

If you are interested in becoming a member of the King Curling Club, Click Here to go to the Registration page on this web site for more information or email us at registration@kingcurling.com with your questions.