Newsletters

During the curling season, members get electronic Newsletters from the OCC Board, including those related to day-to-day club operations, via email. The member email is the one listed on your member account on this OCC Website.

Although some of these Newsletters contain important league information, there are also league specific emails that are sent by League Convenors. Typically, league convenors use email to send league specific updates or to request feedback on league topics. 

League Communications

Each league has a league convenor who is selected from the league they represent. League convenors are volunteers and report to the volunteer OCC Board via the OCC Board Match Director.

In recent years, members have asked to ensure these updates are more reliably sent to each participant in the league.  This means a league specific bulk-email can end up with close to a hundred emails!  To reduce the chance that these emails are marked as spam, your Web Admin looked at a few options.  The decision was to use Google Groups instead of the bulk-email option we use for OCC Newsletters.

Google Group Bulk-Email

Each league has been setup with their own Google Group!  Google Groups is quite handy for sending bulk email to current 'members' of the Group.

Our club has limited the designated "senders" to league convenors and members of the board.  Only designated "senders" can send bulk-email using the Google Group's email address.  Any email to the Group's email address from a unapproved sender will be rejected.

Google Group Invitation

When you are added to a league group, you will receive an invitation via email.  If you want to use a different email for league communications, please contact your league convenor or the OCC Club Manager.

Google Group Interface

Since the club is leveraging this tool for bulk-league-email, nearly every other feature has been disabled. For example, league members cannot engage or view the Conversation History for the group.

Google Groups Settings

Some members with a Gmail account (or use Google to host their email like we do with our .com domain) may have blocked Google Groups and are not receiving the invitation, nor the league group emails.  Please check your Global Settings for https://groups.google.com/, via the Gear symbol.

 

 

 

 

All non-members (either previously members, as well as those who are new to the club) are encouraged to discuss their situation with the Club Manager.  Joining a league mid-season is unusual, but possible. It depends on so many things.  There are more opportunities with the Spare/Social Membership category, but please speak with the Club Manager before submitting your membership request.

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A non-member is anyone who has not been a) accepted into a League and/or b) accepted into any of our non-league Membership categories such as Spares/Social category (see Membership information).  If you are unsure of your status, please contact the Club Manager. Our club communication strategy relies on email, and we are unable to confirm delivery. 

For example:

• If you had intended to join a league, but did not, or could not find a team to join...
• If you had tried to join a Learn to Curl program...

Please share your current status with the Club Manager, and perhaps check-in again early in January to confirm if you are still interested in a partial season. 

The Club Manager has the most up-to-date information about which leagues are accepting new curlers and how to proceed.

The Adult Learn to Curl program fills up fast, and because it is structured learning, curlers cannot join the program mid-session.  Our Club Manager can answer your questions and provide guidance about our registration process, and if there are any planned mid-season opportunties to begin the program.

Also, please share if you are returning after taking some time away from our club.  Only members from the current season have online accounts.  You will need to re-create your online account prior to the Registration period and follow the usual registration process for Leagues and Membership. 

Note: The online account is meant for active members, so we delete non-member accounts.  All non-members need to create a new account prior to completing the Registration process unless they were members in the immediately prior season. 

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Our Club Manager can be contacted by phone or email This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. 

The Club Manager is the only one who can accept a League or Membership Registration mid-season.

Registration opens mid-June. Please create an account first!

Program Overview

Tuesdays: 8:45 PM

• Frequency - Weekly with 1 draw per night
• Format - This program offers full instruction both on and off ice with certified instructors
• Who can play - Any beginner curlers ages 16 and up
• Byes - None
• Etiquette Tips for New Curlers.

Program details

Curlers receive instruction and coaching every week throughout the season from October until early April, on Tuesdays, 8:45-10:45 p.m.  The high instructor-to-student ratio accelerates skill development.

The program has two levels of instruction. In Level 1 curlers learn the basic skills for the first 10 weeks, followed by games for the rest of the season. Instructors are available at all times - even during games - to help curlers learn essential skills they will need to play in games and bonspiels.  After one season in Level 1, curlers move to Level 2 where curlers play games in a league format, with instructors available at all times to help with delivery technique and game strategy.

Level 1 Curlers: Equipment (brooms, shoes, stabilizers) is supplied for the season.
Level 2 Curlers: You are expected to provide your own equipment for the season.
 
Wear comfortable clothing that stretches and dedicate a pair of shoes for curling to keep the ice clean.

To register for this league, or for additional information please contact This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..

Background 

The Adult Learn to Curl program (*) was pioneered by the Ottawa Curling Club Life Member & Hall of Fame curler Earle Morris at the Ottawa Curling Club in 2015 and has since been implemented at curling clubs across Canada.  Prior to mid 2024, our club referred to this program as the Getting Started League.

