SWEEPINGS/ BALAYAGES FÉVRIER 2013 FEBRUARY

Transcription

1 SWEEPINGS/ BALAYAGES FÉVRIER 2013 FEBRUARY Club de Curling POINTE-CLAIRE Curling Club L a n t h i e r, P o i n t e - C l a i r e, Q C H 9 S 4 G 3 ( ) w w w. p o i n t e c l a i r e c u r l i n g. c o m

2 PRESIDENT S MESSAGE Since my last message we have endured a serious ice plant shutdown. We were fortunate to be out of commission for only a week considering we had lost the ice and had to start over. Thanks to Peter Laekas and David Leith for coordinating the repairs, to Karl Murovic for virtually living at the Club to remake our ice and to all the members for your indulgence and patience. The club is a lonely place when you don t have ice. Thanks also to Montreal West who let the Senators use their ice in the afternoon. The Calcutta was a great success and hugely entertaining. Although I believe those behind the glass were having a lot more fun than those sweating it out on the ice. We hosted the Scots who loved our hospitality and we won 2 of 3 games against their best. The semi-secret Guest s Cup was held for the 48th year. If you have never participated in this event you should express your interest in so doing. It is great fun; just ask those who have done it. You only get to attend once. The Lakeshore Bonspiel is coming up soon and, as usual, one-third of the teams are from Pointe-Claire. It is an opportunity to play at five other clubs and chances are almost certain that you are going to play against your club-mates along the way. Although at some point you might question the logic of driving to Hudson to play another team from Pointe-Claire! Last year, the winning skip of the Lakeshore Trophy was from our Club. However, for most of us, the lose early-win late strategy is better. There is a still lot of curling left in the season. The Board and I are here to help see that you have fun doing it. Bob Suderman,President MESSAGE DU PRÉSIDENT Depuis mon dernier message, nous avons vécu un sérieux problème d équipement et nos glaces ont fondu. Nous avons eu la chance d'être hors service pendant seulement une semaine car il a fallu refaire complètement les surfaces gelées. Merci à Peter Laekas et David Leith pour la coordination des réparations, à Karl Murovic, qui a passé des heures à tout refaire et à tous les membres pour votre indulgence et votre patience. Sans glace, le club est un lieu solitaire. Merci aussi à Montréal-Ouest qui a prêté ses glaces aux Sénateurs l'après-midi. Le Calcutta fut un grand succès et extrêmement divertissant. Mais il me semble que les spectateurs semblaient avoir beaucoup plus de plaisir que ceux qui transpiraient sur la glace. Nous avons accueilli les Écossais qui ont apprécié notre hospitalité et nous avons gagné 2 des 3 matchs contre leur meilleures équipes. La Coupe Guest, un match semi-secret, a eu lieu pour la 48e année. Si vous n'avez jamais participé à cet événement, vous devriez exprimer votre intérêt à le faire. C est très amusant - demandez à ceux qui y ont déjà participé. Vous pouvez y jouer seulement une fois. Le Tournoi du Lakeshore débute bientôt. Comme les autres années, un tiers des équipes sont de Pointe-Claire. C est l occasion de jouer dans cinq autres clubs. Il est presque certain que vous allez jouer contre vos collègues du club en cours de route. Sauf qu à un certain moment, on peut s'interroger sur la logique de conduire jusqu à Hudson pour jouer contre une autre équipe de Pointe-Claire. L'année dernière, une équipe du CCPC a gagné le trophée du Lakeshore. Toutefois, pour la plupart d'entre nous, la meilleure stratégie demeure de «perdre au début et gagner ensuite». La saison de curling est loin d être terminée. Le conseil d'administration et moi-même sommes là pour vous aider à avoir beaucoup de plaisir. Bob Suderman, Président

3 A word from the editor Un mot du rédacteur en chef To me, the image depicts contrasting concepts: cold of winter with the warmth of a golden sun; a cold barren tree yielding the warmth of the heart and love, especially poignant for Valentines. This is how Wayne Arnold describes the beautiful picture he sent me for our first page, a photo taken from Stewart Hall. I'm sure you will agree how creative and artistic the image is. Thank you, Wayne. Thank you also to all my contributors for their articles and photos. I could not put together this newsletter without your input. «Cette image représente pour moi des concepts opposés: le froid de l'hiver avec la chaleur d'un soleil d'or, un arbre stérile gelé exprimant la chaleur du cœur et de l'amour, particulièrement poignant pour la Saint Valentin". C'est ainsi que Wayne Arnold décrit la magnifique image qu'il m'a envoyé pour notre première page, une photo prise à partir de Stewart Hall. Je suis sûr que vous conviendrez des qualités créatives et artistiques de cette image. Merci, Wayne. In the past weeks, the club has had its share of problems, from ice melting to power failures. But this has not dampened the enthusiasm of the members. From the pages of this February issue, you will see how active everybody is, in all the leagues, Ladies, Senators, Juniors, etc, as well as in bonspiels and games for charity. See the news about Kurling for Kids, collecting over one million dollars for children hospitals. I find that an amazingly impressive number. Merci aussi à tous mes collaborateurs pour leurs articles et photos. Je ne pouvais pas mettre sur pied ce bulletin sans votre participation. As with the December newsletter, we continue to feature ads from three of our sponsors, who are also present on our Website and in our Directory. I invite you to support our sponsors. I am now off to Texas on February 21, so you will have to continue your curling activities without me (not a problem, I'm told!). I plan to be back on April 2, in time for the last week of activities at PCCC. I also plan to edit my last Sweepings/Balayages for that week, ending my 7th season as editor of your newsletter. I have given to the President and the Board the task of finding a replacement for next fall. I offer my services as a mentor for the next editor, if he or she should want it. So send me your articles and photos for the April issue. As Bob Wood would attest, it does not matter whether your laptop (or other device) is in Pointe-Claire, South Padre Island or Timbuktu. I will be able to receive your submissions and work on them. Enjoy the rest of the winter (I know I will) and curl, curl, curl! Claude Renaud Dans les dernières semaines, le club a eu sa part de problèmes, de la fonte de la glace aux pannes de courant. Mais cela n'a pas freiné l'enthousiasme des membres. Dans les pages de ce numéro de février, vous verrez comment tout le monde est actif, dans toutes les ligues, Dames, Sénateurs, Juniors, etc, ainsi que dans les tournois et les rencontres pour la charité. Voyez les nouvelles au sujet de Kurling for Kids, qui a amassé plus d'un million de dollars pour les hôpitaux pour enfants. Quel impressionnant montant! Comme en décembre, nous continuons à vous offrir quelques publicités de nos commanditaires. Je vous invite à les encourager. Je par pour le Texas ce 21 février, de sorte que vous devrez poursuivre vos activités de curling sans moi (pas un problème, m'a-t-on dit!). Je compte être de retour le 2 avril, à temps pour la dernière semaine d'activités au PCCC. J'ai aussi l'intention de publier mon dernier numéro de Balayages/Sweepings pour cette semaine, mettant ainsi fin à ma 7ème saison en tant que rédacteur en chef de votre bulletin de nouvelles. J'ai donné au Président et au Conseil la tâche de trouver un remplaçant pour l'automne prochain. J'offre au prochain rédacteur en chef mes services en tant que mentor, si il ou elle le souhaite. Alors, envoyez-moi vos articles et photos pour le numéro d'avril. Comme Bob Wood l'attesterait, ce n'est pas important que mon portable (ou autre appareil) se trouve à Pointe-Claire, South Padre Island ou à Tombouctou. Je serai en mesure de recevoir vos soumissions et les travailler. Profitez bien du reste de l'hiver (je sais que je le ferai) et curl, curl, curl! Claude Renaud

