Our History
Our Club History
Qualicum and District Curling Club began as the seed of an idea held by 5 local residents in 1964. Just under 200 memberships were sold at $200 each to get started (we still have some charter original members among us and some of them are still curling!). After much planning and hard work, the rink opened in Dec. 1964. Twelve weeks of ice skating were incorporated into the plan, taking place before and after the curling season and over Christmas. This continued into the 1970’s. The curling rink was the hub of the community, with league curling, bonspiels and social events. Membership, which drew from a wide area, continuously increased every year with curling taking place from early morning to late at night, with wait lists for leagues and bonspiels.
We have an historian, Phyllis McMillan, who is one of our original club members, who has kept albums full of newspaper clippings and photos of the club’s earliest days. We are so lucky to have Phyllis and appreciate her efforts to keep our club history alive.
The History of our Logo
The first stone in Qualicum & District Curling Club was thrown in 1965. The new club needed a logo and so a contest was organized to come up with a design. Marilyn McDonald was the 17 year old daughter of Dr. Jock McDonald who had a family practice in Qualicum Beach. She would become the winner of the contest after submitting the design that we have today; a stylized “Q” crest with a granite rock, crossed corn brooms with a Pacific Salmon. A few years later, George Nelson, one of our charter members hooked a rug featuring our logo and donated it to the club. It has become a fixture in our upper lounge.
