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Farmers and Friends Bonspiel back after two-year hiatus

March 16, 2022, 1:10 pm
Donna Beutler

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Whitewood’s Farmers and Friends Bonspiel will mark its fifth year as Saskatchewan’s largest curling bonspiel under one roof when it gets underway on Thursday, March 24 at the Whitewood Community Centre.

While this marks the bonspiel’s fifth year, it is the first one after a two-year hiatus due to the global pandemic that rocked the world. Whitewood Curling Club president Chad Kelly says he’s confident the spiel, despite its two-year absence, will be the best one yet.

“I know it’s going to be our best bonspiel yet,” Kelly told the World-Spectator in an interview last Thursday. “After two years of no events, everyone is ready for a little piece of normal,” Kelly went on to say, referring to all that has been shut down since Covid-19.

“I think everyone is excited to get back to normal, to take their hats off and have some fun curling,” Kelly said. The event will see 64 teams compete on nine sheets of ice, four sheets in the curling rink and five sheets on the adjacent skating surface.

On top of the support the event has garnered in past years, this year will see sponsors from the past supporting the bonspiel, as well as new sponsors.

“We have a ton of new sponsors this year,” Kelly said, “and along with the old sponsors, it promises to be a great bonspiel.”

According to Kelly, the event will raise a lot of money which in turn goes back into the facility, into the town and into the surrounding area. In the past, the community centre has been on the receiving end of funding which has allowed the rink facility to be enhanced, including the expanded lounge and overlook area on the second level.




The bonspiel not only draws 256 curlers over four days but spectators who come to enjoy the curling action. There is no entrance fee and curlers and spectators alike can get involved in all the fun including the Friday evening opening ceremonies (7 pm), the fundraiser auction that follows, the Calcutta, the Vaderstad Happy Hour, and the duelling piano act on March 26.

“The format is much the same as the past,” Kelly said, referring to the draw-to-the-button event and the elimination draw which this year will see a $2,000 cash prize as opposed to a trip to Vegas.

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