Canadian Curling History Project

Canadian Curling History Project
Name	Canadian Curling History Project
Formation	2000s
Type	Archival project
Location	Canada

Canadian Curling History Project

The Canadian Curling History Project is a national archival initiative documenting curling in Canada through collections, exhibitions, and scholarship connecting Canadian Curling Association eras, Tim Horton philanthropy, and provincial heritage institutions such as Library and Archives Canada and Provincial Archives of Manitoba. It assembles material from curling icons like Ron Northcott, Sandra Schmirler, Kevin Martin, and Jennifer Jones alongside records from events including the Brier and the Scotties Tournament of Hearts, supporting research at universities such as the University of Saskatchewan and the University of Manitoba and museums like the Canadian Museum of History.

Overview and Purpose

The project documents competitive records, oral histories, and material culture to inform scholarship on figures such as Ernie Richardson, Ferguson "Fergie" Jenkins (note: baseball/other sport cross-references), Bernie Sparkes, and Skip Howard. It supports curatorial work at institutions including Canadian Museum for Human Rights, Royal Ontario Museum, McCord Museum, and academic centers like University of Toronto and Queen's University while aligning with standards from International Council on Archives, Association of Canadian Archivists, and Canadian Heritage.

Origins and Development

Initiated in the early 2000s through collaborations among curling historians like Murray MacLean and archivists from Library and Archives Canada, the project grew from exhibit efforts at venues such as Winnipeg Centennial Exhibition and partnerships with provincial organizations like Curling Alberta and CurlBC. Early phases mobilized collections from clubs including Granite Club (Toronto), St. John's Curling Club, and Strathcona Curling Club and received donor material from athletes such as Eddie "Skip" MacKenzie and contributors associated with the Macdonald Brier era.

Collections and Materials

Holdings include scrapbooks, photograph albums, minute books, and trophies from landmark competitions—World Men's Curling Championship, World Women's Curling Championship, Canada Cup, and Olympic Games (curling). The archive holds oral history interviews with skips like Glenn Howard, Colleen Jones, Pat Ryan, and administrators from Curling Canada plus multimedia from broadcasters such as CBC Sports, TSN (TV channel), and Sportsnet. Ephemera includes curling club by-laws from Calgary Curling Club, sheet diagrams, and ice-making manuals tied to venues like Hewlett-Packard Centre and WinSport Arena.

Notable Projects and Publications

The initiative has produced exhibition catalogues, scholarly monographs, and digital exhibits featuring biographies of Sandra Schmirler, statistical studies referencing Brier (men's curling championship) records, and annotated timelines of Olympic curling medalists including Brad Gushue and Morris "Moe" Norman-era cross-sport archival commentary. Collaborative publications appeared with presses such as University of Regina Press, McGill-Queen's University Press, and journals like Canadian Historical Review and Journal of Sport History, and themed projects linked to events such as the 2010 Winter Olympics and commemorative programs for Centennial of Confederation celebrations.

Impact on Curling Research and Culture

The project has supported dissertations at institutions like University of British Columbia and University of Calgary, informed museum exhibitions at the Canadian Museum of History and Manitoba Museum, and shaped public narratives about athletes including Shannon Kleibrink, Rachel Homan, John Morris, and administrators from Sport Canada. It contributed primary sources to media retrospectives by CBC Radio and storytelling initiatives at festivals like Folklorama while enriching Hall of Fame inductions at the Curling Canada Hall of Fame and provincial Halls of Fame.

Funding, Governance, and Partnerships

Funding streams have included grants from Canada Council for the Arts, contributions from provincial arts councils such as Manitoba Arts Council and corporate sponsorships tied to brands like Tim Hortons and Molson (company). Governance involved partnerships among Curling Canada, provincial associations including Curling Québec, academic partners like Brock University, and cultural organizations such as Historic Sites and Monuments Board of Canada following archival policies from Library and Archives Canada and standards set by the Association of Canadian Archivists.

Access, Digitization, and Public Outreach

Digitization efforts used platforms associated with Library and Archives Canada, university repositories at University of Winnipeg and University of Regina, and cooperative portals operated with Internet Archive and museum digital teams from Royal Ontario Museum. Outreach included traveling exhibitions to communities such as St. John's, Newfoundland and Labrador, Edmonton, and Saskatoon, public programs with broadcasters CBC Sports and TSN (TV channel), and educational resources for schools connected to provincial curriculum frameworks administered by ministries such as Ontario Ministry of Education and Manitoba Education and Early Childhood Learning.

Category:Curling in Canada