4 POINTE-CLAIRE LADIES HOST ANNUAL INVITATIONAL On Saturday, January 12th, the ladies hosted their annual Invitational Bonspiel. Twelve teams, from the Montreal area, Lachute, Cornwall and Lacolle, participated in the all-day event which included two draws, lunch, team prizes, games and a huge raffle of items donated by members. The theme was FASCINATORS which are small hats worn to the side like many ladies wore to the royal wedding. Every curler fashioned her own which resulted in quite a variety of imaginative designs. The grand winners of the Armstrong Trophy were Debbie Johnston, Maureen Horan, Ann Wagstaff and Natalie Savoie of Baie-d Urfé. A great time was had by all and many of the teams expressed the wish to return next year. Connie Corish LOVELY CENTERPIECES MADE BY LINDA ELLYETT WINNERS OF THE LADIES INVITATIONAL BONSPIEL WEARING THEIR FASCINATORS: DEBBIE JOHNSTON, MAUREEN HORAN, ANN WAGSTAFF AND NATALIE SAVOIE

5 MESSAGE FROM THE DAY LADIES Submitted by Martha Guerriero The New Year so far has been a very busy and successful one for the ladies. Our Invitational Bonspiel held on Saturday, January 12, 2013 had twelve teams competing for the Armstrong Trophy. Everyone enjoyed a full day of curling, good food and camaraderie. Thanks to Connie Corish and her committee who did an outstanding job. Congratulations to the following teams who will advance to the LCA District Playdowns in the McCallum Filly Hamilton Shield Event which will take place in Ormstown on February 23rd. The team skipped by Joan Williams, 3rd Brenda Cooper, 2nd Christine McMurray and Lead Barb Francis will play in the McCallum Filly Division and the team skipped by Daina Peize, 3rd Sue Godwin, 2nd Lucie Bélanger and Lead Zena Chevrier will playdown in the Hamilton Shield Division Good luck girls! Our success story continues with the evening ladies team skipped by Joyce Schoepp, 3rd Barb Francis, 2nd Jackie Van Geffen and Lead Jo Howard winning the LCA Debutante Trophy on February 6th Congratulations! Two Challenge Trophy games took place in January. The Birks, a double-entry rink skipped by Joan Macnab and Eleanor Metcalfe defeated Glenmore. Joan s team of 3rd Bev Kranitz, 2nd Claire McDougall and Lead Kathleen Wilson and Eleanor s team of 3rd Janet Hawke, 2nd Pat Saito and Lead Diane Vincent will play against Hudson Whitlock next, on February 21st. The team skipped by Barb Francis, 3rd Barb Lalonde, 2nd Daina Peize and Lead Janice Branigan defeated Montreal West in the Dudley Kerr trophy game and will move on to play against Hudson Whitlock on February 14th. Good Luck and good curling Ladies! Factspiel: From the book: Weird facts about curling Ken Watson, who had the misfortune of having his legacy interrupted by World War II, still managed to win three national titles. On top of his curling prowess, however, he will forever be remembered as an innovator for revolutionizing the game with his infamous Watson Slide. Watson was the first curler to push himself out of the hack and glide forward before releasing his stone. In the 2006 Winter Olympics in Torino, Russ Howard joined forces with Newfoundland s Brad Gushue to win gold for Canada. At 50 years old, Howard became the oldest athlete to win a gold medal at the Olympics.

