History
On December 10, 1847 the London Curling Club was formed with 19 members, making it one of the oldest curling clubs in Canada. Sixteen iron stones were ordered at a cost of £14 from Elijah Leonard’s Foundry on Fullarton Street. The curling took take place on ice at The Coves, a watershed area in what is now South London.
The minutes of the closing meeting of the 1853-1854 season noted: “The season finished with a supper of beef and greens at the Robinson Hall. The gathering included sundry horns of hot scotch, and after a pleasant evening members went home all the better, well pleased with the grog and themselves.”
In 1911 the first City of London Bonspiel was held. This became an important curling event during the 20th century, with teams coming from all around Southwestern Ontario to compete for the title. That same year, the curling moved indoors at the Western Fair Grounds. After a fire on the grounds in 1914, the London Curling Club members purchased the Jubilee Rink on Lyle Street, which had been built in 1897 for ice skating and hockey. Again, fire erupted on August 25, 1922 and the rink was a total loss. Insurance fortunately covered a majority of the expenses. A new six sheet curling facility was rebuilt. It opened in 1923 and has remained the club’s home.
In the early days, curling was exclusively a male sport, but in 1951 the London Curling Club enlarged its premises and admitted ladies. This has made curling a family sport and greatly increased its popularity.
Sources: Presentation of Club's History by Greg Lewis; London Curling Club's 80th Anniversary by Dr. J.A. Wright