The Orillia Curling Club celebrated its 150th anniversary Saturday at the Barnfield Point Recreation Centre.
The club began in 1873 on the ice of Lake Couchiching, explains president Don Kinzinger.
"After a few years, some of the residents got together to build a proper facility," he said. "That's how it started."
Kinzinger, who has been involved with the club for eight years, says it's been a joy to watch the sport grow over the years.
"We've gone through numerous clubs and facilities," he said. "We've had some really great support from the community, and that's ongoing."
After the COVID-19 pandemic, the club began to see a decline in membership.
"It's changed across the country in medium-sized towns," Kinzinger said. "Life gets busy and people have other things to do. It's becoming harder and harder to bring young families out to curling."
He says the Orillia Recreation Centre, hockey, and other sports hobbies are drawing people away from the club. Today, it has about 340 members.
"It's probably one of our lowest-attended seasons. We used to be 500 to 600 members strong," Kinzinger said.
He fears the club may not last another 150 years without more youth getting involved with the sport.
Curling provides a sense of camaraderie among members that other sports can't provide, he says, which is why he is hopeful the sport will regain its popularity.
"There are friendships and relationships that develop through the sport," he said. "It's a very social sport."
Wes Brennan, who has been with the club for more than 25 years, says it is full of "good people."
"We are all here just to have fun. Winning is secondary. It's just great," he said.
Brennan says curling keeps him going both mentally and physically.
"After a day of work, I come to the rink to forget about the stress of the day," he said. "It just gets me out to have fun, and everybody looks forward to the social time after."
Brennan says it's never too late to pick up the sport for the first time.
"Being athletic really helps," he said. "It can take its toll on the body, especially if you are curling three or four times a week."
Jane Langman, who has also been with the club for more than 25 years, hopes to see new members join next season.
"It's always been a good club," she said. "There is a great fellowship, and people don't realize how much fun it is."
She says curling can help shake off the winter blues.
"It gives you a purpose," she said. "It's a great exercise and keeps you active."
She is proud of the local club and how it has evolved over the years.
"It all started with the old corn brooms," she said. "Now we have one of the nicest rinks around and the ice is superb. We are very lucky in Orillia."
While the 2023-24 curling season came to an end Saturday, a new season will begin in October. Registration information can be found here.
