This is the first, and probably only, curling rink we'll see that has hand carved brackets connecting the wall posts and the roof rafters. Of post and beam construction, though the club was formed in 1850, their present rink was built in 1910. Prior to 1910 they may well have played outdoors.
When we visited they were setting up for the upcoming farmers' market and craft fair. The Club has three sheets of ice, clubroom and bar, kitchen and locker-rooms. Brooms and sliders are available for curler usage. A perfect way to pass a Nova Scotian Winter.
The club's motto is Céad Mile Fáilte, which is Gaelic and translates to Hundred Thousand Welcomes.
Curling... when you can tell your lady that she is wide without fear of getting whacked upside the head with a cast iron pan. Or proclaim out loud that she is too heavy, knowing that your comment has been heard by countless bystanders. Where you can order your better half to sweep, sweep hard, and having the never before seen result of actually seeing her gutting it out just to please you! For in curling, you are the king of the house!"
~Author Unknown
It's not just a rock. It's forty-two pounds of polished granite, with a beveled underbelly and a handle a human being can hold. Okay, so in and of itself it looks like it has no practical purpose, but it's a repository of possibility. And, when it's handled just right, it exacts a kind of poetry - as close to poetry as I ever want to get. The way it moves.... Not once, in everything I've done, have I ever felt the same wonder and humanity as when I'm playing the game of curling" ~Paul Gross, John Krizanc, and Paul Quarrington, Men with Brooms
New Caledonian Curling Club
DESCRIPTION OF HISTORIC PLACE
The New Caledonian Curling Club is located on the main street running through the Town of Pictou, Nova Scotia. However, the building is more accessible through a west side entrance located on Caladh Street. It is a one storey Classical Revival building, with wood frame construction and a steeply pitched roof. The building is situated on a small parcel of land with the front façade facing Pictou Harbour. Included in the municipal designation is the building and surrounding land.
HERITAGE VALUE
The historic value of The New Caledonian Curling Club, as recognized in its municipal designation, is because of its age and recognition as the second oldest curling club in Nova Scotia and third oldest in all of Canada.
The New Caledonian Curling Club dates back to 1850. The formation date of the Club makes it the second oldest Curling Club in Nova Scotia. The current location of the club was built in 1910 and has been the club’s home ever since.
The Club is a one storey Classical Revival building, with a wood frame construction and a steeply pitched roof.
CHARACTER-DEFINING ELEMENTS
-Wood frame construction;
-Steeply pitched roof.
From Historic Places Canada