2019 WESTERN BLIND CURLING CHAMPIONSHIPS are coming to Kamloops March 20th to 23rd Hosted by the BC-Yukon Division of the Canadian Council of the Blind (CCB) And the West Coast Blind Curling Association
Kamloops Curling Club 700 Victoria Street Kamloops, BC
For more information contact: Lori Fry – 250-395-2452 – ODIFRY@shaw.ca OR Fraser Hiltz – 604-379-0035 – fraserhiltz@gmail.com
History of Western Blind Curling
Western Blind Curling started in late 1971 when members of The Calmar, Alberta Lions’ Club and The Edmonton Blind Curling Club met in a challenge match with the Lions’ Club members wearing blindfolds. In early 1972 they were joined by curlers from Regina and Saskatoon and this became an annual event held in either late February or March each year.
In 1979, “The Western” as it became known took on the true flavor when teams from British Columbia and Manitoba joined the “loop.” The Calmar Lions’ Club hosted that year and with Lions Ken Blondheim, Chester Grabski, Earl Kelly and Dan Claypool organized an excellent weekend.
The following year, Saskatchewan hosted with The Yellow Grass Lions’ Club. For many years, Alberta would host “The Western” on alternating years until the early 1990’s when it evolved into a four year rotation system. Lions’ Clubs throughout Western Canada have hosted Western Blind Curling.
Communities in British Columbia included Tswassen, White Rock, Vancouver, Chilliwack and Kelowna, Alberta has had Calmar, Devon, Leduc, Waskatenau / Smokey Lake, Fort McMurray. Saskatchewan has had in Regina, Fort Qu’appelle, Lanigan, Yellow Grass. Manitoba has hosted in Winnipeg, Beausejour, Powerview Pine Falls, Steinbach, Lac Du Bonnet; probably left out some but think most have been mentioned.
In 1982 in Beausejour, Manitoba, The Western Blind Curling Association was born with the four western provinces agreeing that there was a need for a formal organization to seek out Lions’ Clubs as potential hosts and to assist the various blind curling clubs with financial assistance in participating in this event. The objects and goals of the Association was to promote and encourage blind and visually impaired people to participate and be involved in a competitive recreational way and to come together annually to participate in communities to promote awareness of their abilities.
Each year, The Western Blind Curling Association solicits all of the Lions’ Clubs of western Canada for contributions which go to help cover the cost of transportation and accommodations for the participants. Teams are composed of both blind and visually challenged members as well as fully sighted members and total is five with a designated sweeper added to the regular four members to compensate for the lead who normally could not sweep. Skips and thirds must be blind or visually Challenged the Second can be sighted or visually challenged and the Lead should be a totally Blind individual if possible. Many teams do not include a sighted player, only a sighted guide.
1997 was the twenty fifth year of Western Blind Curling which was hosted by The Calmar Lions’ Club.