6 Once Every Ten Years Monday, January 14, 2013 saw the invasion of the Scots at Pointe-Claire. The twenty Scots on the 2013 Strathcona Cup Central Tour were part of a 61 man contingent who came to Canada determined to regain the Strathcona Cup which the Canadian Tour of 2009 had won on Scottish ice. This is part of a 5 year home and home series which started with the Scots touring Canada in 1903 and the Canadians returning to tour Scotland in While the Strathcona Cup may not be a household name, it is hotly contested every five years with all the ardour befitting the roarin game and representing your country. Kennerknecht and Bob Dods, with PCCC coming out ahead 9-3. Sheet 2 saw the rink of Mike Ferguson (Tour Captain), Mark Turnbull, Alistair Henry and Jimmy Raeburn play against the PCCC rink of Don Aitken, Jeff Herokovits, Russell Haliburton and Bob Suderman, playing to a peel or draw of 5-5. Sheet 3 saw the rink of Ian McPherson, Bill Crawford, Richard Jachnik and Harry Waugh play the PCCC rink of Jim Redston, Bill Ellyett, Kelso Mallette and Keith Mallette with PCCC winning 6-4. The Baie-D Urfé rink skipped by Frederic Lawton lost 9-5 while Dave Marin won 7-4. This made Canada up +7! The scoring is total stones for. As we go to press, the Scots have a convincing 247 stone lead! There will be The tourists as the visiting teams are called, have three Tours of games played over three weeks right across Canada. curlers each which are run concurrently across Canada. The Western Tour started in Vancouver and travelled east through British Columbia, Alberta, The Scots were then feted at a dinner where each table had two Scots Saskatchewan, Manitoba and Northern Ontario. The East Tour started in along with their Canadian playing counterparts. Members from both BaieHalifax and travelled to Newfoundland, Nova Scotia, Prince Edward Island, d Urfé and Pointe-Claire could play the role of cordial hosts! No Scottish New Brunswick and Eastern Quebec. The Central Tour, which Pointe- glass was emptied for long before another appeared in its place. Claire and Baie-D Urfé faced, started in Ottawa and the surrounding area before coming to play against Town of Mount Royal, Montreal-West and Mayor Bill McMurchie of Pointe-Claire and Pro-Mayor Chuck Coloumb of Royal Montreal on Sunday, January 13th. After playing Pointe-Claire, the Baie-d Urfé welcomed the Scots, with Bill presenting a Pointe-Claire Central tour travelled down the 401 as far as Sarnia. Then on January 31, tartan scarf made by the local weaving guild to Tour Captain Mike Ferguson. Hu Whitehead, PCCC club historian, gave an explanation on all three Tours met up in Burlington, Ontario. both the Guests Cup and the Pointe-Claire Cup which PCCC Pointe-Claire and Baie-D Urfé jointly hosted all 5 rinks in afternoon games reciprocated and gave for annual play in Scotland with the eligibility being after 4 Scottish rinks played in the morning in Hudson versus the Legion that the Scot had to have visited the Pointe-Claire Curling Club. Bob and Hudson Whitlock. Pointe-Claire replicated the 1957 Strathcona Tour Dods, the emcee, then handed out envelopes to each Scottish rink when 5 Scots came to play at Pointe-Claire, were given a police escort bearing printed copies of each Cup and the affirmation that they were now from the airport through the village and entered the Pointe-Claire Curling eligible to play for the Pointe-Claire Cup on their return. These documents Club under an archway of crossed brooms. The reason for this theme was were crafted by Alex Simard great job Alex. Also each Scot and that Harry Waugh, the son of one of those five Scots, was part of the Canadian player was given an engraved stainless hip flask as a memento Central Tour. Jock Waugh, Norman Todd, Jimmy Alexander, Willie Wilson of the occasion. and Bill McNamara received a royal welcome and were so appreciative of the hospitality of the members that they were determined to commemorate Harry Waugh was introduced and proceeded to give a lively talk on the their visit to Pointe-Claire and entered into negotiations with the PCCCC history of curling and of his father s tours (Jock did two, one in 1949 and Executive which resulted in the presentation of the Guests Cup for the other in 1957) which both taking 10 weeks to do! Harry also introduced us to a song that Willie Wilson used to sing called annual competition under unusual rules of play. Tiddlietoodlum Castle. The song can be heard on the PCCC website The tour bus dropped two teams at Baie-d Urfé and then with alight under the Strathcona Tour section. Harry, the Tour Choirmaster, then led flashing escort from Pointe-Claire Public Security, Search and Rescue, the the Scottish Tour in singing this, the Strathcona Tour song and concluded remaining three teams were escorted to the club. They were met there by with Flower of Scotland. an archway of crossed brooms and were very appreciative of these gestures. The three Scottish teams entered the downstairs lounge singing My thanks to everyone who helped make this event both a success and Flower of Scotland. Flower of Scotland (Scottish Gaelic: Flùr na h-alba, memorable Hu Whitehead, Bob Rondeau, Patricia Brown, Alex Simard, Scots: Flouer o Scotland) is a Scottish song, used frequently at special Keith Mallette, Russell Haliburton, Bob Suderman, Martha Guerriero, occasions and sporting events. Although there is no official national Suzanne Smith, Jann Szumski, Steve Hewlett, Carol Shipman, Peter anthem of Scotland, Flower of Scotland is one of a number of songs which Laekas, Danny Kerr from Gourmet Chez Vous and of course all the unofficially fulfils this role. Bob Suderman welcomed them to the club and PCCC members proving once again what great hosts we can be. they along with the Pointe-Claire rinks were piped onto the ice for the Robert Dods - Montreal Coordinator traditional toast to Good Curling. Sheet 1 saw the rink of skip Hamish 2013 Strathcona Tour and 2009 winning Canadian Tourist Lorrain-Smith, third Stewart Robertson, second Peter Malcolm and lead James Dixon play the PCCC rink of Kevin Golberg, Chris Labar, Matthew

7 The Scots entering PCCC under an archway of crossed brooms KURLING FOR KIDS Edition- 15th Anniversary Welcome to the 15th Annual Kurling for Kids bonspiel. The Pointe-Claire Curling Club will be participating again this year along with 12 other clubs from the Montreal area. The goal this year, for all the clubs, is to raise $240,000 to purchase urgent critical needs equipment for the Montreal Children s and Sainte Justine s hospitals. Pointe-Claire will be hosting 12 teams to play on April 6th, 2013 with a pre-game lunch being served starting at 11:30 and supper at 6:30 pm. Games begin at 1:00, with 4 end games. Each team will play 2 games. Cost is $40.00 per curler and we ask EACH curler to try and raise a minimum of $ through raffle ticket sales and web donations. Great raffle ticket prizes and incentive prizes for selling tickets are available. For further details and/or questions, contact Tom Litchfield or Jeanny Houde. Sign up today to reserve your spot for supporting a great cause.

