STENEN, PREECEVILLE — The annual Stenen Curling Bonspiel that boasts it is “the biggest small-town bonspiel around” was dealt a terrible blow when the warm temperatures caused the rink’s natural ice to become unplayable.
The community and area reached out and the Preeceville Curling Rink opened its doors to the Village of Stenen’s bonspiel that was held Jan. 31 to Feb. 3 with 17 rinks entered.
The Merv Secundiak rink from Sturgis, which also included Blair and Brad Secundiak and Rob Wilcott, captured the A event championship. The winner of the B side was the Jess Olson rink of Preeceville along with team members Steven and Brett Geistlinger and Rodney Serhan. The Terry Dennis rink of Canora battled hard and captured the C event. Other team members included Cal Statchuk, Lynda Statchuk and Lorri Dennis.
Other rinks entered were skipped by or were sponsored by: Patrick Kardynal, Bob Lebo, Preeceville Funeral Home, Rawhides, Shawn Krotenko, Rick Pawliw, Don Koroluk, Kerby Mirva, Dale Lisoway, Art Boyd, Dave Bodnarek, Scott Schwergert, Jodi Bashforth and Kenny Bazansky.
During the bonspiel curlers and spectators enjoyed homemade soups and pies, perogies and burgers. The banquet was held on Feb. 2 at the Stenen Hall and saw over 300 people in attendance. Long-time curler Merv Secundiak, who is 82 years of age and has been curling since he was eight, was honoured with a special plaque. Secundiak was also a member of the A event champion rink.
“I have a huge passion for curling,” stated Secundiak. “It is a sport that can been enjoyed by everyone from young to the older generation. Every game and end are different, and the social aspect of camaraderie and competition is what keeps curling fun and motivational. Through the years there has been some changes with the different types of brooms, the no sliding rule and we could not release the rock before the T-line,” said Secundiak.
Curling in Stenen was well organized before 1920 and it started out as an outdoor sport that had many eager curling participating, according to an article in Preeceville Progress newspaper in 1970. The sport moved indoors when a suitable building was found but when it was demolished numerous years later a new building was built after the Second World War.
In 1978, the Stenen recreation board decided to build another structure and it was built in two stages, The waiting room was built first followed by the rest of the building the following year. The cost was more than $60,000 for the three-sheet natural ice facility. At the ribbon cutting ceremony that opened the new structure were Mayor Lorne Busch, Ned Shillington, the minister of culture and youth, and many recreation board members and volunteers. That year there were 36 rinks entered in the annual bonspiel.
