Curling Through the days at the North Bay Granite Club

Nugget Column #05 – Tuesday October 20th, 2015

North Bay curlers are packing the ice seven days a week at the Granite Club and here’s how:

Sundays – a most perfect day to refine your curling skills for the coming week’s games. There’s always open ice between 4pm – 6pm that can be utilized on a first come, first serve basis; and members may inquire about availability earlier in the day too.

Our Sundays feature a Little Rock program from 4pm – 5pm for youth in grades 1-5 who are not yet ready to throw a full sized-stone. This program utilizes smaller stones and only half the length of a regular sheet while developing skills required to slide, deliver a rock, sweep, and comprehend fundamental strategies.

If you’re at the club on a Sunday you’ll also notice the local Special Olympics curling teams practicing from 4pm – 6pm.

Monday – while the working folk are singing the Monday blues, the senior men are fetching a wholesome breakfast from our kitchen, which is operated by the Cornerstone Café, followed by their first curling game of the week.

After school our Timbit Curlers in grades 4 – 8 play with regulation-sized rocks on a full sheet. This program is entirely volunteer run and offers a mixture of instruction and gameplay.

At night, the ladies come out to play. They mix up teams every six weeks as to socialize all the curlers, and win or lose, there’s always a glass of Cabernet Sauvignon to follow.

Tuesday – rise and shine with the Day Ladies. Whether you’re retired or have a flexible schedule, this group of gals provide a fun-focused atmosphere that promotes physical and social activity on a twice-weekly basis.

In the afternoon, High School students swarm the club in an effort to form, select and train their representing curling teams for NDA, NOSSA, and OFSAA competitions.

The nighttime brings all molds of curlers together for the Evening Open league in which a team may be built with any combination of male or female player at any age or skill level.

Wednesday – starts off where Tuesday left off, with an Open League for all curlers to enjoy. That followed by another senior men’s draw before Timbits return after school and competitive curlers take to the ice in the evening. The Scott Patterson Memorial “Cash League” features the club’s top notch teams.

Thursday – the day ladies are back for their second gathering of the week. Whereas competition on Tuesday mornings is in pursuit of the Nipissing Winery Trophy, Thursday curlers are in a race to capture the Burrows Garden Centre Trophy.

After school the Granite Club is trialing a new junior league for youth in grades 7 – 12. Teams may consist of boys or girls hailing from any school in the area however High School teams aspiring to challenge for this season’s NDA title would greatly benefit from this opportunity for extra gameplay with their peers.

Thursday nights are for beginners with the first six weeks of the season consisting of instruction and scrimmaging and the rest of the year headlining our famous Rookie League.

Friday – the senior men return for the final leg of their week, and this time it’s serious. The Salt and Pepper league is a more competitive, fixed-rink option for this group of curlers.

Friday nights are a time to let loose with the Mixed League. Many couples enjoy this social league paired with dinners, drinks, music and laughter.

Saturday – the mornings belong to the Industrial League while the afternoons and evenings are often rented for corporate functions and bonspiels.

Where will you fit curling into your week?

Bobby Ray General Manager North Bay Granite Club