ASSINIBOIA — Since I started to dive into Assiniboia’s 90-year curling history, one thing that stood out as a prominent reason curling continues to be a strong part of the community’s culture is the people who served as key contributors.
Cy Walters was dedicated to curling. So much so that he not only played a role in leadership in Assiniboia’s club but also the Saskatchewan Curling Association as well as the Canadian Curling Association.
Bill Batty’s name has come up often. His passion for the sport of curling transitioned into his dedication to keep Assiniboia’s curling facilities viable and updated into the Prince of Wales Centre that holds the curling arena.
Passion and pride and the love of curling was never more evident in the memorable, big personality of Bobby Corman. He made his mark not only in the home club but across the province and the country.
The Bob Ellert rink captured the Saskatchewan championship and went on to the 1981 Canadian Curling Championship, known as the Brier, playing as Team Saskatchewan. The Assiniboia foursome won their way to the Brier semifinal in 1981, gluing everyone to the CBC channel that showed this game, and also generated curling camaraderie and hometown pride while inspiring dozens of new curlers in the next generation.
It is no secret that milestone anniversaries like this do not happen without the driving force behind the place they support, and that is the people who dedicated many hours, days, weeks, months and years to ensuring Assiniboia had a strong curling club. As these people knew, long-standing community sports programs were also beneficial to their town as events and activities held there resulted in economic spinoffs that created a full circle of benefits.
This has been proven time and time again with the Assiniboia Curling Club committee playing host to several big-ticket events over the years. Fittingly, Assiniboia will play host to their biggest curling event yet as they have been awarded the Canadian Curling Mixed Curling Championships.
Why fill the paper with curling stories? Well, as you read these stories, you will recall or learn that these people behind the scenes, in their efforts, helped showcase the community to the province and the country. Their tireless efforts built not just a seasonal sports venue or program but a curling culture that was felt all year long. A recreation venue to be proud of and utilized both in and off season. This 90-year history didn’t just happen, it was built, maintained and evolved decade after decade.
Assiniboia isn’t just a small town in southern Saskatchewan, it is a well-known curling community because of all these people and all these reasons. It continues to flourish for the same reasons.
Watch for these stories as I connect with the families who can help us tell their tales.
