Got stones, got ice, let’s curl
In Souris, if the CBC got their facts right (it does happen, from time to time), the lost stones have been found. Cached, if you will, under the stands at the local arena. No diamonds in the rough here, we’re talking granite. Meant to last for a long time. Stones with handles, no less.
Back when I started university, there was a real curling rink in downtown Souris. Up the hill, going east, tucked in behind the dairy. I remember going there for a dance. You see, in the second decade of life, curling doesn’t hold interest the way a dance with a live band and a whole room full of new girls can. But that’s beside the point. There was a rink, and then by the time I had any interest in which way the stones curled, the rink had given way to other uses. Like so many other things, the natural attractions in a town are sometimes mislaid.
But we live in a multitasking, multipurpose, Swiss army knife kind of world. Someone, on a trip over to “the other side”, noted that far thinking communities have learned to let the pucks and the rocks co-reside, even if the two sports have different techniques. Who hasn’t played ball hockey with a broom, right?
If the plan works out, by next fall the rink in Souris will sport several more circles on the ice surface. And, when the kids on skates have gone off to places like school, the curlers can sally forth to hurry hard. I doubt that the hacks will be deep, but the stones have been found and the plan could spell a rebirth of curling up East. Just in time for me, since I no longer play ball hockey.
Here’s a resource document for other towns that would like to try the multitask approach to winter sports.
