The publishing of this book coincides with the 50th anniversary of Dixie Curling Club. The roots of the Dixie Curling Club stem from the same enthusiasm and dedication and, for the most part, from many of the same people who worked so hard to create Dixie Arena. Shortly after the community built Dixie Arena for the youth of the area, it was decided the time was right for the adults to have a place where they could socialize and enjoy the sport of curling.
The history of the Dixie Curling Club was well told by the late Bill Manning in his “How It All Began- 1956-1976” pamphlet to the members. This was a great source of information along with that supplied by Dixie Curling Club members Jackie Tjelios and Ted Carr.
During the 1977 World Curling Championships held in Karlstad, Sweden, a CBC TV camera picked out a banner with the words “Go Canada Go- The Dixie Curling Club”. The Swedish event was proclaimed that year as being the greatest success for Swedish curling due to the fact the organizers managed to get King Carl XV1 Gustaf to open the championship and throw the first stone. By doing so, it brought the sport of curling to the forefront among the Swedish populace. It certainly rang bells of success for the Dixie Curling Club here for, after that, there was no need to explain to viewers across Canada what or where the Dixie Curling Club was.
Twenty years earlier, the name Dixie was virtually unknown by Canadian curlers. By the time the club celebrated its 20th anniversary and topped the season off with a BBQ, dance, tree planting and mortgage burning ceremony, it had established itself across Canada as the producer of some of the finest competitive rinks. It also had a well-known reputation for sportsmanship and hospitality. The club had grown impressively from the simple desire to build a club and provide an activity for the adults of the Dixie community.