By Warren Hansen
In September 1974 I was contracted by the old Canadian Curling Association (CCA) and the Canadian Ladies Association (CLCA) to start what would become known as the Curl Canada Curling Development program.
The initial idea was to provide a standardized teaching program for curling across Canada. By the spring of 1975 15 clinics had been held across Canada aimed at teaching people how to instruct curling. I had already been involved in teaching curling across the nation, to novice and accomplished curlers through the Silver Broom Curling School, which I had started with Air Canada in 1972.
Our group became involved with what was known then as the Coaching Association of Canada (CAC) and, in conjunction with Dr. Geoff Gowan of the CAC, began structuring a recognized Level 1 instructor training program. From the get-go the CAC understood that curling not only had a need for the proper accreditation system for coaches but also that a training program for instructors was the immediate concern.
By 1979 Curl Canada had developed Level 1, 2 and 3 programs for instructing and Level 1 and 2 Coaching programs, along with teaching hundreds of people from St. John’s to Victoria how to instruct and/or coach curling. I worked with the Curl Canada certification committee to develop all three levels and create a number of manuals, some of which were for instructor/coaches and others that were for sale to interested parties. The Novice Manual sold more than 15,000 copies and was one of the major fundraisers for the program. Appropriate crests were developed to identify the various levels of accomplishment (photo attached).
At the same time, Labatt Breweries had committed to sponsor the Brier beginning in 1980, and immediately partnered with the CCA to assist in the development of curling across the country. One of the projects agreed to was the creation of a series of six films that could be used for the instruction of curlers across Canada (the cost in 1980 dollars was budgeted to come in at $150,000).
The six films were identified as the Labatt Curling Instruction series. After nearly two years of work, the project was completed in September 1981. The company contracted to do the job was Chetwynd Films of Toronto; I produced the series and Jim McKinley of Chetwynd was the director. A number of prominent curlers of the day were involved, including Rick Folk, Kerry Burtnyk, Dawn Knowles, Patti Vande, Bryan Wood, Ron Anton and others. Two well-recognized CBC broadcasters, Don Chevrier and Bob Picken, did the commentary. The films were used extensively not only in Canada but throughout the curling world until the late Nineties when they became dated.
Over the past couple of months Kevin Palmer and his company, Curling Legends have converted the films into a digital presentation and a couple of days ago posted them to the Curling Legends YouTube page for everyone to share and enjoy.
