Curling rocks were thrown for the first time in Powell River at Willingdon Arena shortly after it opened in 1955. Three years earlier, Powell River curling and skating clubs discused a joint venture and sold debentures.
The facility was home to all things played on ice, include minor and senior hockey. When Powell River Company was sold, distribution of funds to bond holders was on the curling club’s agenda June 6, 1963.
There was a brief hiccup in the club’s existence before Beach Gardens Resort and Marina expanded its plans to include a summer skating school and curling facility.
“It was magnificent,” recalled Don Keizer, “and they went to great expense to make it beautiful. It had at least two-inch thick white carpet in the lounge area,” but it didn’t stay white for long, as he reported, “I curled the last game in there before it burned down.”
Contractor and curler Chris Kern wasn’t as enamoured saying the construction was “shoddy” and “the ice was bad with the two outside sheets unplayable.”
The new building was only seven months old when it burned to the ground in the early morning hours of January 1968.
The fire-shortened season became a long, nine-year drought for curlers until a couple of people over a cup of coffee grew to a group and then blossomed into a force.
“Ivan Plante and I got together to talk about what we could do to get curling going again,” recalled Keizer. “I called a meeting with some of the curlers I knew, like Chris Kern and Lyn Rutledge, which turned out to be very good, so we had another one and it turned out even better.”
It’s not just numbers, but the who’s who with connections. Of significant importance was the presence of curler Bill Karjala, who was maintenance supervisor of the mill and had been involved with three other curling rinks in the province.
He was one of 15 or 20 at that meeting, but the project really took off when a third meeting at a bigger venue attracted close to 100 curlers looking to help.
An executive was formed with Keizer at the helm and after consideration of three options: move back to the arena, build on the existing pad at Beach Gardens or look for an alternative site, a bold decision was made.
In Cranberry, Oddfellows Hall Association had sold all of its roller skating equipment for $400 to the arena and its building on Crown Avenue was for sale. It was purchased by the curling club for $25,000 and modified to meet its needs.
Keizer steered the ship but his volunteers, notably Karjala, Jack Monteith, Axel Nord and Kern, were the wind in his sails.
“All I had to do was make a phone call,” said Keizer of Karjala’s ties with MacMillan Bloedel, which owned the mill at the time.
“‘Bill, I need this, I need that,’ whether it was electricians, plumbers, he just told them get up to the curling club and they were there,” said Keizer.
Volunteer labour was coveted but bills still had to be paid, and for this MacMillan Bloedel lent the curling Cclub $50,000 at the going prime rate of eight per cent. The company agreed to lower it to five percent upon completion of the project.
Five years after the first curling rock was thrown at the renovated facility, the club received a very pleasant surprise.
On October 14, 1977, Karjala asked for the verbal promise from his employer and received forgiveness of the loan.
The Crown Avenue location was built to last and, despite the financial struggles that come with the territory, curling successes continue to mount on the trophy wall.
From high school to world champions, Powell River curlers have stood on every podium, but more importantly it’s a longstanding club with a purpose.
Current club manager Roger Pagani is a prime example of what curling represents in his community.
“My father Louie curled and I started in high school in 1977 with the boys’ team,” said Pagani. “My son Cleaven curled in high school and the juvenile provincial championship level, and my daughter Chayla was in juvenile as well, then high school and provincials. Now my grandchild who is six has already started on kid’s rocks.”
With registration just completed and a free curling clinic offered by the club on September 19 from 10 am to 2 pm with a fun spiel to follow at 3 pm, there’s a good chance curlers will play with or against a Pagani.
Current club president Lorna Downie is the latest in a long list of new residents injecting even more life into a historical club.
“It was one of our main activities prior to moving here,” said Downie, “and we really enjoyed the bonspiels we attended here. All the camaraderie and people we met at the summer spiel really swung the balance for us from going to the island to coming here to such a welcoming community.”
