Place

Yellowknife, Northwest Territories

Date

1950s

DIMENSIONS in centimetres

16 x 16

Materials & techniques

Felt; Machine-sewn

Credit

Unknown

ID

Prince of Wales Northern Heritage Centre 2013.008.014

This two-felt, machine-embroidered sporting patch is a souvenir of the Giant Curling Club, formed in 1947 by employees of the Giant Gold Mine in Yellowknife, Northwest Territories. Giant Mine was the largest gold mine in the area and one of the top gold producers in Canada until its closure in 1999. It employed over 350 people at its height and established a close-knit community for the staff and their families with a complement of well-organized recreation facilities and programs sponsored by the mining company.
 
Curling was one of the most popular pastimes in northern communities for men and women during the long cold winters. Giant Mine’s curling club facility, a two-sheet ice surface with a clubroom, was the scene of many parties as the miners and their families battled it out for top spot on the rink. Bonspiels, sponsored by the airline Wardair, were held every winter in Yellowknife. Each community, town, or mining camp had a curling club and the club’s patch was a symbol of pride, worn on sweaters to signify membership. This patch was collected by a curling enthusiast who lived in Yellowknife in the 1950s.