Curl London - London, ON Curling Alliance
London Curling Club (LCC) and Highland Community Curling Club (HCCC) have created an exciting alliance to promote curling in London, ON.
Curl London will:
- Promote curling opportunities throughout the city.
- Expand and grow our curling community.
- Introduce curling to new and diverse groups in our city.
- Facilitate inter-club leagues, programs and championships.
- Promote opportunities for group ice rental and specials events.
Why Curl London?
London enjoys a leading profile in Canada as a city that engages residents of all ages and abilities to enjoy physical and social activities that cultivate and strengthen their personal and community well being. Curling has been an essential component in the sport landscape of London since it was first played on winter ice at the Coves in 1847, and where it is now played at the London Curling Club (LCC) and Highland Community Curling Club (HCCC).
Curling in London is reflective of the evolving diversity within the city. It has been enjoyed by adults and children of all ages and genders, Londoners from various racial, ethnic, and religious backgrounds, and those from the 2SLGBTQIA+ community. Curling leagues are offered for youth through seniors, men/women/mixed/open, as well as adaptive options such as stick curling which allows individuals with mobility issues to play the game. This includes wheelchair curlers and low vision/Blind curlers.
Learn-to-Curl programs bring new curlers of all ages and abilities to the game. Programs are offered at both clubs and often have a waiting list due to their high demand. Inclusive school programs connect youth with the sport where local elementary and secondary schools enjoy curling as part of their physical education programming. Western University and Fanshawe College teams play and train at local curling clubs and have won many provincial and national award titles.
Curling clubs in London have cultivated some of the best players in Canada including Scott McDonald (HCCC) who skipped the team representing Ontario at the 2019 Brier. London Curling Club has also had teams represent Ontario at two previous Briers, in addition to a National Mixed curling championship. LCC has a very competitive junior program at the provincial and national level and in 2022 and 2023 were finalists in the Canadian Men’s U18 championship.
Curling was a part of the inaugural Winter Olympic Games held in Chamonix France, in 1924 and became and an official event in 1998. Since that time, Canada has won 6 Gold, 3 Silver and 3 Bronze medals. Curling has also been a Paralympic sport since 2006 where athletes have won 3 Gold and 2 Bronze medals. The current Canadian Paralympic Wheelchair curling team is skipped by Mark Ideson, a resident of London and the team holds training sessions at HCCC in hopes of continuing their medal performance at future world championships and Olympics.
London is a premier destination for national and international curling events and in recent years has played host to the Continental Cup (2018, 2020), the Tim Hortons Brier (2011), and the Scott Tournament of Hearts (2006). The members of the curling community are the drivers of these showcase events and are instrumental in their success. The 2023 Tim Hortons Brier will fill Budweiser Gardens as well as city hotels and restaurants and is expected to generate between $8 and $10 million in economic benefit for the city. The curling community has long recognized the broad value of these events and is working to host more in the future.
London Curling Club (LCC)
London is one of only 20 curling clubs established in Canada before 1850 and predates the introduction of hockey. Founded in 1847, the London Curling Club is one of the oldest curling clubs in Canada in continuous operation. Games were first played on outdoor ice at the Coves and on Lake Horn, a small pond in the vicinity of Richmond and Piccadilly Streets.
This year the London Curling Club is celebrating their 175th anniversary! The facility located at Lyle and Dundas Street was originally the Jubilee arena which was converted to a curling facility with artificial ice in 1922. LCC has been an integral business and community member of the Old East Village area providing affordable recreational and social opportunities for over 100 years.
LCC maintains a consistent membership of approximately 500 to 650. The organization offers Learn to Curl programs for all ages and is home to a very successful youth curling program. LCC provides ice to the TVRAA High School Curling League. As well, every week a group from a different elementary school comes in to learn about and experience the sport of curling. LCC also hosts various competitions, bonspiels, and corporate events. Each season, it is estimated that 3500 people from London and the surrounding area will attend the facility.
Highland Community Curling Club (HCCC)
Curling was introduced at the Highland Country Club in 1959 as a winter sport for golf members that would also keep the dining room, kitchen and facility staff actively employed over the winter months when golf was closed. This was a common initiative at country clubs across Ontario and Canada and was seen as a win-win business model.
Highland has a history as a premier curling facility with an excellent ice team and playing surface and a reputation of producing competitive curlers. Membership was open to the public at rates that were on par with other country clubs across the region and province.
In 2021, the operation of curling transitioned to the independent Highland Community Curling Club under a lease agreement of the curling ice facility. HCCC is completely operated by volunteers who spend hundreds of hours building membership, running leagues, getting sponsors, teaching curling, and managing the day-to-day operations. HCCC has been very successful and has built membership to 400+ since becoming independent and establishing a solid business model for growth and development. HCCC welcomes all curlers through their League offerings, Learn to Curl programs and Ice Rental opportunities.
The London Curling Club (LCC) and the Highland Community Curling Club (HCCC) operate as self-sufficient, not-for-profit organizations which receive no funding or administrative support from the City of London. Curl London is a joint initiative of LCC and HCCC to promote and grow the sport in our community.
