A Record Breaking Bonspiel In Vermilion

Curling has always been a pretty big deal in Vermilion, but in January 1953 it reached epic proportions. At the beginning of the month, a bonspiel was held that included 47 rinks from across central Alberta.

This was a record for a bonspiel in Alberta to that point, and it meant some extra work had to be done to make sure everything went off without a hitch.

The bonspiel had begun four years earlier with 15 rinks. That continued to increase and by 1952 there were 28 rinks taking part. The huge increase in the number of rinks into 1953 was chalked up to the rapid rise in the popularity of curling in Canada.

To complete the bonspiel in two days, several opening games had to be played at rinks outside of Vermilion in Buffalo Coulee and Mannville. One rink couldn’t make it, but even with 46 rinks, it was an effort to get every game completed in only two days.

George Webb and Aldous Ken were the two men in charge of the bonspiel, with the help of Lorne Peckett.

In the final games, it was standing room only in the Vermilion rink as people crowded in to watch the championship. The Charlie Meece rink from Mannville, skipped by Jack Park, was able to roar through the bonspiel without a single defeat. They reached the final and took on the Cleland Rink out of Buffalo Coulee. They were able to defeat them to take the Grand Challenge Trophy. Along with the trophy, each of the players with the Charlie Meece Rink were given 11-pound hams.

The prices were presented by George Webb in the waiting room of the rink due to how crowded everything was.

Several curlers voiced their appreciation for how well the bonspiel went and all the hard work involved by every volunteer at the event. In Vermilion that year, the bonspiel was considered one of the highlights of the winter season.

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