The Golden Broom Bonspiel will be held Dec. 5-7 at the Fort Macleod Curling Club in honour of life member Harvey Bourassa.
Registration is under way for Fort Macleod’s Golden Broom Bonspiel.
The bonspiel, which honours long-time local curler Harvey Bourassa, is Dec. 5-7 at the Fort Macleod Curling Club.
“We had lots of family teams last year including my own,” bonspiel organizer Mike Bourassa said. “And Uncle Harvey would like to like that, because he always liked kids to be involved and families to be involved in curling.”
“So we always encourage people, even if you’re not the best curler or whatever, but you want to do something as a family, this is a good opportunity to do it.”
Harvey Bourassa, who died in July 2024 at the age of 94, was an avid curler for 65 years until retiring at the age of 88.
Bourassa was a long-time draw master for bonspiels at the Fort Macleod club, which made him a life member, and travelled extensively as a curler across Alberta, B.C., Saskatchewan, Manitoba and Ontario.
In 2013, Bourassa was awarded the Minister’s Seniors Service Awards for his volunteer work with the curling club, Holy Cross Church and other organizations.
The bonspiel last year was held in November and attracted 12 teams, so the organizing committee decided to change the date to December, when farm and ranch families will have more time during the fall cattle run.
Harvey Bourassa was heavily involved in the livestock industry during his working life and knew many people.
“We want to push for a few more teams this year and moving it gives us more time to plan and frees up people who knew Harvey from his cattle days,” Mike Bourassa said.
The $300 per team registration fee, which is the same as last year, includes a minimum of three eight-end games, wings and appetizers on the Friday night sponsored by the Coutts family, and a supper on the Saturday.
Organizing committee members are Mike Bourassa, Jill Larson, Sherry Zoeteman, Travis Doyle and Wendy Larson.
The bonspiel’s name, “The Golden Broom,” is an in joke around Harvey Bourassa’s lack of interest in sweeping.
“For the very first year we were we were happy with the turnout we got,” Mike Bourassa said. “Every team that played last year said they would definitely be back.”
For information or to register, contact Mike Bourassa at 403-849-7529.
Registration deadline is Nov. 15.
The Golden Broom Bonspiel will be held Dec. 5-7 at the Fort Macleod Curling Club in honour of life member Harvey Bourassa.
