Strathcona Cup @ Tam Heather Monday, January 23rd

: 04 January 2023

The Scots are Coming – to TAM for the Strathcona Cup 23-01-23

Monday, January 23, 2023 2pm (Scots arrival) – Strathcona Cup Event (part of Tam’s 50^th Anniversary)

Come join us in supporting our four Tam teams representing Canada vs Scotland. The kitchen and bar will be open for the fans. Representing Tam’s Team Canada are Team Mike Harris, including Richard Hart, Team Tony Baker, Team Steve Hawkshaw, and Team Mike Atkin. Festivities start at approximately 2PM and include a welcoming “Arch of Brooms” when the bus arrives outside the west entrance, Piper Parade with all the Teams through the upper lounge and onto the ice for the traditional toast to the piper
Support our Tam Team Canada – Strathcona Cup @ TAM 23-01-23 - 2pm
2 Sponsors still needed for this International Event – Please help

More about this 50^th Anniversary Event by Bill Baker (Tam Member)

Media Release: World's oldest curling competition coming to TAM Heather 23-01-23

Scots 1

The 2023 Strathcona Cup curling bonspiel will be held across Canada January 11 to February 2, 2023. This competition is the oldest international curling competition in the world, dating back to 1902. It is contested every fifth year between Canada and Scotland with each country acting as host every tenth year. Now in its 120th year, this month-long curling bonspiel will bring together 60 male curlers from Scotland to play against our very own in curling centres from St. John’s, Newfoundland to Victoria, British Columbia. The competition is divided into 3 distinct tours (Western, Central and Eastern Canadian tours). There are 20 Scottish curlers, aka "tourists", playing in each tour.

The Central Tour will be making a stop at Tam Heather Curling Club (730 Military Trail) on Monday, January 23rd with a game scheduled at 2:30 PM. Spectators are welcome to attend free of charge.

There is a historical Canadian connection to the Strathcona Cup. Lord Strathcona was a Scottish-born Canadian businessman (Sir Donald Smith) who became one of the British Empire's foremost builders and philanthropists in Canada in the late 1800s. He was Commissioner, Governor and principal shareholder of the Hudson's Bay Company, was President of the Bank of Montreal, was twice a Member of Canada’s Parliament, and co-founded the Canadian Pacific Railway (he was the person selected to drive the last spike of the trans-Canadian Canadian Pacific Railway in 1885 - see photo attached). In 1896, Sir Donald Smith retired to Great Britain after being appointed High Commissioner of Canada to Great Britain. He was appointed to the House of Lords as Lord Strathcona in 1897, and subsequently became President of Scotland’s Royal Caledonian Curling Club.

In 1909 Lord Strathcona commissioned a trophy for the competition between Canada and Scotland - the Strathcona Cup (see photo of Bill Baker with Cup attached).