The New Caledonia Curling Club

I was expecting something different from these curling clubs in Nova Scotia. My only previous Candain curling club experience was at the Richmond Curling Club. It's a nice club in a newish building, big with 8 sheets or so and hundreds of members (if I recall right). These NS clubs are a bit of a different animal. 

The New Caledonian Curling Club, in Pictou County, Nova Scotia, got its charter in 1850 and they started curling in 1852. That makes it the third oldest curling club in Canada. Think about that for a second; in the most prolific curling nation on the planet, only two clubs pre exist this one. That's kind of awesome to me. 

The current building has existed since 1903.  The trusses that support the roof are made from carved tree trunk roots. It's a second hand barn, converted into an "ice shed".  It didn't take long to fully comprehend what that means. Cold does not describe it, at all. The only other time I've felt that kind of cold was when I was inside a glacier in Zermatt, Switzerland. Inside. It just sucks the cold out of you. And this is a mild winter up here. 

Being as old as it is leads to some oddities and fluctuations with the ice. The ice is very reactive to the outside weather...because you are basically still outside. The girls were warned multiple times how the ice would be different due to the weather just before game time. 

Everything else about the club is warm through and through. Everything, especially the people. We could not have asked for a better host club.  Scott was our very, very gracious host who opened the club early for us to practice on Friday. He helped us practice too, holding the broom so we could all throw. He chatted with us about the ice and the history of the club.  He alwayed checked in to make sure we were ok and that we were having fun. Steve, a reporter from the local paper was also super kind. He even gave me this sweet official Pictou County Tartan scarf. So awesome. 

From the bottom of all of our Californian hearts, Thank You!

We spent the most time at NCCC, starting with practice early Friday, then playing 3 of the 6 games there (and going undefeated to boot). We've all come to think it as our home club in Canada, or at least I have. And I didn't really even play there. With all those hours at the club it's only natural to feel a bit of kinship there and not at the other clubs. Bluenose and Westville both looked like wonderful clubs with warm people as well but they don't stick in my heart like Pictou does. 

I was disheartened to hear that Pictou is struggling a bit to stay open. With 4 clubs in Pictou County, all within 30 minutes of each other, there isn't enough of a population to really support that many facilities. NCCC only has about 60 members and a small, dedicated, core group of volunteers keeping it going. That sounds a lot like my home club, Hollywood Curling. 

Maybe that's part of why I feel connected to this club too. It reminds me of where I started curling. And despite all their challenges here they find away to keep going, year after year. The Richmond Club was also struggling out west with declining membership and revenue dwindling each year. That's the real sad part I guess: that even in Canada, the sport I love is hurting when it shouldn't be. 

Out in the harbor, directly across from the club is the Ship Hector (or, well a reconstruction efforts of it), the namesake for the spiel we can her to play. It looks to be a grand old ship. A good sentinel guarding. It's very appropriate for it be right outside when NCCC is the host for the Ship Hector spiel. 

"Ciad Mile Failte" is galic for "A hundred thousand greetings". It is the perfect motto for The New Caledonian Curling Club and for Pictou County and its people. It's also great for curling in general.