8 KURLING FOR KIDS donations exceed $1.3 million! Kurling for Kids (K4K) is a non-profit organization dedicated to improving the lives of children and their families through The Montreal Children's Hospital Foundation and the Sainte-Justine UHC Foundation. Since 1999,it has raised over $1.36 million through activities in 13 Montreal area curling clubs, including the PCCC. The 15th annual Kurling for Kids is scheduled for Saturday April 6, 2013 with an objective of $240,000. Tom Litchfield sends in this report from Robert Sears of K4K. We recently had an amazing visit at the Montreal Children's Hospital to view the equipment purchased with the funds from our 2011 K4K event. We were greeted by Suzanne Dalzell from the foundation and Dr. John Paul Capolicchio, a urologist. Dr. Capolicchio and his head nurse Caroline gave us a an overview of the 3D Endoscopic Vision Head Mounted Display an amazing piece of equipment which allows for minimally invasive surgery as surgery is done through keyholes under 3D camera guided vision. This is the only 3D Vision system in Canada and the MCH is the envy of many hospitals throughout the country. One of the main advantages of this surgery is that due to the fact that the surgeries are minimally invasive, it allows the young patients much quicker recovery. Dr. Capolicchio and his team have been anxiously awaiting this new technology. He told us I have been dreaming about working in 3D for years because I knew it was the next logical step. Thanks to the Kurling for Kids Foundation, who purchased the equipment for our service, many children will benefit. Dr. Capolicchio also has been a K4K participant at the Montreal West Kurling for Kids event for the past two years and told us that he is looking forward to playing again in K4K 2013! Then it was on to the Founder s wall for photos. We presented a cheque and received a founder s shovel recognizing Kurling for Kids an Eminent benefactors of the New Children s. Overall it was an amazing evening. I would like to thank Dr. Capolicchio, Head Nurse Caroline and Suzanne Dalzell for their time and hospitality. This trip really shows how much of an impact K4K is making in the lives of children. A huge thanks to all of you for being a part of this amazing team. You really are making a difference!

9 Les dons de Kurling for Kids dépassent 1,3 millions de dollars! Kurling for Kids (K4K) est un organisme sans but lucratif dédié à améliorer la vie des enfants et de leurs familles à travers la Fondation de l'hôpital de Montréal pour Enfants et la Fondation CHU SainteJustine. Depuis 1999, ils ont amassé plus de 1,36 million de dollars grâce à leurs activités dans 13 clubs de curling de la région de Montréal, y compris le CCPC. La 15e édition de K4K est prévue pour le 6 avril 2013, avec un objectif de $. Tom Litchfield nous fait parvenir ce rapport de Robert Sears, responsable de K4K. «Permettez-moi de vous donner un petit résumé d'une récente visite incroyable à l'hôpital de Montréal pour Enfants, pour voir l'équipement acheté avec les fonds de notre événement K4K Suzanne Dalzell de la fondation nous a accueillis et présenté le Dr Jean-Paul Capolicchio, urologue. Le Dr Capolicchio et son infirmière-chef Caroline nous ont donné un aperçu du Visiocasque d'endoscopie 3D - une étonnante pièce d'équipement qui permet une chirurgie mini-invasive puisque pratiquée à travers des «trous de serrure» sous la guidance d'une caméra 3D. C'est le seul système de vision 3D au Canada et le MCH fait l'envie de nombreux hôpitaux à travers le pays. Étant donné que les chirurgies sont minimalement invasives, les enfants traités peuvent récupérer beaucoup plus rapidement. Le Dr Capolicchio et son équipe attendaient avec impatience cette nouvelle technologie. Il nous a dit «Je rêvais de travailler en trois dimensions depuis des années. Je remercie la fondation Kurling for Kids d'avoir mis cet appareil à notre disposition. Des centaines d'enfants vont en profiter.» Le Dr Capolicchio a participé à l événement Kurling for Kids à Montréal-Ouest au cours des deux dernières années et est impatient de jouer à nouveau dans K4K 2013! Nous avons ensuite visité le Mur des Fondateurs pour une séance de photos. Nous avons présenté un chèque et reçu une pelle nous identifiant Kurling for Kids comme «Bienfaiteurs émérites du nouveau Children». Vraiment, ce fut une soirée incroyable et je tiens à remercier le Dr Capolicchio, l'infirmière-chef Caroline et Suzanne Dalzell pour leur temps et leur hospitalité. Cette visite nous a montré à quel point K4K a un impact sur la vie des enfants et un grand merci à vous tous pour faire partie de cette équipe incroyable. Vous faites vraiment une différence!

10 TURKEY BONSPIEL 2012 Gagnants de la dinde - John Amyot, Claude Renaud, Johanne Eccles, Dave Moon - Turkey winners: Gagnants d'une petite dinde - Howard Brown, Guy Hamilton, Jean-Yves Wolff, France David winners of a smaller turkey Gagnants de la bouteille de vin - Howard Stevens, Joyce Schoeep, Alex Simard, Bernard Blais -winners of the wine bottle During the Turkey bonspiel dinner, there were some rumblings about a certain Claude Renaud winning the Turkey bonspiel too often. It is time to divulge the truth and to dispel rumors. In addition to 2012, Claude Renaud won the turkey in 2011 with Gerry Yuskowsky, Bernard Blais and Brenda Cooper. He won the ham in 2010 with Dave Moon, Daina Paize and Anne Weary. He won the wine in 2009 with Réal Parent and John Amyot. He did NOT win in 2007 and 2008! He did win the ham in 2006 with Claire MacDougall, John Amyot and Ed Arthur. He won the turkey in 2005 with Al Ward, Shirley Dobson and Roger Wuilleumier. He won the wine in 2004 (his first year at PCCC) but nobody can remember who he was playing with. This proves that the assertion that Claude Renaud wins the turkey every year is blatantly exaggerated. And if you want to win something at the next Turkey bonspiel, the conclusion is obvious: play with Claude Renaud! Au cours du souper suivant le bonspiel de la dinde, certaines rumeurs circulaient selon lesquelles un certain Claude Renaud remporterait la dinde trop souvent. Il est temps de remettre les pendules à l'heure. En plus de 2012, Claude Renaud a remporté la dinde en 2011 avec Gerry Yuskowsky, Bernard Blais et Brenda Cooper. Il a gagné le jambon en 2010 avec Dave Moon, Daina Paize et Weary Anne. Il a remporté le vin en 2009 avec Réal Parent et John Amyot. Il n'a pas gagné en 2007 et 2008! Il a gagné le jambon en 2006 avec Claire MacDougall, John Amyot et Ed Arthur. Il a remporté la dinde en 2005 avec Al Ward, Shirley Dobson et Roger Wuilleumier. Il a remporté le vin en 2004 (sa première année à CCPC), mais personne ne peut se souvenir avec qui il jouait. Cela prouve que l'affirmation selon laquelle Claude Renaud remporte la dinde à chaque année est manifestement exagérée. Et si vous voulez gagner quelque chose au prochain bonspiel de la dinde, la conclusion saute aux yeux: jouez avec Claude Renaud!

