Saturday will be a bittersweet day for the curling community in Windsor-Essex as they hold their final year-end bonspiel at the Roseland Golf and Curling Club, but it hopes to do so in good company.
The public is invited to the event on Saturday at the clubhouse starting at 12:30 p.m. If you've never curled, curlers hope the celebration will spark your interest as the action moves to the new facility at the Capri Pizzeria Recreation Complex this fall.
"We just think it's better to include as many people as possible, kind of celebrate what Roseland is and was because there's a lot of history there," said Bonspiel volunteer Melissa Schultz. "We're all kind of sad to be leaving, but we're over the hump and are being positive about our next step."
The curling community fought Windsor City Council hard over its decision to move curling away from Roseland, at one point presenting a petition with over 2,300 signatures opposing the relocation.
Finances were behind the decision to move to Capri Pizzeria Recreation Centre. A report to councillors pegged the cost of renovating the Roseland Clubhouse or rebuilding it at $12-million. It would cost $525,000 to install curling facilities at a municipal community centre.
Schultz said the facility at Capri is different, newer, and not "traditional."
"Our main point is to just ensure that the ice is a good quality, and there's a core group of people who are working closely and hard with the city to ensure that happens," Schultz said. "If we don't have good curling ice, the rest of it doesn't matter."
The curling rinks at Capri should open this fall.
Bagpipers will pipe players on for the second draw, and those selected to throw the final rocks at Roseland on Saturday.
Schultz hopes the event will recruit new players.
"We have a learn-to-curl throughout the season, and we'll certainly have them when we move over to Capri," she said.
Following the bonspiel, Cramdon's on Dougall Avenue will host an after-party.
* With files from Maureen Revait.