Approximately 100 people participated in curling in the 2023/2024 season. (Derek Cornet/larongeNOW Staff)

By Derek Cornet

sports

La Ronge council to enter into three-year lease with curling club

Sep 11, 2024 | 5:00 PM

Town council gave administration the go ahead to sign a three-year lease agreement with the La Ronge Curling Club.

The matter was discussed at a regular council meeting on Tuesday, where a motion was passed to proceed with a $13,000 charge for the first six-month season. That price could fall to $9,000 for the first season if the curling club agrees to provide all of the day-to-day curling ice maintenance services that the town currently provides.

“We met with them a number of times and we could agree upon almost all of this,” Community Services manager Connor Tessier said about the agreement.

“The last thing that we hadn’t settled on was whether or not the club was going to maintain their own ice or the town was going to, and so that’s why we hope to include this discount.”

During the previous curling season, the club was charged an hourly rate for ice time. From November 2023 to March 2024, members rented 148 hours of curling ice (or approximately 30 hours a month) at a total cost of $11,494. They were billed at $93 per hour for adults and $65.10 per hour for youth.

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The facility, located at the Mel Hegland Uniplex, hosted semi-regular school use, which is provided at no charge. The curling lounge was also rented out by the town to various groups and generated $2,616 in revenue. The total revenue for the curling facility was $14,111.

“In discussion with the club, the town negotiated the annual fee to $13,000 for 2023/24,” a briefing document prepared for council by administration stated.

“The justification for the reduction (from $17,000) is that the proposed lease system will reduce town administrative and maintenance staff efforts required to facilitate club use. This reduction in effort is estimated at $4,000.”

The town maintains four sheets of dedicated curling ice on a seasonal basis. In recent history, curling participation levels have been a point of concern and discussion.

In 2023, administration proposed re-purposing the curling facility to support a more diverse offering of activities for the community. There was strong opposition from counci with Mayor Joe Hordsyki and councillors Jordan McPhail and Abby Besharah voting against it.

Leadership met with the curling club to discuss the future of the sport in the Mel Hegland Uniplex, as well as any new or proposed facility. While no commitment was given regarding a new curling facility, council directed administration to continue installing curling ice.

Following the 2023/24 curling season, the club provided a report, stats and expressed optimism for growing the sport in the community and, at that time, council was supportive of ongoing efforts to develop curling.

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derek.cornet@pattisonmedia.com