Manitoba Opens Plans for Virtual Curling Museum

After several years of discussion, the Manitoba Curling Hall of Fame & Museum Inc. (MCHF&M) has taken the first concrete step toward the development of a Virtual Curling Museum, an on-line display of the vast collection of Manitoba curling artifacts in its possession.

The plan was launched May 1 at the annual Manitoba Curling Hall of Fame Induction ceremony at CanadInns Polo Park.

In mid-April, MCHF&M issued a Request for Proposals (RFP) to interested Manitoba web-developers to assist with the creation of what we believe will be Canada’s first on-line curling museum.

The RFP challenges web-developers to create solutions which achieve several objectives, including:

1. Digitization of the collection

2. An inventory/catalogue of the collection

3. A source of information for individuals wishing to research the history of the sport or of specific events and persons (in layman’s terms – a library of documents and photo/film/video)

4. An opportunity for curling enthusiasts to learn about Manitoba’s curling history by viewing the collection (in layman’s terms – an on-line museum which a visitor can visit  to see the many unique items in the collection)

Ever since the Museum’s display space opportunities, first at The Forks and later at the Bay, were lost, the many volunteers who have served on the Board and in managing the collection have been frustrated by the fact that there is no opportunity for people to view the collection.

Discussion of the creation of an on-line museum display recognizes the realities of the costs involved in trying to develop and manage an actual museum facility.

Yet, there are unique articles in the collection which are fascinating to curling enthusiasts when they have the opportunity to view them. The most recent example is the interest displayed by the younger competitors and the fans when they had the chance for an up-close look at the British Consols trophy when it was on display at the Viterra Championship in Selkirk.

“Some guys have never even seen a picture of that beautiful trophy, let alone seen it in person,” one veteran on-looker commented at the time.

That’s the opportunity which the Manitoba Curling Hall of Fame & Museum hopes to create through the development of its VIRTUAL CURLING MUSEUM – an opportunity for curlers and curling enthusiasts to view the remarkable collection which has been accumulated over the last three decades.

Development of the on-line presence will also allow MCHF&M to pay suitable tribute to the honoured members of Manitoba’s Curling Hall of Fame through an appropriate listing as well as by linking the names of honoured athletes to archived photos from their playing days.

In order to accomplish the project over a three to five year period, the Manitoba Curling Hall of Fame & Museum will be launching a fund-raising campaign.

Approximately half of the projected investment has been ear-marked from existing funds. The rest will come from individual and corporate contributions. The details of the fund-raising campaign will be announced in the near future.

Interested individuals may contact mbcurlmuseum@gmail.com for information.

The May 1 Hall of Fame Induction welcomed Builder Audrey Hogg-Warren, Curler-Builder Bob Boughey and Curler Ron Westcott- both from Fort Rouge, Cueler Karen Dunbar-Souris into the Manitoba Curling Hall of Fame. Also inducted were the 2015 World Senior Women Champion Lois Fowler-Brandon Team, the 1965 Canadian Senior Men Champion Leo Johnson-Strathcona Team, and the first two Western Canadian High School Champion teams – the Don Montgomery-Franklin (1947) and Stan Gowling-Morden (1948) teams.