11 Drama at the Pointe-Claire Curling Club On Saturday December 8, I curled in the Pat Lid Competition starting at 8:45. After a close game, we came off the ice and someone said Do you smell that? I quickly smelled something burning, that familiar smell of burning wires. It seemed to be coming from the cabinets where the beer kegs are stored or in the walls behind. I ran up the stairs and told Amanda that there was a fire and asked her to open up the cabinet in the shed. Then someone noticed smoke coming from underneath the door leading into the locker area. We opened the door and thick billowing smoke came out. The smoke was coming from the compressor room and was so dense, it was hard to see into the room. At this point, people started yelling fire and we called 911. I remember at that point thinking of what to do, how long would it take for the firemen to come, would the building burn down, was everyone OK, all kinds of thoughts you get in those circumstances. Ian Edwards took on the job of marshaling people out the building. Steve Hewlett made sure the breaker of the compressor was off. I removed stuff from my locker and then exited the building. At this point the firemen had not arrived but most people were outside. Someone mentioned that a few were still on the ice! Another person kept asking where her husband was. Lot s of nervous discussion. Then, thankfully we heard the sound of sirens. I think all this took about 15 minutes although it seemed a lot longer. The first fire truck pulled up and some firemen poured out the truck with oxygen equipment and axes at the ready. About 10 firemen entered the building. I was looking at their faces as they went thru the door, they all looked calm, but their eyes were big. More fire trucks arrived; I think there were 3 in all. So we stood outside waiting to see if the building was on fire. After a while there was a kind of relief going thru the crowd as no firemen were bringing out hoses and started to exit the building. The chief fireman came out and asked that someone come in the building with him. We all tried to be invisible at that point and someone pointed to Bob Suderman. Bob went in with the chief. We noticed that the smoke and smell coming out the front door was almost gone now. Some people started leaving, some went back in to get their gear, and a few asked if there was going to be curling tomorrow. I mentioned that it looked like the compressor had fried and that there would probably be no curling for a while as we might loose the ice. It turned out we did the loose the ice and there was no curling that week. In the end no one was injured and the building did not burn down which were the most important things. It was certainly an experience I will remember for a long time. Steve Mariano As a result of this mishap, the ice melted. Curling resumed only on the next Saturday, December 15, just in time for the Turkey Bonspiel. (See preceding page ). To lessen the withdrawal symptoms of keen curlers, Patricia and her committee organized a Chicken Wings with free beer celebration on Wednesday December 12. We were able to see Karl Murovic hard at work painting the ice while enjoying munchies in good company. On Thursday January 24, another problem: no electricity from 7am to 10pm, resulting in the cancellation of all activities that day, and some frigid conditions on the following day. We are all hoping that this streak of bad luck is now over. Ed.

12 SENATORS NEWS Jim Purvis. Chairman: Prior to the Christmas break the Senators participated in a skins match over two days (see photo), and on the third day a Red/Green match. The Reds (non-playing captain Ron) won by 4 stones over the Greens (non-playing captain Wally). Senators wish to thank Ron O'Shaughnessy, Wally Denver and Ray Giguère for organizing these great games! Skins winner: David Gray, Steve Mariano, Bob Rondeau, Ron O Shaughnessy The Christmas dinner was the usual success with turkey and all the trimmings provided by Catherine. We thank our hostesses for the dinner: Judie Amyot, Carine Brideau, Zena Chevrier, Carol Dziewirz, Dorothy MacDonald, Marjorie Nelson, Gayle Pollock, and Elizabeth Semmelhaak. The guest speaker, Past President Bill McMurchie, received a small gift wrapped in brown paper for his participation. The Johnson Trophy, normally played in December prior to the Christmas dinner, was postponed to January 8 due to compressor problems. The play that day resulted in a tie and so the winner did not emerge after a playoff a week later. Winning team team and holders of the Gentlemen of Leisure Johnson Trophy were Morgan Howard, David Montgomery, Bruce Groves, and Alan Hutchison. In examining the results of the first -half of the Senators curling year, our statistician John Amyot reports the one curler has a significant lead in the quest for the John Tittley Trophy. This trophy is awarded to the person with the highest winning percentage over the total games played. Without naming names, this curler uses a stick and always plays with a cap. Can you figure out who this might be? John McLeod reports that to date the Senators have successfully given lessons 95% of the time prior to the start of the curling draws. We owe a big thank you to all those who have given the lessons and those who have listened with interest. The Senators will be hosting the ladies for the St-Patrick s Challenge on March 14. We are all looking forward to this popular event. Interclub report: by Stu Levell With the season two-thirds complete, the Pointe-Claire entry reigns solidly in the middle of the pack of the Interclub league. As defending champions, the target has been on our backs all season and the opposing teams have been curling lights out and making all games very competitive. We still have a make-up game with the current leader, Longue-Pointe, to play at the end of the season so we still have opportunities to climb in the standings. In other Interclub events, our curling match with Lachine for the Broom and Mashie had to be postponed due to power failure in PointeClaire a few weeks ago. The Second Place Cup games in Alexandria are being played as this goes to press. The return game at PointeClaire will be played in mid March. The cup goes to the club that finishes second in the home and home series. Daniel Janidlo found an interesting article about Curling with a stick at this blog : There are also many other interesting curling articles about curling, golf and sports from coach Bill Tschirhart..

