Itasca Curling was originated by 8 to 10 charter members, including Wally Froemming, Gordy Brumwell, and Tony Caucci.

We were incorporated in 1968, curling outside under the grandstands at the fairgrounds. This rustic setting didn’t even have bathrooms—just the outdoors and lots of yellow snow. There were only 6 chairs for spectators. Since curling was new to everyone, it was informal and curling protocol wasn’t often followed.

Disaster struck when the bleachers burned down and the curlers no longer had a place to curl. There was a year or more of no curling for the Itasca Curling while they searched for a new home. They looked at vacated iron ore mining buildings and even a huge barn offered by a local farmer. After lots of fundraising, members built a club in its present location in 1973.

In January of 1997, disaster struck once again. During a men’s bonspiel, the curlers had just left the ice when the roof caved in from an overload of heavy snow. We couldn’t curl for the rest of the year.

The club rebuilt in 1998, making the clubrooms larger and installing regulation ice sheets. Leagues curled again in 1999 and are still going strong today! The club retains about 125 members and has four sheets of ice.