The sport of curling started about five centuries ago on the lakes of Scotland. Historians disagree as to whether it was Scotland or the Netherlands. However, there is no question that in New Brunswick, curling started in Fredericton during 1854.

1854 was the year Fredericton businessman, John Neill, imported curling stones from Scotland, started curling in Fredericton and founded the Fredericton Curling Club. Mr. John Neill would never have imagined that 150 years later his image would be displayed publicly or that his great grandson, Mr. Bob Neill, would currently be an active curler in the club that he founded.

Officer's Square has great historical significance to the commencement of curling in New Brunswick. A letter written by Mr John Neill, founder of the Fredericton Curling Club, documents many details related to the start of curling in this area. A brief excerpt from Mr. Neill's letter:

"We had great difficulty at first in getting good ice. We tried the river, Heron's Lake and the Nashwaak and several other places, but never had so good a place as we got at last in the Officer's Square."

He further states in the same letter that they were required to use the gravelled roads in the square and had to haul the water in wooden casks on sleds to make the ice.

Following the opening ceremonies of our 150th Anniversary Celebration, a large procession led by a piper proceeded to Officer's Square for outdoor curling on four sheets of ice. About 130 people of all ages, including the Lieutenant-Governor, curled two-end games on a sharp winter morning that was sunny and cold (-24°C) with a light breeze.

On July 10th 1978 the club rink on Brunswick Street burned down. The club, with its insurance settlement in hand, merged with the Fredericton Golf Club, and operated as the Fredericton Golf & Curling Club. In May of 2007 the Board of the Fredericton Golf & Curling Club recommended that curling operations be shut down. The FCC executive proposal for continuing curling at the Fredericton Golf & Curling Club was rejected by the board. A motion to accept the Board's recommendation was voted on and passed. The rink (with the ice plant still in it) now provides a house for the golf carts!

FCC rented the Coliseum (a hockey rink abandoned by the city) from the Fredericton Exhibition Board and is now starting its second season there. It's become an exciting place with more to come.