January 30, 2026
ACC Anniversary – 170 years rocking in Almonte!
From the Almonte Gazette, February 5, 1870 - CURLIANA – We omitted to record the result of a match at the “roaring game” in our last that took place here on last Monday week, between the Arnprior and Almonte Curling Clubs. The ice on the river being much smoother than that in the rink, the game was played on the former, the “stones” having been carried thither from the rink for that purpose. The game was very closely contested throughout, and displayed some excellent playing on both sides. The result was a tie, at 16.
We’ve come a long way from 1870 and moving curling stones from rink to river, thanks to our excellent ice technician and ice maintenance volunteers keeping the rink’s ice in top shape.
- You can pick up your 170th anniversary pin at the bar for only $5.
- We’ve commissioned drinks coasters with the club logo and our 170th anniversary logo, and we’ll be selling them for $15 each. They’re similar the U5 bonspiel prize coasters in material and shape and are quite solid and attractive. You can order any number and combination by going to https://forms.office.com/r/CpfRfshznF. Please order by March 1.
Volunteer
Volunteering is fun! Except for our ice technician, everything that happens at the ACC is done by volunteers and we appreciate the many members who step up to make the ACC a welcoming, fun community. Opportunities are posted on MEMBERS HOME > My Volunteer Interests, so visit regularly. Once your volunteer work is done, you’ll get your $80 opt-out fee back! Contact our Volunteer Coordinator, Sandra Power, at volunteer@almontecurling.ca for more information.
Please help out! Current opportunities:
- A co-organizer and a fund-raising coordinator for the Almonte Cup (two roles) to help Ian MacLellan, in addition to the team captains (to be identified later). Please contact Ian at accianmac@gmail.com for more information or see him at the club. The Almonte Cup is the club’s signature event and we’d love to have you on the team to make it a success again this year.
- Sandwiches or kitchen help for the OVCA Little Rocks Playdowns on February 7 – see our future champions!
- Sandwiches or kitchen help for the OV Lefties Challenge on February 21.
- Marketing assistant – work with the marketing coordinator to communicate with current and potential advertisers
- If you’d like to shadow a board member or coordinator we’d be happy to show you the ropes. Please talk to a board member or Sandra if you’d like more information.
Leagues
- We have some spaces in the Monday Morning Ladies social league for the rest of the season. If you’re joining this league as your Learn to Curl league, there’s no cost.
Events
Club bonspiels and other events give you a chance to meet other members you might not meet in your curling schedule. They’re fun and social, and many have been going on for many years. You can register for club bonspiels and other events on the ACC website under EVENTS > Events Registration.
- Don’t forget to pay your event or bonspiel registration fees by etransfer before the event. Send your payment to etransfer@almontecurling.ca and include the event name in the comments. Event cost is found under EVENTS > Events Registration.
- Registration for the Silver Jug End of Year Spiel on March 21 opens February 7! Only 48 curlers can sign up for this fun, action-packed spiel so register early.
Members Home
The ACC Members Home site is where you can update your personal information, register to curl, find your league and team information, and find other members.
- You can find information about all club bonspiels and events, including a description and registration open dates, under EVENTS > Events Info. There are also links to the Curling Ontario and Ottawa Valley Curling Association bonspiel pages so you can find bonspiels at other clubs.
Club
- We have ACC crests for $10! They can be heat pressed or sewn on. Contact clubcomms@almontecurling.ca if you’d like to buy one or talk to Helen McIntosh at the club.
- Once again, it’s respiratory virus season, so let’s help keep everyone healthy! Use fist bumps or broom taps as greeting, use hand sanitizer, and please stay home if you’re sick.
Did you know?
There are simple things you can do to help the game move smoothly so that getting 8 ends in is easy. You can see our updated rules and etiquette on the website under Curling > Etiquette, Roles and Rules.
- Why do we call a curling competition a bonspiel? It could be thanks to Scotland's old alliances with Flanders (today's Belgium), where French "bon" for good and German "spiel" for game mix. Or it could be a Dutch word, from "bond" meaning league or association and "spel" meaning game. But it’s definitely not a shpiel (or spiel) - a long speech or story originating from the Yiddish and German word for “play" or "performance" – that comes after the games.
50/50 Draw
This week’s 50/50 draw winner is John Vant Erve. Congratulations John! Your roll-over winnings of $226 will be sent to you by etransfer.
You can still e-transfer your $40 to etransfer@almontecurling.ca for this season, just indicate 50\50 and Your Name in the comment section of your transfer. We’ve brought back the roll-over, so payouts could be big!
