Curling With Pride
Curling with Pride promotes a fun, inclusive, safe and social curling experience open to all members of the Edmonton-and-area LGBTQ community including friends, family and allies. Skill levels range from beginner to experienced, with all levels of curlers are welcome. The curling season runs from October through March (subject to change annually).
LEAGUE HISTORY
1997: Edmonton’s first gay curling league began.
1999: First Icebreaker Bonspiel, held annually until 2005 (revamped in 2014).
2001: League officially named “Curling with Pride”.
2006: Hosted first Canadian Gay Curling Championships (CGCC) in November.
2012: Incorporated as not-for-profit organization under Alberta’s Society’s Act.
2013: Received a provincial grant to attend the 2013 CGCC in Halifax, NS.
2014: Received a provincial grant to host the 2014 CGCC along with the Icebreaker Bonspiel.
2016: We transitioned our league to the Saville Centre.
2017: We moved back to the Granite Curling Club and welcomed a record 21 teams!
2018: We started a Doubles league (featuring 10 teams) in addition to our regular 4-person league.
EARLY YEARS
Six like-minded curling enthusiasts initiated Edmonton’s first gay curling league (three original members are still involved with CWP today). In the late 90’s, the league struggled to find teams. At its smallest, Curling with Pride only had four teams that played three on three. The league faced several challenges to growth: changing clubs / nights / draw times and discrimination. The initial group was small, but determined to increase membership through such activities as making a papier-mâché curling float for the Edmonton Pride Parade, handing out flyers, manning tables at Pride and LGBT events, and forming partnerships to host events with such groups as Womonspace, the Leather group, GLCCE and the Edmonton Pride Centre.
