club location
we operate out of the basement of westdale united church, 99 north oval in hamilton. enter through the door marked ‘church office’. there is lots of free street parking available nearby but the church car park is by permit only, and they do issue tickets, including during evenings and at weekends.
health precautions
all fencers are expected to bring, and use, hand sanitiser.
masks are welcome, but are not required (at the time of writing), but that may change. except fencing masks. those are required!
rather than shaking hands, we encourage fencers to salute and tap blades.
hand sanitiser should be applied immediately before touching any of the scoring equipment.
if you are unwell, or if anybody in your household is unwell, please stay home.
paying fees
All payments are done using an online invoicing system. invoices are sent by email, and can be paid by e-transfer or credit card. we no longer accept cash payments.
program fees are listed here. if you have any questions, please talk to your coach.
note that we do not offer any refunds for missed classes.
please wait to receive an invoice before initiating an e-transfer payment.
waiver forms
please make sure you have filled out a waiver form and emailed to westdalefencing@gmail.com:
membership fees
all fencers who have completed a ‘learn to fence program’ with us are required to hold an active membership with the ontario fencing association. this is important because it provides your insurance coverage. you can purchase a membership from here. if you are only intending to fence at the club, you need a recreational membership. if you are interested in attending competitions, you will eventually need a competitive membership. if in doubt, please talk to your coach. once you have purchased your membership, please send a copy, along with a note of your CFF license number, to westdalefencing@gmail.com.
we also charge a club membership fee of $30 / term (does not apply to fencers in the ‘learn to fence’ or youth programs).
class times
our adult learn to fence program is currently running from 6:30 - 8:00 on thursdays.
other classes run from 5 - 6:00 on thursdays and our youth program runs on saturday mornings from 9:00 - 10:00 or 10:15 - 11:15.
times may shift a little periodically.
what to wear / bring
fencers should wear athletic clothing. shorts are fine for warm up games but long trousers are required for fencing.
fencers should wear closed athletic shoes. please bring dry, clean footwear to wear indoors.
peanut free snacks and water are strongly encouraged.
note that winter coats, and any wet clothing or footwear should be left in the hallways. there are plenty of hangers and hooks in the corridors.
buying equipment to get started
For new fencers getting started in the sport, we recommend you start off with the absolute fencing 10 piece foil starter set with the following options:
removeable bib
ultra comfort glove
elite stretch jacket
elite stretch pants
elite stretch plastron
absolute signature series II lame
advance foil with pistol grip w Visconti grip, size 5
note that this is a US-based vendor and prices are in USD. there may also be customs and brokerage fees. there are many other vendors and you can also buy equipment separately, but many of our parents have told us that the absolute fencing starter set is a convenient and cost-effective way to get started.
One of our parents put this guide together that may be helpful.
please note that we make no guarantees regarding either the vendors, or the equipment on this site. the options listed on this page are simply a series of suggestions based on positive experiences that our coaches and fencers have had in the past with both the equipment and the vendors. there are many other options for equipment (many of which will be much cheaper than the options listed here) which you can find by browsing the internet or talking to other fencers / parents. just for transparency, we have no financial ties to any vendor listed on this site, and receive no incentives for pointing you to any particular vendor or piece of equipment - the information presented here is purely based on previous experiences of our fencers and coaches.