(File photo/meadowlakeNOW Staff)

By Elliott Knopp

Curling Arena

Curling club seeking assistance from council with curling facility

Oct 13, 2021 | 3:17 PM

The Meadow Lake Curling Club has reached out to the City of Meadow Lake to acquire financial assistance necessary to move forward with the organization’s upcoming season.

In a letter to city council, manager Shannon Heddon requested an interest free loan with annual payments that would cover the costs of a $263,000 ice plant, a $15,000 Sea-Can container and $20,000 for contingency purposes.

This request comes after the organization suffered the loss of the ice plant it shared with the Meadow Lake & District Arena which was unexpectedly destroyed in a fire over the summer. Without the plant, the facility is unable to create a playing surface for the sport, effectively bringing almost any possibility of hosting curling matches in the city to an end.

“We need to take care of our membership,” she wrote.

“We are looking to purchase an ice plant to bring our club to operating and maintain it in order to not lose current and future membership interest.”

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The curling club reached an agreement in its latest member meeting that will see the club join the city in its venture of constructing a new facility, only if the facility includes a curling department.

Heddon highlighted the purchase of a Sea-Can storage unit would provide protection for the temporary ice plant, which could open up an opportunity to sell the unit in the future depending on the design of the new multi-use facility.

In an interview with meadowlakeNOW, Mayor Merlin Seymour explained the item must undergo a 10-day waiting period where the item will be posted online and publicly acknowledged before a decision can be made.

A special council meeting is scheduled for Oct. 19 where the item will be discussed.

While the city ponders whether or not to provide significant funding, the curling club continues applying for grants and exploring alternative sources of financial support to help cover costs.

The curling facility is also facing other obstacles in the form of a non-operational make-up air unit, which has shut down the kitchen and providing wheelchair accessibility.

Heddon estimated the cost of the upgrade and repairs at nearly $80,000, but mentioned the items are more for future considerations.

If the ice plant is acquired in the near future, it would provide the curling club with the ability to have the unit operational at some point in December, allowing the club to run its season in January 2022.

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elliott.knopp@pattisonmedia.com

On Twitter: @ElliottKnopp