A family curling tradition that started in Vankleek Hill has celebrated its 40th anniversary.
In 1983, the family of Vincent and Gladys Conway of Vankleek Hill began having an annual curling bonspiel. According to Erin Conway, one of the couples granddaughters, it was intended to be a fun afternoon with some family.
My Uncle Brent who taught curling and enjoyed playing it, thought it would be a great social event for the family, she said.
Brent and his wife Danielle were living in Ottawa at the time. They rented the Ottawa Curladrome on the old Ottawa Exhibition site and family members travelled from Vankleek Hill for the event, which became known as the Clean Sweep Bonspiel. Since the beginning, the prize for the winning team has been the Clean Sweep Award, which is appropriately, a floor mop.
And allegedly, the mop has only been used once as an actual mop for a flood in a winning skip’s basement! remarked Erin.
Plaques fill the mop handle on both sides with the names of each winning team.
The first event was a huge success, so the family decided to make it a yearly event. Eventually, more family members and friends started to participate. Soon, teams for children were created once the youngsters were old enough to play.
The closure of the old Curladrome in Ottawa led to the Clean Sweep relocating to the Vankleek Hill Curling Club, and then to the Glengarry Curling Club in Maxville, and eventually to the Almonte Curling Club where this years 40th anniversary event was held.
Erin said she has good memories of her late grandparents Vincent and Gladys at the bonspiel when she was younger.
In the early years my Grandpa would skip. I can still hear him shouting out Hurry Haaaaard to his sweepers. My Grandma never got on the ice, but she would come every year with a big pot of homemade brown beans to contribute to the dinner, she reminisced.
As the years have gone by, the younger generations have begun to take over organizing the annual family event.
Anyway, it was a wonderful afternoon, very lucky to spend 40 of them curling, laughing and eating with family and friends! Erin remarked.
Submitted photos
