STRONGFIELD—Curlers along Line 19 have come home.

Monday night curling has resumed at the Strongfield Curling Rink. The season kicks off tonight in the brand new rink that was built to replace the old rink that was destroyed by a July 20 windstorm.

A “Welcome home to Strongfield” banner was hung on the inside wall, greeting curlers as they stepped on the freshly made ice.

The banner is a thoughtful touch courtesy of Ron Sabiston.

When he was sorting through the remnants and equipment of the destroyed curling rink that were stored in the ice-skating rink next door, Sabiston said he found the banner, which was from the village’s homecoming celebration in 2012.

So he brought it over to the new curling rink and hung it up.

“This is like home. We’ve lived here the last four months,” Sabiston says.

He’s a member of a crew of volunteers who have been working nearly non-stop to get the new rink ready for the season.

He is known as “Northend Ron” to differentiate him from the other Rons living in and around the community including Downtown Ron and West Farm Ron.

“I found it kind of ironic. There were four Rons in town and then I get here and found out there’s two more Rons on the farm.”

Strongfield is like most Saskatchewan towns, populated by community-minded individuals who get things done. And they all have nicknames, so it can take a minute or two for a stranger to sort out who’s who.

George “Shorty” Follick was flooding the ice last Monday night. He’s known as Shorty to distinguish him from Strongfield’s former mayor George Bristow, who was of much taller stature.

Also part of the volunteer crew are Ryan Glubis, Strongfield Mayor Jeff Vollmer, Ronny Follick, Dave Wirth, Devon Ellscheid, Ernie Pryor, Jessica April and Amanda Glubis.

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