January 15, 2026 | Brittany Boschman for PortageOnline.com
A volunteer with the Oakville Curling Club getting the ice in so league play can start January 23
The Oakville Curling Club is ready to welcome curlers back to the ice after a year of weather-related setbacks, with league play is set to begin next Friday, January 23. Dana Grant, president of the curling club, says the rink is in excellent condition thanks to the efforts of club members and their families.
"We've been able to get it in. It's great. It's ready to roll. So next Friday, we're planning on starting our league curling, which is exciting," Grant said.
Last season, the club had to cancel play due to uncooperative weather, but this year, colder temperatures have allowed the ice to be installed and maintained successfully.
Registration has brought in six teams, slightly fewer than previous years, but still enough to fill the club's prime evening draw.
"We had some of our regulars that just couldn't make it this year due to, you know, vacations planned or just things coming up. But I think six is good. We still have our sheets full for the 7 o'clock draw," Grant noted.
Beyond the excitement of returning to play, the Oakville Curling Club is focused on long-term improvements, including plans for a geothermal system to help maintain the ice earlier in the season and through warmer spells in January. The club is actively fundraising and seeking grants to make this a reality.
““We’re hoping to get our geothermal units hooked up just so that we can start ice, you know, November and have it ready for kind of like middle of December. And then we could start earlier in the year. It just maintains the ice and keeps it consistent. So when we get these warm thoughts in January, we don’t lose our ice, or it doesn’t get wet.””
For Grant, the curling season is also a family affair. She shares that her two young children help with ice preparation, fostering an early love for the sport.
The Oakville Curling Club's members are looking forward to hitting the ice, enjoying friendly competition, and seeing the club grow with new improvements in the years to come.
League play begins next Friday, promising a return to regular Friday night curling for the community.