13 Dear fellow members, it is with great pleasure that I wish to share with you my experience with the Colts circuit program. Last year, Rémi Portugais and I joined the PCCC club with great enthusiasm, keen on playing in bonspiels. Luckily our vicepresident Keith Mallette spoke to us about the Colts circuit program which is open to all curlers men and women with 5 years or less of curling experience. That is when we learned how conditions can change so rapidly. I also remember being so sore for the next 2-3 days. Playing six games in 48 hours will do that to your body. In our last Spiel in Longue-Pointe we didn't perform well but still had lots of fun. This year, we were keen and planned on playing all the tournaments so that we could qualify for the championship event played by the top six teams. So far the highlights of our year have been making it to the A finals in the first spiel held in Valleyfield I contacted Bernie Filiatreault who was skipping the only PCCC and then winning the B finals in the fourth event held in Colts team and told him that if ever he needed players that we Rosemère. Strangely enough, we had to play many of the games would love to join him. Little did I know that his entire team other than himself could not make it to the Brownsburg bonspiel held in with only three players. We are currently in third place overall with one more tournament being held in Longue-Pointe. Hopefully early December. So he formed a team composed of Rémi, Neil Gargul and me. During our long one hour trip to the club, we simply we will be participating in the champion's tournament being held could not contain ourselves, so excited yet so nervous. Bernie with on March 2. his 4 years of experience kept telling us that we would do just fine I strongly encourage all of you who will have less than 5 years' and that we would be playing against other Colts. Well when we experience next year to try a Colts meet at least once. Teams arrived at Brownsburg: a small village curling club, we watched can participate in only one event or do the entire circuit. The some of the teams and we quickly thought: what did we get teams participating in these events are very different: some are ourselves into?. These curlers looked like they could compete very competitive and some play just for fun and experience. Some against some of our Monday night ladder teams. Lo and behold, we teams are all young adults while others are composed of learned afterwards that these were the top teams playing. To put members retired from work. Some are all into their fifth year, things into perspective, we were three greens who had never heard while others are all in their 2"' or less. of a board weight take out. After having lost two tight games, we began to gel, becoming familiar and comfortable throwing board Some clubs have taken full advantage of this program and have weight take outs. We ended up winning our next game and losing in registered up to six teams at a single bonspiel. Laval-sur-le-lac is the C finals on the last rock. On the way home we recalled our one of those. From their results, I can tell you that they will remain amazing experience by reviewing some of the strategies and most one of the strongest clubs in our area as they have an ongoing of all some of the great shots we made. supply of competitive curlers coming from the Colts program. It would be great to have more representation from Pointe-Claire. If Well from there, I was able to convince two great curlers, Steve you are interested in playing next year, please let me know and I Hewlitt and Brian Francis, to form a new team and we participated will put you into contact with other members who are interested. in two more bonspiels. The first was in Rosemère where we lost Also if the interest is there I plan to do one of the circuit bonspiels our first game but ended up playing against the same team in the in the second half with uninitiated curlers. B finals and won! I still remember in our second last game we were tied after 8 ends and we had to do a draw to the button. All Finally I wish to thank Bernie Filiatreault for having represented the spectators were watching from behind the glass and we were Pointe-Claire so well and introduced so many of us to the Colts the only two teams left on the ice. The first team had thrown their Program. This is his last year of eligibility. Hopefully we will be rock right through the house and all we had to do was make it into able to build on what he has started. the house. Our Skip Steve Hewlett's his time seemed good. Rémi For more info or if you wish to follow the circuit please go to and I were cleaning in front of the rock and half way down it seemed slow, so we began to sweep and then as we passed the Quebec.html. hog line it began to sweep as hard as we could but we ended up being one inch short. On the second trial, we ended up prevailing. Hugues Demol

14 The Computer World by Bob Wood Spring is almost upon us and the time is flying by as we observe all the new items that are getting better, faster, and more for the dollar, in the offerings of the computer world. Apple, only a couple of years ago started this by introducing a convenient portable system called the ipad and then others such as Google followed with similar items,and now we have systems that are starting to replace the computer as we know it. I realize that most of you probably have a Windows PC or a imac. But the portable Pads are walk-around devices that supplement the old systems. I find that with all the program applications available for free or at minimum cost the Pads are starting to replace those larger systems. Because of the popularity of these new Pad systems, the competition is great, with new and better offerings being made by Apple, Google and Microsoft. Some ask, would the ipad or other device be acceptable as a new system to keep in touch with others and different web sites? I say yes, but you have to take into consideration that the present users have a WiFi network from Videotron, Bell or others. This is not a great cost if you already have their TV offering but WiFi is monthly cost like the cable TV bill. The nice part of these new devices is you do not have to be sitting in front of a desk, but carry them around with the ability to read and review items while travelling. Also many coffee shops have free wi-fi available to customers as does the PCCC. Plus the new Pads have a camera. Another item are some of the tools that I use making ipad time a little easier while on the internet. The main one is an offering from Google called GMail, that I have been using for the last few years. I find it easier and neat plus you can make a file of selected s that will stay as long as you desire,and is great for reference information. Now I realize that most have already set up from as I do, such as xxxx@ sympatico.ca or videotron. You can set your Gmail to receive the sympatico/videotron mail and treat it like any other, you can respond as if you were Sympatico or from Gmail. One of the other offerings that is associated with Gmail and or Google is a item called Google Drive, a feature that will handle new documents or others that are received such as word, excel, and others. I have been using Office for a few years, and often I require inputs from others to make a document better for all to view. If I upload the Excel file to Google Drive and then share it with one or two, I have a document that pleases all and the little mistakes are corrected, Drive is my choice. Another Google item that I use all the time, for curling schedules, appointments, trip agendas and other schedules is Google Calendar. If I enter an item, it automatically appears on my cell phone and on all the systems that I have. Do you realize that all this information is in the Google Cloud, and is available on the phone where notes and to-dos can be included. This is a tool that I have been using for a few years with no issues and it is free. Another tool that I find invaluable is the Google address book. Yes it will work on the Apple iphone, ipad and most devices. It becomes a phone book and information inputted on one device updates all systems The last item is Google Chrome. It is a browser that is similar to Firefox but has all the tools that I like and the address bar, across the top, becomes a search engine. And with Chrome comes a great News offering that is one of the finest on the net. Enough for now. Have a great spring to all as we see the sun and the green grass.

