Fort William Curling Club:
A Proud Curling Heritage
By Rob Neff
In Thunder Bay, where winters run cold and deep, passion for curling has warmed
people’s hearts for a very long time. Thunder Bay is a vibrant city of 110,000 people
nestled on the spectacular shore of Lake Superior, surrounded by Canada’s vast
boreal forest. The city was born on January 1, 1970 following amalgamation of the
sister cities of Fort William and Port Arthur. Visitors marvel at Thunder Bay’s
striking landmark, the monolithic Sleeping Giant, whose sheer 400-foot cliffs tower
majestically across the bay. Fort William Historical Park, the meticulously
replicated Northwest Company fur trading post attracts visitors from around the
world. Over the years, the city has become renowned for its hospitality and the
quality of the events staged here.
Curling has been part of our recreational landscape since the 19th century, when the
descendants of Scottish settlers played on the natural ice of the frozen Kaministiquia
River, until icebreakers spoiled the fun in early spring. The fresh air was no doubt
bracing, but a brisk north wind and temperatures in the minus 30s can disenchant
even the hardy Scots!
By the 1890’s, plans were afoot to create a curling club with a covered facility. The
Fort William Curling Club was officially born on January 21, 1893 with 43 original
members. Donald McKellar, brother of the city’s first mayor, was the founding
president. The club’s various facilities over the years were located on land
generously donated by the McKellar family. At first, community leaders operated the
club and comprised most of its membership. In those early days, teams rode the
rails to bonspiels as far away as Winnipeg, Manitoba and Duluth, Minnesota.
In 1951, the club moved into its present facility as part of the Fort William Gardens
arena complex. Throughout its history, the FWCC has been a focus for the city’s
recreational life, providing the fun of sport and good fellowship to thousands of
people. It’s also earned a reputation as a club of champions. The FWCC has
produced world championship teams skipped by Al Hackner, Rick Lang and Heather
Houston, Brier champ Bill Tetley, four-time Ontario Scotties Women’s champion
Krista McCarville, and the Dylan Johnson rink, runner-up at the 2009 Canadian
Junior Men’s Curling Championships. As well, countless teams have competed at
Canadian Senior, Junior and Mixed Championships, contributing to the club’s proud
legacy.
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