Starting with the 2024-25 season, the Ottawa Curling Club has adopted the updated version of the Adult Learn to Curl program, ALTC, lead by Doug Kreviazuk.  The OCC thanks Doug Kreviazuk for his efforts helping us continue to improve our sport development! 

 

The Club Championship, as played at the OCC, is a 21 team closed event consisting of league winners plus a number of teams that have performed well in those leagues. It is a unique event where a team from each league, regardless of prowess level, can play against other teams of all strength levels. The Club Championship run in April, in a separate week from the Roy Blair and Gordie Perry. As each league wraps up, League Convenors and/or the Match Director will be in touch with eligible teams to confirm participation. Everyone is invited to come watch and cheer on your club mates!

Who can play? Representatives from all eight OCC leagues.

• Monday Ladder - 3 teams 
• Tuesday Women - 2 teams
• Tuesday Adult Learn to Curl - Their champion
• Wednesday Cash - 4 top money winners
• Thursday Men - 3 teams comprised of A1, A2, Wild Card (A3 plays B1)
• Friday Mixed - 3 teams
• Saturday Open - 3 teams
• U5 Colts - 2 teams

During the Club Championships, this Google Site with the schedule and results will be kept up-to-date: https://sites.google.com/ottawacurlingclub.com/clubchamp/home

Please contact the Match Director with any questions

Rules:

The format is a 21 team single knock out:

• Teams must have a minimum of 2 original team members. Spares must be OCC members, and every effort should be made to be from the same league as the team. 
• Members qualifying on more than one team may play when their schedule does not conflict.
• All Games are 8 ends.
• Ties to be broken with a full extra end played towards the glass.
• The champion takes home cash while prizes for all other winners will be in the form of Bar Bucks divided evenly amongst team members.
• There is no entry fee.

The Ottawa Curling Club offers many opportunities to play.

Etiquette & Slow Play Tips for ALL Curlers

People new to curling are encouraged to check out our Adult Learn to Curl program. 

Leagues that are good for individuals or duos to join:

• Friday Mixed
• Daytime
• Saturday Open
• Sunday U5

Leagues vary in terms of skill level.  Please contact the Club Manager if you would like advice about which leagues to consider.

League Overview

Monday Ladder: 6:30 & 8:45 pm 

• Frequency - Weekly with 2 draws per night with teams alternating draw times each week.
• Format - This "ladder" league has 4 sections with teams moving up or down after each session.
• Who can play - 24 teams that consist of any gender mix.
• Byes - 4 teams don't play per week but each team play their full compliment of weeks.

Tuesday Women: 6:30 pm 

• Frequency - Weekly with 1 draw per night.
• Format - This "ladder" league has 2 sections with teams moving up or down after each session.
• Who can play - 12 teams of women.
• Byes - 2 teams don't play per week but each team play their full compliment of weeks.

Tuesday Adult Learn to Curl program: 8:45 pm

• Frequency - Weekly with 1 draw per night
• Format - This program offers full instruction both on and off ice with certified instructors.
• Who can play - Any beginner curlers ages 16 and up
• Byes - None

Wednesday Cash:

• Frequency - Weekly with 2 or 3 draws per night dependent on registration
• Format - Each team contributes $400 to cash pool. Each game is worth cash.
• Who can play - Any gender mix
• Byes - To be determined each season

Thursday Men: 6:30 & 8:45 pm 

• Frequency - Weekly with 2 draws per night with teams alternating draw times each week.
• Format - This "ladder" league has 4 sections with teams moving up or down after each session.
• Who can play - 24 men's teams.
• Byes - 4 teams don't play per week but each team play their full compliment of weeks.

Friday Mixed 7:00 & 9:00 pm 

• Frequency - Weekly with 2 draws per night with teams alternating draw times each week.
• Format - This "ladder" league has 2 sections with teams moving up or down after each session.
• Who can play - 24 teams consisting of 2 males and 2 females.
• Byes - 4 teams don't play per week but each team play their full compliment of weeks.

Daytime: Tuesday & Thursday 10:00 am 

• Frequency - Twice a week with 1 draw per day.
• Format - A draw from the board where participants play on a different team each draw.
• Who can play - Any combination.
• Byes - None.

Saturday Open: 9:00 am & 11:15 am

• Frequency - Once a week with 1 draw per day.
• Format - Round-robin; every team plays every other team dependant on the number of weeks available; followed by a single-knockout playoff.
• Who can play - 22 teams.
• Byes - There are an equal number of byes per team.  

Colts/U5: Sunday 7:00 pm 

• Frequency - Once a week with 1 draw per day.
• Format - Round-robins and end of season playoff; every team plays every other team dependant on the number of weeks available;
• Who can play - Any combination under 5 Years
• Byes - 1 per week