In 1876 Queen Victoria banned curling from the royal Estates, for she was afraid it tended to encourage a love of malt likker.
Quebec “iron play” was given its start by Scotch Highlanders, brought to Canada for Indian fighting. They used iron artillery wheels hubs in the absence of stones (There is no evidence that they melted down cannon balls as some would have you believe).
In February of 1945 one of the Detroit rinks composed of Dr. Stanley MacKensie, Ward Peck, A.J. Dalton and Fred Ferrari journeyed east playing games in Quebec, New Brunswick and Prince Edward Island. Somewhere in their travels they picked up the name of the Polecats. (Now we have the answer to a question posed in a previous article – click here.
The first of many articles by Angus MacTavish in the National Curling News (original name of the North American Curling News) appeared in Vol. 1 No. 6 dated March 15, 1945. It read: “Angus McTavish”, editor of the Detroit Curling Club’s official publication, in urging that all curlers take full advantage of the remaining weeks of the curling season, suggest that “the healthful exercise gained from curling will put you in good shape for an early start on your Victory Garden, and a bigger and better garden this year should be on everyone’s Must Have list”.
