The Detroit Curling Club has had a long and proud association
with the Ontario Curling Association.
Three of the Club’s members have been past-presidents and at least two
DCC members were designated Life Members of the OCA. That is common knowledge to our American and
Canadian friends. But, they probably do
not realize that the DCC played a role in the creation of the Canadian curling
championship. It dates to 1925 when the
MacDonald Brier Tankard was offered as an extra event to the annual Winnipeg
bonspiel. The company offered to present
a trophy and a prize which would include a trip to Toronto, Montreal and other
eastern points for the winning rink with the object of fostering the granite
game and inducing more frequent curling visits between eastern and western
Canada.
The winning rink that first year arrived in Montreal on
February 23, 1925. They headed to
Quebec, Ottawa and Toronto. According to
the report, the weather turned mild and ice conditions were poor. The report stated: “The ice for the Toronto
games was in very poor shape for curling owing to the mild weather, but play
took place at the Granite Club in the afternoon and evening.” The Toronto organizers had planned on four
days of curling between Winnipeg, Toronto, and Hamilton rinks, but owing to
soft ice it was decided to pay Detroit a visit.
The Detroit club was one of the few curling clubs which enjoyed
artificial (compressor made) ice. The
DCC extended a hearty invitation.
Arriving in Detroit, the champions received a very
enthusiastic greeting. The visiting
teams found the local hosts on hand early at the new Book-Cadillac Hotel to
welcome them. DCC President Richard
Watson and J.M. Kerr gave the boys a ride all over the big city, which included
a visit to Belle Isle and the Ford Motor Works.
Lunch and dinner were served at the clubhouse where the Detroiters have
a splendid ice-making plant which was installed in 1924 at a cost of
$28,000. The DCC members enjoyed curling
from December 1, 1924 until April 1, 1925.
The club reported much added interest in the game, especially compared
with the increased number of playing days possible after the artificial ice
plant was installed.
Afternoon and evening games were played by the Winnipeg
champions. The first was a win for the
Detroit’s Ontario Tankard rink, composed of F.W. Kerr, R. Kerr, J.M. Kerr and
Ben Guiney as skip. The evening game
resulted in a victory for the Winnipeg team.
The MacDonald Brier Trophy winners the following year (1926) were
the last of the Manitoba champions to travel East before play for the MacDonald
Brier Tankard became the Canadian men’s championship. The Detroit Curling Club was visited again this
year. The 1926 Brier Tankard champs
spent 24 hours in Detroit: curling, sightseeing and experiencing general
enjoyment.
The 1st MacDonald Brier Tankard as the Canadian
men’s national championship, was held March 1-3, 1927 at the Granite Club in
Toronto.
So, now you know the rest of the story…The Detroit Curling
Club, the only USA curling club, hosted a portion of The MacDonald Brier “Minus 2” and “Minus 1”.
I’m fair puckled! Angus MacTavish
