Main photo: Huntsville Curling Club’s new board of directors (clockwise from front left) Dave Rigby, Dennis Rolland, Lou D’Alessandro, Bob Gibb, Ann Murat, Ted Bionda, Teresa Verkley, Valerie Kittner, Chris Herndorf, Beth Goodhew, and Scott Goodhew
The dream of a new curling club in Huntsville is still alive but facing more challenges and frustrations.
Huntsville Curling Club Sustainability Committee chair and past president, John Furner
Past president John Furner updated the membership at the annual meeting of the Huntsville Curling Club on June 26 on plans for the new facility. His main message was that the committee has set a date in March next year for a decision on whether to proceed with plans or not. He told the meeting the committee is now looking at locating a new facility on the Fowler pit property on William Street near the entrance to the McCulley Robertson Recreation Park. Meetings on that site have begun with the owners and the Town is also being asked to consider the idea.
The new building is estimated to cost just over $5,000,000 and would be a multi-sport facility. Basketball and baseball officials have partnered with the curling club but have limited resources, Furner told the audience.
He said the committee is continuing its effort to get federal or provincial grants that may be available and is hopeful with the change of provincial government that might open more doors.
Several members voiced their concern about their individual liability should the club take on any debt. Others warned that if they don’t proceed with plans for a new facility the club will face massive expenditures to bring the present building up to code.
The club has put $20,000 in the budget for this coming year, but as one member said that’s to put more band-aids on a huge problem.
Huntsville Councillor Jonathan Wiebe was in attendance and said he would be taking the concerns back to council for discussion. Town staff also was scheduled to make their report and ask for direction at this week’s General Committee meeting. (At that meeting on June 27, staff recommended that the club present their partnership proposal for a multi-use facility to the committee at an upcoming meeting.)
One of the concerns is that the upcoming municipal election will slow down the process further and then a new council will have to be brought up to speed on the plans.
Furner told the members the committee will do its due diligence and then, in the first quarter next year, review plans and determine whether the club moves or stays.
“I anticipated the concern the members have in financing a multi-million dollar building,” said Furner, “but as we showed in our growth report which last year was 10 per cent and fits the ten-year program, and if the grants are available, and the town was on board, it’s possible.”
“We need the Town to be a guarantor because it’s a lot of money,” he added. “The Town has actually talked to Fowler about the new site before and it didn’t happen so they are anxious to get back this time and ask Fowler if it is willing to almost donate the pit to the Town.”
Furner also pointed out the municipality is also facing facility needs in the near future. “We have already problems at the Summit Centre with the pool. They are looking at that multi-use facility as perhaps meeting their needs.”
Club member Rick Wearing had earlier on social media suggested the town could use some of its $3.9 million received from the sale of the Waterloo Summit Centre for the Environment building to help with the multi-sport project.
“That would go a long way to not only get a new curling club in town,” he said, “but a place to relocate the pool which is going to need work in the short term and there is a real need for a full-size gymnasium in Huntsville…None of the schools have that facility to help attract events to Huntsville. If you look at the response to the suggestion it was very significant and positive.”
Another argument that has been voiced is the impact a multi-use facility has when trying to attract professional people or industry to Huntsville. Because it is so competitive, if you don’t have the facilities for families and another place does, they go where their needs are better met.
Ted Bionda, who accepted a second year as president of the Huntsville Curling Club agreed and said he is still hopeful it will happen.
“We still think it’s doable,” he said reflecting back on a financially successful year last year. “We have to continue with our programs and make sure we continue our growth. We’ve worked on our ten-year program and it’s workable. We will be tight for the first couple of years, and its critical we have the Town. Without the Town I don’t think we will get there. We are going to do our due diligence and help bring a dream to this club.”
(From left) Eric Spinks, Ted Bionda, Beth Goodhew, Ron Kreutzer and Richard Tousignant with the proceeds from the Ontario Men’s Tankard which goes to the club’s capital fund (supplied photo)
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Hi Rob
The design for the new facility will be fully accessible – a legal and just requirement. The drawings done by the York Urbanist team, who did the feasibility study, are for full access. Deb Kirwin, the Town of Huntsville’sAccessibility Advisory Committee Chair, is on the Huntsville Curling Club’s Sustainability Committee and on our Collaborative (Town & Community Groups) Steering Committee.
The new facility would have to be 100% accessible; so the size of the components (pool, seating, etc.) should be researched in advance. We have attracted the Ontario Paralympic Games before, so this should be a target. Also, when the World Cup comes to North America, perhaps our pitch could be utilized as a practice facility.
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I’m concerned that the $3.9 M may already be spent many times over, and that the Tories (who ran on a fiscal restraint platform) are not going to be handing out many goodies in the near future.
I think its great to have a multi use facility finally here. Great news for field lacrosse — soccer etc.