15 ARCM and Branch Report Submitted by Gerry Yuskowski and Suzanne Smith The year of curling isn t over yet! There s lots of exciting curling to watch or participate in before the end of the season such as the Brier, the Scotties, the Gordon International, the Lakeshore, and Kurling for Kids. Elite Series Tankard In early January, 16 men s teams competed at Glenmore in zone play downs to qualify for the provincial finals. The Pointe-Claire team of Matt Kennerknecht, Kelso Mallette, Hughes DeMol and Tyler Cooper met strong competition and missed out on going to the finals. Jean-Michel Menard s team won the Tankard and will represent Quebec at the Brier in Edmonton March For updated information, check out the web site at Scotties The Allison Ross team from Glenmore will represent Quebec in the upcoming Scotties Tournament of Hearts taking place in Kingston February For more information, refer to the web site Branch Governor General s Instituted in 1874, the Governor General s is a Branch double rink championship. The winners of the Quebec play downs compete against the Ontario Region in the finals of this event. In early January this year, PCCC sent two teams skipped by Kevin Goldberg and Matt Kennerknecht to the Regional play downs at Lachine. Baie-D Urfé prevailed in a close game and went on to challenge other Quebec clubs in the Provincial play downs. The Gordon International It is Canada s turn to host this by invitation annual 3-day event played between the U.S. and Canada. PCCC along with other clubs will host American teams in the Friendly matches Thursday March 14 (2 draws 7pm and 9pm) and Friday, March 15 (2 draws 9am and 1pm). The Gordon Medal games take place on Saturday, March 16 at 9am and 1pm. The winner is decided by the highest total rock count. Come out to welcome our American guests and enjoy some good curling! Club Series The Dominion The deadline for entry is March 31. Men s and women s teams who have played regularly during the season are eligible (for example, in the Windmill or Ladder). PCCC will nominate a men s and a women s team to represent the club at the Regional play downs to be played April at Glenmore. Winners go on to Provincial Play downs October 25-27, 2013.

16 MIND YOUR NUMBERS First a status on the compressor On December the 9th, the windings in the electrical motor that drives the compressor pump overheated and they started to burn. There was no damage to the equipment room (other than the motor) nor the building as the fire officials where on site within minutes. We were shut down for about 6 days. The total cost for the incident was $14,000 which includes: Replacement of the motor; Re-surfacing the ice; Loss of bar gross margin for 6 days. We filed a claim to our insurer, but as of this date, we have not had a response. Our deductible is $2,500 and the insurer may not cover the cost of the replacement and installation of the motor ($6,000) as they may consider this normal wear and tear. We have a revenue issue not an operating cost issue Our net operating income (i.e. total revenue less operating expenses) last year at Jan 31st was $65,000 while it is $48,000 this year for a shortfall of some $17,000. Outlined below are the key results of our operations to date. Membership revenue is about $5,000 lower than last year and $2,000 below budget. Ice rental revenue is down by about $2,000 as prime Saturday evening rental opportunities are no longer available. Bar revenues are lower than last year by $8,000; there are three reasons for this situation: Lower membership numbers (about 8 members); Loss of revenue during the December shut down (this has been claimed); Minor loss of revenue during the summer as there were no rentals because of renovation. Bar gross margin (sales less cost of product) is in line with budget (53%) and in line with last year. The net bar contribution (after cost of product, salaries and other expenses) is some $5,000 less that last year for two reasons: Lower sales; Purchase of several small items for the new bar (glasses and other items to run a bar). Internal events net (charges less costs) loss is minimal and is in line with last year; we operate at a small loss for Club events because of the free opening cocktail and the January 1st event. Advertizing revenue is ahead of last year by some $4,000 because of the excellent work of Patricia Brown in increasing the advertizing in our roster book and on the web. External house rental revenue net income is lower that last year because we lost one regular weekly rental. Boutique revenue is less than last year by $3,000 as we have fewer newer members that required curling equipment. Net contribution is however in line with last year. Renovation project had no effect on our operations The renovation project was financed by an increase in our credit facility and the contribution of members. Total cost was some $85,000. Although the initial budget was lower, the project management committee increased the scope of the project simply because the contribution of members was some $15,000 over the planned amount. The capital project expenditures did not affect our operations. Capital expenditures and expenditures for our operations come from the same cash pot. Cash is the key Our current cash position is the same as last year at the same date. There are some concerns moving forward including: The amount of the our insurance claim that will be reimbursed (one of the vendors had not been paid pending resolution of our claim); The revenue outlook for the remainder of the season particularly with respect to ice and hall rentals; The recent breakdowns of the refrigeration equipment and associated repairs costs which seems to continue; Our ability to generate cash from May to August (cash from the market rental and the payment of receivables). At this time of the year we generate minimal cash; I will continue to monitor the situation closely. Jim Cadieux, Treasurer

17 Are We Post PC?! This is my second attempt at writing an article for this edition of Sweepings. My first go was all about search engines on the internet, but recent sales figures for the Christmas shopping season are revealing a major sea change in the world of computing; so I thought I d share that with you this month.! First, some raw data to consider: in the past year, ending with the fourth quarter of 2012, PC shipments increased by 12% worldwide*. Leading the market once more, Apple shipped 27 million units, giving them a share of 20% for the first time ever. In descending order from there, HP, Lenovo, Samsung, and Dell had shares of 11%, 11%, 9%, and 7%, respectively. But the devil is in the details: electronic pads are pushing out sales of the good old PC...! The Electronic Numerical Integrator and Computer, better known as ENIAC, was born on the campus of the University of Pennsylvania in 1946, signaling the birth of the Information Age. Soon, IBM and similar companies were in the business of building mainframe computers for military use and then commercial use. This eventually led to the explosion of mini-computers, then micro-computers, making fortunes for the early pioneers: Mr. Gates, Mr. Jobs, Mr. Dell, Mr. Hewlett, Mr. Packard, Mr. Canion (Compaq), etc. The standard became a desktop with a keyboard and mouse; then the laptop invaded the market. In recent years, devices that used to take up entire warehouses to run can be put in your pocket and do more work, faster, and better. Where is this all going?! The question many are really asking is, Do I still need a desktop or laptop to do my computing, or can I accomplish the same thing with an e- pad? I am ready to hazard a guess that 95% of computer users could do 95% of their computing needs on an electronic pad. Even heavy hitters such as Adobe are coming out with perfectly effective Photoshop equivalents for e-pads that will take care of most photographers needs. The old desktop paradigm is beginning to look a lot like a dinosaur.! And those stats at the beginning of this article? If you remove e-pad sales from those figures, the outlook is very grim for all of the manufacturers. E-pads are their salvation. And the future of computing. - Bob Rondeau *Source: Canalys.com

