EPISODE 1,470: GRENADIER POND HOSTS GRAND MATCH OF CURLING IN WINTER OF 1993
alan skeoch
december 17,2025
<img id="” alt=”image029.jpeg” class=”Apple-web-attachment Singleton” style=”opacity: 1;” apple-inline=”yes” src=”https://alanskeoch.ca/wp-content/uploads/2026/04/4D741554-03D1-405A-A821-BCAC433F4624.jpeg”>
“ALAN, let’s get a team together for the Grand Match of Curling on Grenadier Pond,” said Brad.
So Brad Schneller, Mike Dent, Ed Werenich, THE WRENCH, and I became one of the 64 teams of curlers to venture on the
ice of Grenadier Pond deep in the winter of 1993.
Was the winter ice able to hold 300 curlers, several sets of curling stones, and 1 bag piper blowing his heart out?
Legend had the story that a bunch of British Grenadiers died trying to retreat from American forces in the War
of 1812 — with their wheeled canons and assorted weapons. If the legend was true (which it wasn’t) then
their skeletons and their artillery pieces must be poking out of the mud deep down. The pond is 15 feet deep
with a bottomless layer of mud (not bottomless but that makes the legend more interesting).
Our 1993 curling team dressed suitably in old bear, buffalo and raccoon skin coats were ready. My son Kevin gave me a Russian
field hat from the ill fated invasion of Afghanistan in the 1990’s. The other 64 teams were similarly fashionable.
If the ice gave way we would all be planted dead — 15 feet down under.
Just as our games got started in 1993 a snowstorm swooped down so a full count was never done. 64 x 4 x assorted hangers plus one piper equals =
a lot of dead bodies if the ice gave way.
I think it was Paul White, High Park Curling Club, along with many others who hatched up the Grand Match to celebrate the club centenary.
Did they check with insurance companies? Good question. Those who had doubts of our survival linedthe shores of
the 35 acre pond on west side of 100 acre High Park. Maybe bets were made among these rubberneckers.
As the snow deepened and the ice harder to find Mike Dent of our team volunteered his body as
a giant broom with two guys dragging him at a right angles to the ice. Earlier he had forgotten to let go of
his rock and slid down the ice after his body hit the surface with a loud ‘whump !’.
Fortunately our skip, Ed W, had a whisky filled hollow metal curling broom. That provided false courage and warm guts.’
Back at our High Park Curling Club the gutless wonders who refused risks toasted the memories of those of us who did not
get off the ice in time.
Right now I would like to propose toast to three of my teachers at Humberside who founded the club — Stuffy McInnis, Herb Tancock
and the father of Duncan Green. They would have joined us had they lived long enough. Duncan Green offered me his dad’s curling stones
which would have been used on the ice that winter day in 1993.
Now let’s skedaddle through the twisted streets of Parkdale to the club which is hidden there.
alan skeoch
P.S> Would an insurance company c0ver this venture?
P>P>S> Around 1995 we did a Radio Noon CBC story about Grenadier Pond in which Mike Smee,
Christopher Thomas and I persuaded our boys to dive down to see if the snouts of ancient cannons remained. Kevin surfaced
“Nothing down there dad” while Andrew took his time “shoved my arm deep in the mud, no cannons, dad.”
Marjorie did not think much of the hair brained idea. What a grand story it would have been had 64 teams of curlers
fallen through the Ice in 1993. Someone else would tell that story.
The legend lives on.!
Leave a Reply