The Medicine Hat Curling Club's 2022-23 season was halted due to problems with the brine lines below the ice.--PHOTO COURTESY OF MEDICINE HAT CURLING CLUB SOCIAL MEDIA
jtubb@medicinehatnews.com@ReporterTubb
The Medicine Hat Curling Club is still working toward its goal of reopening for the 2023-24 curling season.
The local club announced Nov. 26 via social media it would not be able to operate due to poor ice conditions on multiple sheets caused by the brine lines located under the concrete slabs the ice sits on.
Club president Bryden Smith says they are in contact with different contractors looking into all options for retrofitting the building to get it back into use.
“We’ve had a couple of different contractors, some local, some out of town, come down and evaluate the damage on the building and look at our different options of repairs or upgrades,” Smith said. “We’re waiting on a couple of things, the first being cost estimates and then from there looking at some financial support.”
Smith says they’ve been in contact with the City of Medicine Hat about possible assistance dating back to fall 2022 and have continued to communicate what is needed and the options of the building. He says they’ve started looking into private funding and the options it could provide.
“We’re in talks with (the city) to try and get some funding but nothing’s been put in place,” Smith said. “So we’ve started exploring options as far as private donations or municipal supports through the city, or something like the provincial government, or even the federal government. Even something like a corporate sponsor, with some kind of naming rights or something. At this point, we’re kind of open to all options that will allow us to continue curling in Medicine Hat.”
Smith says they don’t know yet how much it will cost to fix the brine lines but that it will be more than the club can afford on its own, and if it comes down to funding just from membership, it wouldn’t be sustainable.
With the cost uncertainty, Smith says they have not put together any fundraising efforts yet because they might ask for more than they need, or vice versa.
“We just wanted to make sure we had our ducks in a row first before we started asking firmly for financial aid,” Smith said.
He says it’s not lost on the club at how supportive and patient the membership group has been throughout the closure. Any members who had already paid fees for the season were to be reimbursed. He also commends other regional curling clubs for accepting Medicine Hat curlers to their rinks.
“The curling club has been around since the 50s and it has hosted some phenomenal events over the years,” Smith said. “People realize that with an old building comes some issues and some maintenance problems and I’m just very thankful that everyone’s been understanding.
“We appreciate everyone’s patience, it’s never easy going through a situation like this, no matter what kind of industry, what kind of recreational sports or activities. Continue to not give up hope, continue to stay positive. Any help is appreciated at any kind of form, whether it’s advice, financial suggestions on what we could do better and what we could do to get that sport up and running again in this community.”
He asks that people don’t forget about curling and says with something that has been around as long as the curling club has been, it’s easy to take it for granted until it’s gone.
“It would be a real shame if the community couldn’t rally together to have the sport up and running again in whatever capacity or manner that might look like.”
