The Endeavour Rec Board has decided not to offer a curling ice surface this year due to lack of interest in the curling community.
However, a new ice surface is now in place for novice and new skaters, eight years old and younger to practice and refine their skating abilities. Time slots will coincide with general skating times on Fridays and Sundays.
The following is an excerpt from the history book Past Endeavours with information on some of the struggles that the community endured to create a facility to practice a sport that they loved:
鈥淐urling began in the Endeavour area when a sheet of ice was flooded on the river in 1945. The following year, 1946 saw the beginning stages of building a rink on the lot beside the Cockshutt Farm Equipment building but it was never completed. In 1949, a rink was built on the present location. Funds were scarce so the building was built from culled lumber and many hours of volunteer labour.
鈥淏ill Moniuk flooded the first sheet of ice with a Ford tractor and a 45-gallon drum that was used to haul water from the river.
鈥淭he first bonspiel was held in 1950 and in 1954 a well was dug by the rink to supply water for flooding the ice surface. The well is operated by the Lilian Well Club and is still used today by agriculture producers to water cattle.
鈥淚n 1958, due to the poor construction and materials the rink collapsed. The present rink was built in 1960. Money was raised by getting pledges from people in the village and surrounding area. Albert Meirs was hired to build the rink with assistance from volunteers.
鈥淚n 1973, a recreation board was formed. The first project was to build a kiddies park. In 1981, the board took over the operations of the rink. In 1983, a skating rink was built adjacent to the curling rink with one kitchen area shared by both sides.鈥澛�
The Endeavour Rec Board has indicated that bookings are welcome from all areas for skating parties, birthday parties, shinny and other sporting events involving ice time for the new ice surface.
