Club History

Interest in curling was first aroused in Alberton by W.P. Keenan, a businessman who came here from Fredericton, N.B. An enthusiastic curler, Mr. Keenan brought his set of stones with him and through conversation he awakened in a number of Alberton men a desire to try "the roarin' game."

Being aware that the Fredericton Club was investing in new stones, Mr. Keenan arranged for the old ones to be purchased and shipped to Alberton. Arrangements were made to use the old skating rink on Dufferin Street. A dozen or more men were around to watch while Mr. Kennan and Warren Lord of Charlottetown, another experienced curler, directed marking the ice for the first game.

When Vernon England and Harvey Hutt

built a new skating rink on Church Street in 1937 there was attached to it a lean-to with one sheet of ice for curling. Ten years later, on an adjoining lot, Mr. England built a curling rink with two sheets of ice. This was used until the present curling rink on Main Street was built in 1953.

The Alberton Curling Club was organized in December 1937. Officers elected were James H. Myrick, president; J. Willard Waugh, vice-president; Arthur D. Seaman, secretary-treasurer. The Games Committee was comprised of Rev. W.J. Phillips, Rev. M.K. Charman and W. Alfred Gordon and the Entertainment Committee members were W.C. Leavitt, H.D. Corbett and John C. Matthews. W.C. Lawson was appointed auditor. The Club membership fee was set at $5.00 and it was decided to accept Vernon England's offer to rent them his rink for the coming season for $150. At this first meeting it was also decided to apply for membership in the Provincial Curling Association.

No list of charter members is available but it is believed that in addition to those already mentioned early members included A.G. Parks, Willard Oulton, C.R. Profit, Herbert Clark, Heber Hardy, Robert Dunn, V.L. Curry and Dr. A.L. Purdy.

Warren Lord, then representative of a well known milling company, encouraged the new Curling Club by donating a cup for competition. In addition to holding the cup for a season, members of the winning team each received a 24-lb. bag of Regal flour.

Ladies were first permitted to join the Curling Club in January 1944 and two nights a week were set aside for them to curl. Their membership fee was $2.00.

During the winter of 1947 a rink skipped by Ernest Hardy won the Prince Edward Island Junior Curling Championship. Other members of this rink were Edward Clow, mate; Erskine Campbell, second stone; Heber Ramsay, first stone. Vernon England's new rink was ready for the 1947-48 season and at the annual meeting in December members of the Curling Club expressed their genuine satisfaction with it. By this time the Club had thirty-eight members and the fee was $10.00. Annual rental for the new rink was $600.

In 1948 the Regal Cup won by Ernest Hardy's rink the previous year was successfully defended by another Alberton rink comprised of J.C. Profit, skip; Edward Millman, mate; Fred Millman, second stone; Eric Corbett, first stone.

In mid-March 1952 there was a special meeting of the Curling Club to discuss construction of a new rink. A committee comprised of President Herbert S. Matthews, John C. Matthews, Arthur Wilkie, Erskine Campbell and R.D. MacDonald was appointed to look for a location and to study means of financing the proposed rink. At another meeting two weeks later two of these men were appointed to solicit members and non-members re the purchasing of shares. Shares were to be $10 each.

Within a week they had lined up purchasers for two hundred and sixty-three shares. Before accepting payment for shares it was deemed wise to consult a lawyer concerning incorporation of the Club, and J.C. Matthews agreed to do this. At this April meeting the members passed a motion to proceed with the erection of a rink and club room as soon as possible.

By the end of August arrangements had been made to purchase land from Carl H. Weeks and a Building Committee comprised of John C. Matthews, Heber Ramsay, J.H. Myrick, Herbert Matthews, Hunter Weeks, Cedric Hunter and Arthur Wilkie was appointed.

At the annual meeting that fall membership dues were increased to $20 for old members and $15 for new ones.

By the end of January 1953, curling was under way in the new rink. There were two sheets of ice and on the main f

loor were a club room and canteen. The upstairs banquet room was not finished until a year later. The curling rink was built by Hunter Weeks assisted by Edward Millman, James Lewis and Erskine Millman. Electrical work was by Norman Hardy, plumbing by A.J. Bernard and painting by James Broderick and John Connolly. For the first two years heat was piped from the nearby West Prince Dry Cleaning plant.

There were years when mild weather hindered ice making and the curling season was frequently late in starting. This difficulty was overcome when an artificial ice plant was installed in the winter 1955-56.

Representatives of all Island Curling Clubs were present for the official opening on March 14, 1956. Immediately after a colorful parade of curlers around the double ice surface, led by Burke's Lads and Lassies Pipe band, Dr. H.E. Clark of Summerside, president of the Prince Edward Island Curling Association, took the position of skip. J.H. Myrick, first president of the Alberton Club, threw the first stone which was swept into the circle by Herbert Matthews and John C. Matthews, immediate past presidents of the Club. On behalf of the Provincial Association Dr. Clark then declared the rink officially open. During a late afternoon banquet, Mayor Hilton E. Barbour, then president of the Alberton Club, welcomed the guests, and speakers from each of the visiting clubs extended congratulations.

In 1973 a team from the Alberton Club won the Senior Ladies' Provincial Championship. Its members, Mrs. Ruby Bryan of Cascumpec, lead; Mrs. Alice Seaman of O'Leary, second; Mrs. Jean Campbell of Alberton, mate; and Mrs. Lou Turner of O'Leary, skip, then went to Ottawa where they participated in the first Canadian Senior Ladies' Curling Championships.

Tribute was paid to the memory of W.P. Keenan, founder of curling in Alberton when in 1970, his daughter, Mrs. W.A. Gordon, donated "The W.P. Keenan Memorial Trophy." This beautiful trophy, made by Leavitt's Maple Tree Craft, was formally presented by Mrs. Gordon's daughter, Mrs. Bud Whitlock. In receiving the trophy the Club president, Arthur Wilkie, briefly reviewed the history of the Club and made reference to the great interest in the game that had been aroused through the years. In conclusion he said,

Since the book was published in 1980, there have been a number of changes to Alberton's curling club, including a name change.

In 1990 the rink underwent major reconstruction and expanded from two to three ice sheets. There was general remodelling of the club and the kitchen facilities were expanded.

However, in 1996 debt load and rising costs led to serious financial difficulties and the club was closed on March 1 of that year but determined members found the will and the funds to re-open it in September. There was major restructuring, refinancing, a new board and a new name. The Alberton Curling Club became the Western Community Curling Club.

From that point on, the club has moved steadily forward. In 2001 a new ice-making plant was installed. The old diesel generation system was replaced with an electrical plant.

In 2006-07 there were major renovations to the club. A new roof was installed and additional insulation added to the ceiling area above the ice surface. The kitchen was further expanded and new flooring was installed throughout.