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Brooms are used to polish the ice and clear a path for the stone. Modern brooms resemble their ancestors, which were the same brooms used in the house. In fact, household brooms were used well into the 20th century.15
Curling sweaters and tams1950
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Curling is an old and popular sport in St. Stephen. In 1885 a group of St. Stephen's men invited four Saint John curlers to the town to teach them the game. Lacking a covered ice surface, they cleaned a sheet of ice on the St. Croix River and beat the men who came to instruct them.This roused such interest in the game that in 1895, a three-sheet rink with an ice surface of 160 by 42 feet, was constructed and served the town for over 50 years.
"The curlers numbered about 70 to 80 and were nearly all older men over 40 years of age, younger men couldn't afford the $15.00 membership fee. When I joined the club in 1927 at 21 years of age, I was by far the youngest member." When travelling, ". . .We took our own stones with us in special leather straps. Stones varied in weight from 38 pounds to 52 pounds and some curled a lot while others ran almost straight. A game was 16 ends." (St. Croix Courier, October 1, 1996, C.-A. Nicholson author)
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Arthur D. Ganong1930
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The Ganong Family & Ganong Cup - 1930 to 1980The Ganong family of St. Stephen, best known for their world-famous chocolate, are among the first hometown sports heroes in curling. In 1930 Arthur D. Ganong, family patriarch who himself was both an enthusiastic and accomplished curler established the Ganong Cup.
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The Ganong Cup1930
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In an effort to improve the quality of the competition in New Brunswick, A.D. Ganong donated a trophy, the Ganong Cup, to the provincial champion. He also donated individual prizes and a sum of money to assist the winning team travel to the national championships. While his dream of seeing a New Brunswick team win the Brier was never realized, several teams have come close. A.D.'s contribution to the sport did not end there: he served as President of the NB Curling Association in 1923-1924, as Honourary President in 1935 and 1936, and was named an Honourary Life member of the NB Curling Association.21
Rink skipped by Cappy McWha. . . takes Ganong Trophy. . .January, 1930
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In 1930 the inaugural year of competition for the Ganong Cup, fittingly, a hometown team took the prize. The St. Croix Courier reported: "Rink skipped by Cappy McWha, ace of local curlers, takes singles championship and Ganong Trophy in decisive manner." The report continues with McWha ". . . has an excellent record as a curler and is recognized by his fellow curlers throughout the province as one of the best skips in the game. He is expected to give a good account of himself when he takes his rink to Toronto for the Dominion championship." In addition to "Cappy" McWha, the rink consisted of W.B. "Bruce" Buchanan (mate), H.N. "Hardy" Ganong (2nd stone and Chair of the bonspiel's organizing committee) and Evans Hill (lead).23
New Brunswick Champions in Toronto1930
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Like A.D. Ganong, Hardy Ganong served as President of the NB Curling Association (1935-1936), as Honourary President (1941-1945) and was named an Honourary Life member. Bruce Buchanan also served as Honourary President of the Association in 1967-1968. While these team members' devotion to their sport can not be denied, it is team skip Arthur Clifton "Cappy" McWha who stands as a true renaissance man of sport in St. Stephen.25
Thistles Hockey Team 19041904
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Arthur Clifton "Cappy" McWhaWinning every award offered by the St. Stephen Curling Club might have been enough for some athletes, but McWha changed sports with the seasons. Taking all of his sports seriously, believing that "practice perfects", he was team captain and starting forward of the 1903 and 1904 St. Stephen Thistles. The Thistles were the champions of the newly-formed NB Hockey League both of these years. During these seasons the Thistles won 75% of the games they played. During the final game of the 1904 season, McWha scored a goal and assisted with the other, providing the Thistles a 2 to 1 victory over Sackville's team.
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Thistles Athletic Association Junior Rugby Team1900
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