Calling All Curlers!!!

On October 25, 2025 the Fredericton Society of Saint Andrew will be hosting a Curling Funspiel at the Capital Winter Club. 

What better way to celebrate the 200th anniversary of Scottish heritage in the City than by playing the game the Scots invented! 

The Fredericotn Society of Saint Andrew and the Capital Winter Club have a great deal in common! It was in 1854 that John Neill, along with fellow Society members, decided that Fredericton should have a curling club. 

Mr Neill had immigrated to New Brunswick from Whitburn (West Lothian Scotland) in 1842, and by 1854 was a well-established merchant in the city, who operated the hardware business of Stewart & Neil. He was also a member of the Society, having joined in 1847 — and serving as Secretary (1847 – 1852), First Vice-President (1857 - 1858), and Second Vice-President (1871 - 1872). 

As John Neill later recalled, the Scottish tradition of curling was very foreign to Fredericton prior to 1854. Perhaps it was during the Feast of Saint Andrew dinner of 1853 — or maybe another Society meeting that fall — when the discussion first took place... We will never know for certain, but after unsuccessfully canvassing many citizens of Fredericton to sponsor the cost of importing curling stones from Scotland, it was five fellow Society members who stepped up to assist with the start-up costs: Alexander McKilligan, Robert Thorburn, John F. Taylor, William Alexander McLean, and Robert Fulton. 

So it was, along with W. Barry Phair and James Moore, that the Fredericton Curling Club was established in December 1854. The necessary “stanes” (stones) were imported from Scotland, and a suitable ice surface was first found at the mouth of the Nashwaak river. 

Join us on October 25 as we pay hommage to the great game! 

No experience is necessary. 200$ per team.
To register your team, contact Susan Jonah (susanjonah@gmail.com).

Popular posts from this blog

Announcing the Winning 200th Anniversary Pipe Tune

Image
The Fredericton Society of Saint Andrew is very pleased to announce the winner of their 200th anniversary bagpipe tune competition: a 2/4 march by piper Brent Webb.  Brent Webb began learning the bagpipes in 1998 when he was nine years old. He soon became a talented member of the Fredericton Junior Pipe Band, and gained the honour of Pipe Major, playing with the Band as they progressed in musical ability from a grade 5 to a grade 3 band. Subsequently, Brent played and competed with the senior Fredericton Society of Saint Andrew Pipe Band at both grade 2 and 1 levels.  Brent was also highly successful as a solo competitor, culminating in 2022 as recipient of the combined Grade 3, 2, and 1 Hornpipe-Jig prize at the Antigonish Highland Games. During those same games he earned the honour of Champion Supreme for the Atlantic Region in the hornpipe-jig category. Brent's last year of competing solo was 2022 when he lost his sight, although he continued to play with the senior ban...
Read more

Announcing! FSSA Bicentennial Piping & Drumming Competition

Image
Fredericton Society of St. Andrew 200th Anniversary Commemorative Piping and Drumming Composition Competition  The Fredericton Society of St. Andrew is pleased to announce a Piping and Drumming Composition Competition in honour of our 200th anniversary. The competition is open to all members of the FSSA pipe bands. Instructions and contact information are posted below.  The winning pipe tune and the winning drum score will each receive a $300 prize - as well as the honour of having their tune be played in perpetuatity by the FSSA Pipe Band.  Instructions to Enter the Competition:  (1) Pipe Tune. The pipe tune must be an original composition of a two-parted march. The name of the tune should reflect the occasion of the 200th anniversary of the FSSA or the 1825 to 2025 period. Please submit your composition to Sandy Gordon and cc Heather Wishart at the email addresses below by January 31, 2025 .  Once all pipe tune entries have been received, we will arrange ...
Read more

We're Looking Forward to 2025! - NAIGHEACHD CUIRT 2024 - Volume 244

Image
As I complete my third term as President of the Fredericton Society of Saint Andrew in its 199th year, my thoughts go to the many experiences that our Scottish ancestors have dealt with over these two centuries. It was a far different world in 1825 when this organization was formed, and a far different world when the FSSA experienced its centenary in 1925. Indeed, the world in which we find ourselves today, as we approach our bicentennial in 2025, differs greatly from even the last decade. Covid has cost all of us dearly.  Our Society, like others, was forced into isolation and distant relationships through email and Zoom calls. Thank heavens we are back to experiencing in-person meetings and gatherings. Technology has its benefits, but personal interactions are far more important and consequential. My thanks go to all those who have helped to keep the FSSA viable during the past few years. Maxine Campbell has been the institutional memory of the organization and a major force in ...
Read more