Written by Hi Riverdale, and welcome to the 40th Anniversary Season of the Riverdale Curling League!
Read on for the basics of what you can expect to start the season (first games, October 15), information on what we’re planning this year, practice ice, the round one schedule, Nationals playdowns registration, and more.
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Welcome New Curlers:
Welcome to new members! Here are a few basic things you’ll want to check out before the start of the season.
Our website is toronto.pridecurl.ca/riverdale, and the password is in your recent welcome email. On the website, you can find the season calendar, game schedule (draw schedule), our orientation guide, the spare list, team lists, overall standing, and more.Â
If there is anything you can’t find, don’t hesitate to reach out to a member of the executive – we are more than happy to help you find what you need!
40th Anniversary Celebrations:
All season, we’ll be celebrating this amazing milestone with events during regular Sundays and a few special events on Saturdays.
Mark your calendars for Saturday, November 18 Intermediate Clinic and Social and Saturday, January 27 – more details will be announced soon!
A quick rundown of special Sundays for the season:
October 15 – Fortieth Season Opener Celebration
October 29 – Halloween
December 10 – Holiday Carols
December 17 – Holi-Gay Party
January 14 – Self-Care Sunday
February 11 – Valentine’s Day
March 1-3 – Do It On The Ice Bonspiel
April 13-14 – Playoff Weekend
And of course, the Do It On The Ice Bonspiel this year will be one that you won’t want to miss!
Check our calendar for dates and watch the Facebook group, email and newsletter!
First Day of Curling, Round 1 Schedule and Tracking Results:
Our first Sunday for curling is October 15, and the full schedule for Round 1 is posted on the website. You can also view our season calendar to see all game dates for the year, as well as the dates for playoffs and Toronto bonspiels.
You are able to download your games from the league calendar. Just search for your team name, then use the subscribe button to download the ICS file. Most phones will offer to add to your calendar at that point.
A reminder that if you would like to request a bye for an upcoming round, please do so using the form on our website. This makes it so much easier for our Drawmaster to keep track of your requests!
And as in past years, we are asking that the Vice of the winning team (or a delegate) enter the result of the game in the online results form. QR codes are around the club that will take you directly to the results form, or you can enter it at toronto.pridecurl.ca/result. This helps us keep the standings up-to-date and allows the schedule for each round to be created and shared more quickly.
Practice Ice on October 14:
Practice Ice will be available following our Beginner’s Clinic on October 14 and the bar will be open. The clinic runs 3:00 – 5:30 p.m., with practice ice following from 5:30 – 7:00 p.m. Please contact Edward directly to book a 45 minute ice time at e.b.dodd@gmail.com. (5:30-6:15 and 6:15 to 7:00 timeslots, first-come, first serve).
Riverdale is also able to access Royals practice ice when it is offered by the club, usually Tuesday evenings from 5-6:15. To book, Riverdale members can email Club Manager Bill at manager@royalcanadiancurling.com no more than 10 days before they would like to book a sheet. Whether Riverdale members get a sheet will be subject to availability based on interest from Royals members.
Canadian Pride Curling Championships (Nationals Playdowns):
The 2024 Canadian Pride Curling Championships are being held in St. John’s, Newfoundland from March 14-17, 2024. Playdowns to represent Toronto will be held in late autumn. Please save the date Saturday, December 16. Registration for interested teams (for both Riverdale and Rotators members) is now open and can be done at the following link: https://toronto.pridecurl.ca/playdowns/
Teams that are interested in joining must be made completely of Riverdale or Rotators (or a combination of both) members that have made a full payment. Registration will close on October 29. If you have any questions, please contact Matt Harding at external@pridecurl.ca.
Spare List:
It’s your responsibility to find someone to fill in for you if you’re not able to make it to a game – whether because you’re on vacation, you’re sick or for any other reason. You can check the spare list for people who have indicated they are willing to fill in, and you can also Sign up to spare for others, if you’re interested.
Potential Future League Expansion:
Riverdale is popular! As you may have heard, interest in joining our league this season was incredible. In response to this, the Executive is exploring options that might allow more people to join in future years. Throughout the season, we will be engaging with members to canvass your ideas on how we can let others join in our winter fun! Stay tuned!
Gear Up!
If you’re new to curling, make sure that before the beginning of the season you’re ready to get on the ice for the first time. Your key pieces of curling equipment will be:
- Clean shoes – you’ll need shoes with decent grip that are clean. You can’t wear your street shoes on the ice. Avoid dress shoes, heels, boots, or anything that you won’t be able to balance on ice while wearing.
- Stretchy pants – you’ll be lunging and squatting a fair bit on the ice, so you’ll likely want to be able to get up and down without tearing your pants or being constricted.
- Warm clothes that don’t shed fuzz or glitter – you might warm up while sweeping, but it is an ice surface. Make sure you’ll be warm in clothes that don’t shed, as fuzz and other debris will ruin the ice.
- A slider – you may want to get a slider that fits over your shoes and covers your whole sole. If you don’t have one, that’s alright, the club has some to use during your game.
- A broom – you might want to get a broom, but you can also use the club-provided brooms as well.
If you have questions, don’t hesitate to reach out to a member of the executive or a more experienced teammate.
Pride Night at the Grand Slam of Curling:
We’ve been offered free tickets to the 7:30 p.m. draw of the HearingLife Tour Challenge in Niagara Falls on October 21. The event is being held at the Gale Centre Arena, Thorold Stone Road, Niagara Falls, ON, and tickets are for the Men’s and Women’s Semi-Finals.
If you’re interested in tickets, you can request them here: https://forms.gle/inaXAoeFJCw7dLpKA
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That’s it for now! We’re so excited to get back on the ice and continue the grand tradition of 2SLGBTQI curling in Toronto for another season!
If you have any questions, don’t hesitate to reach out to a member of the executive.
Good luck, and good curling!