100 years on the ice

[attach]5311[/attach]For one night the High Park Curling Club was packed, but not a single stone was thrown and no one swept the ice.

They all partied instead.

And what a party it was.

Members gathered in December to celebrate the institution’s centennial, and club member, office manager and events coordinator Chris Wai said it was the liveliest he had ever seen it.

“It was one of the biggest events we’ve held here, it was huge,” said Wai. “I’ve never seen so many members smiling and laughing and having a good time.”

The club was temporarily remodeled to match the celebratory atmosphere.

“The club was completely transformed into a giant almost ballroom space,” Wai said. “We did a lot of things that most curling clubs wouldn’t do, such as bring up the ice to create a ballroom and dance floor.”

The celebration attracted about 320 people, including current and former members. The event followed a $1.3 million, two-year renovation of the club’s interior.

“It’s sort of a rebirth of the club,” Wai said. “It’s sort of changed the atmosphere inside the club itself.”

It also took several months of preparation.

“I know everyone’s really happy it’s over at this point, but I think we’ll look back at it in a few years and think that the committee and everyone involved did a great job,” he said.

Wai said although he’s only been with the club for four years, he knows the 100-year milestone means a lot to the community.

“The club has been a fixture of High Park–Parkdale for a really long time, and I think it’s going to be for another 100 years.”