Doors to close at one hundred year-old curling club in Howick

Founded in 1907, the Howick Curling Club will melt the ice for the last time this coming spring. The sharp decline in memberships means an end to its activities. "There are only two members from Howick, the rest are former members of the club Beauchâteau which closed in 2006," explained Bernard Daigneault. "Ten years ago, we had around 120 members, but membership has been dropping continuously. We can't survive with 40 members." Furthermore, the volunteer treasurer who also manages the bar, rentals and makes the ice explained that most of the players are seniors. No one is taking over. The Howick Club is rich in history. Foursomes from the area qualified for the biggest tournaments in Canada. The Ness family, leading with W.T. Ness in 1964, Brian Ness in 1981 and Dale on four occasions, all pushed stones at the famous Brier. "There's a lot of history," explained Daigneault. "It was part of life in Howick. People met there. Its roots are in Anglophone culture; the first Francophone president, Marcel Lemieux, was elected in 1980." Members are trying to find a buyer for the land. The building, which was constructed without a foundation, is showing the weight of age. Money from the sale will be distributed among various community organizations. (Translated by Cathleen Johnston) [caption id="attachment_42781" align="alignnone" width="505"] The Howick team won the Governor General Lord Athlone Tournament in Ottawa in 1946. The team was comprised of Bruce Ness, Dr. Wilfred Watson, T.T. Gebbie, Fred Allen, Earle Ness, Russell Stewart, Sid Stewart, Cecil Younie and Donald Ness.[/caption]