18 Le PC est-il mort? Dans cette édition de Balayages, j ai choisi de vous parler de la mort imminente de l ordinateur tel que nous l avons connu. (Je vais donc reporter mon article sur la méthode de faire des recherches booliennes sur internet). En effet, les résultats des ventes technos du temps des Fêtes nous font constater qu il se passe quelque chose de majeur dans le monde des ordis. Tout d abord, quelques chiffres qui font tourner des têtes: l an dernier (janvier à janvier), il y eut une augmentation de 12% dans la production et la livraison de PC, mondialement*. En tête de file, Apple a livré 27 millions d unités, leur donnant 20% du marché et ce, pour la première fois de leur histoire. Ensuite, par ordre décroissant, HP, Lenovo, Samsung et Dell ont eu des parts de 11%, 11%, 9% et 7%, respectivement. Mais ce qu il faut savoir, c est que les tablettes électroniques sont en train d envahir le marché...! Le premier ordinateur, proprement dit, fut ENIAC, créé à l Université de la Pennsylvanie, en Ce fut la naissance de l ère de l information. Peu après, IBM et d autres produisirent de gros ordinateurs pour les militaires et ensuite, pour le monde des affaires. Deux décennies plus tard, ce fut au tour des mini-ordinateurs et puis (enfin!) les micro-ordinateurs que nous avons tous chez nous. Des individus devenus célèbres ont marqué ce progrès: MM. Gates, Jobs, Dell, Hewlett, Packard, Canion (Compaq). On s est habitué à la souris, au clavier électronique, au moniteur... et finalement ce fut au tour du portable de nous épater. Les grosses machines des temps passés ont été supplantées par des bidules qu on met maintenant dans sa poche. On s en va où, avec tout ça?!! La vraie question que tout le monde se pose, c est: Ai-je toujours besoin d un ordinateur sur mon bureau, ou d un portable, pour faire mon travail? Ou bedon est-ce qu une tablette, c est suffisant? Je vous dirais que 95% des gens peuvent accomplir 95% de leurs tâches sur une tablette. Même Adobe sort des versions performantes de Photoshop adaptées au format tablette pour les mordus de la photo. De plus en plus, les vieux ordis sont vieux jeu...! Quant aux chiffres donnés en début de cet article, il faut savoir que si vous soustrayez les ventes de tablettes de ces totaux, le prognostic pour la santé des ordis est inquiétant pour les manufacturiers. Les tablettes sont leur planche de salut. - Bob Rondeau *Source: Canalys.com

19 The Senate: An Invaluable Part of the PCCC Unlike the Senators appointed by our Federal Government, the Pointe-Claire Senators have an actual raison d être. They are honest, reliable, on time, attend the club very regularly (except when injured or in Florida), and are not burdens upon the taxpayers of Canada including Quebec. In addition, Senators are always willing to extend a helping hand whenever needed. Senators are very competitive, and don t have anything to prove. The Senate members are mostly retired guys and a number of ladies who have been there, done that, and were damn good at it too. Some have even played in the Brier a couple of current members have even won it. Are you surprised? Am I perhaps biased? Yes! The members of our Senate League understand what it is to be a member of a club. Active, involved and supportive, they do not slam sticks or make unkind remarks when a fellow curler misses a shot. Indeed, all those centuries of curling experience are available to everyone who wants to improve his or her game. Moreover, what other sport can boast of 90+ year olds who are still active and making shots? In the offseason, many of them will play golf just to keep in shape for the next curling season. Speaking of golf; by regulation, a golf ball must weigh no more than 1.62 ounces, and a club (or stick) is required to play the game. The average golfer (except curlers that is) cannot hit those 1.62 ounces more than 200 yards with any regularity. By comparison, a curling rock weighs 40 pounds, and must be thrown 125 feet 16 times and swept six times that distance times during a match. Quite unlike golf, curling is played on such an icy, slippery, hard surface that head protection should be worn to avoid serious injury. Curling is not just a walk in the park. The Senators Les Sénateurs These days many organizations require some help with their operations. The Senate raises funds during the curling season that benefit our Junior Program as well as supporting other worthy causes. It s a shame, but most regular members of our club would not know a Senator if they tripped over one. Perhaps it is time to meet some of them, since a fair number of you will likely join the Senate after retirement. Senators compete Tuesday, Thursday, and Friday afternoon every week with 2 draws a day at 12:50 and 3:00 pm, so if you have the occasional day off, drop over to see some quality curling and make some new friends. Do not be fooled by the grey hair or the occasional throwing device. Remember the old saying: just because there is snow on the roof, it does not mean that the fire in the hearth has gone out. Fire and ice it s what makes a Senator a Senator! Signed: Anonymous Editor's note: The Senators are proud to mention the Calcutta champions this January: Jim Redston, Bill Arnold, Rémi Portugais and Terri Bird, a team of 3 Senators out of 4 players. To all the other league players: Care to join the competitive league?

20 LES MURALES DU CLUB DE CURLING DE LACHINE THE MURALS AT THE LACHINE CURLING CLUB Si vous avez déjà joué au Club de Curling de Lachine, vous avez surement été distrait par la série de 13 murales qui ornent les murs de chaque coté des trois glaces. Ces murales présentent des scènes de curling très drôles, pleines de clichés et tout-à-fait politiquement incorrectes selon les standards actuels. On y voit des amérindiens avec plumes et tomahawks, des religieuses aux jupes retroussées, des français avec chapeaux fleuris et pantalons bouffants et des écossais avec cornemuses et chapeaux ronds. Ces murales ont été peintes en 1969, lors du 75e anniversaire du club de Lachine, fondé en Selon François Leroux, c'est Noël Hollier qui a imaginé et dessiné les murales. De nombreux amateurs d'art locaux ont colorié les images. Voici la photo d'une des murales, ma favorite, la sœur volante! Plus 2 autres en page suivante. Sur notre site web, j'ai mis en supplément de cette édition de Balayages/Sweepings les photos en couleur de toutes les murales. Amusez-vous à aller les voir. Photo: Bob Suderman If you ever played the Lachine Curling Club, you've probably been distracted by a series of 13 murals that adorn the walls on each side of the three sheets. These murals depict very funny curling scenes, full of clichés and totally politically incorrect by today's standards. You can see Indians with feathers and tomahawks, nuns with their skirts in the air, Frenchmen with flowered hats and baggy pants, as well as Scotsmen with bagpipes and round hats. These murals were painted in 1969 for the 75th anniversary of the Lachine Club, founded in According to Francois Leroux, it was Noël Hollier who designed and sketched the murals. Many local art lovers added colour to the images. Here is the picture of my favourite mural: the Flying Nun! On our Website, I added extra pages to this edition of Sweepings/Balayages, showing colour photos of all the murals. I'm sure you will have fun looking at them. Claude Renaud