On this day in 1920, "women curlers" got some attention in the local press. The bonspiel in question occurred at the Royal Curling Rink, which #LostYEG shows at 10145 121 St., now home to the Signature Place Apartments.
Curling had come to Edmonton in 1888, says Curling Canada, which credits the arrival of the five-day work week in 1910 for helping the sport take hold across Canada. Bonspiels attracted men's and women's teams from miles around — the final depicted in this picture featured rinks from Red Deer and Tofield.
The Royal Curling Club eventually merged with the Glenora Skating and Tennis Club and the Braemar Badminton Club to create the Royal Glenora Club, which opened in 1961.
The Royal Glenora no longer has curling sheets, but the Edmonton area boasts more than a dozen curling clubs, including the Granite Club, where the 63rd Annual Western Canadian Medical Bonspiel became one of Alberta's first COVID-19 superspreader events in March of 2020.
The pandemic has led to the cancellation of Curling Alberta's 2020-21 competitive season. Curling Canada is still planning to run the national championships in a "bubble" in Calgary — the 2021 Scotties Tournament of Hearts is set for Feb. 19-28, with Edmonton's Laura Walker representing Alberta.
This clipping was found on Vintage Edmonton, a daily look at Edmonton's history from armchair archivist @revRecluse.