Kilt and Curl 2022
Written by Andy MacCulloch
An enthusiastic gathering was held at the Rideau Curling Club Saturday evening to celebrate our Scottish and Canadian heritage and have fun doing it! True to its name kilts and other attire Scottish attire abound, and there was even curling! And we gave a shout out to Tartan Day earlier that week.
After a slightly memorizing briefing led by Mike Wiggins on the basic rules of curling and the basis of competition teams of four ventured onto the rink. There were newbies, veteran, young and old curlers. Apparently, the objective was not to win, at least not in the normal sense. The result was a relaxed and fun game with some remarkable and less than remarkable shots. We are not sure that any whisky was consumed before the matches, but there might have been.
Some how out of all of this team rankings were determined with one team finishing in “almost” last place. The bronze and silver medal race was so close that it went down to a captain’s challenge. The challenge rules were explained, and again not followed. Our curling leader looked skyward and said he was taking notes for next year. Finally, the winners were awarded to the teams by SSO Chair Jane Torrance. Jane also thanked the volunteers and everybody for coming out.
Before and after the awards Ron Roach lead an assortment of musicians through some Celtic tunes. Our piper was ill which created a rather a large hole in our repertoire. Ron suggested that everybody just imagine pipes. But the show must go on and so it did! Connor Fair performed several Celtic tunes solo including a Robbie Burns number. The “band” who also included Laurie Walker and yours truly worked through a number of favorites including Farewell to Nova Scotia, Galway Girl and Copperhead Road. Thank you, Ron, for getting it all together, and for all the equipment!
Our special guest was Michael Yellowlees from Dunkeld, Scotland. He is well known for his 8000km hike across Canada to raise funds for reforestation in the Scottish Highlands. Michael and Luna - A Rewilding Journey.
With his red beard and impeccable Scottish attire, he leant a special air to the evening both on the rink and in the post game festivities. He joined the band to lead a few rousing tunes from Scotland and beyond. His solo rendition of Dougie MacLean’s Caledonia was particularly well played and brought more than one tear to the eye. Thanks for joining us, Michael! Also joining us on the ice and in the lounge was Catriona Little, Head of Scottish Affairs Canada.
The Scottish Society of Ottawa is dedicated to preserve and promote our Scottish heritage in Canada, through education and fun events, and you don’t have to be a Scot to join!
Andy MacCulloch is the new Director of Communications for the SSO