Submitted by Huntsville Curling Club president Beth Goodhew
The Huntsville Curling Club (HCC), a volunteer-run community facility open to the public, continues to invest, even during these difficult times, to ensure the safety of its members.
In the past year and half, the HCC has spent over $230,000 since the town declined our proposal to partner on a multipurpose facility that would have provided a new curling rink facility. The fire escape replacement is the last item in our highest priority category of planned renovations listed as safety to ensure the continuity of curling. These expenditures also included a new roof and new energy efficient lighting for the curling rink. Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, our plans to replace our heating and air conditioning was postponed until 2021 which will provide a further $150,000-200,000 investment in the community curling club.
In addition, we are very pleased that we began our regular curling season on Monday, November 2. Our volunteer Return to Curl Committee spent the summer developing comprehensive procedures and protocols in response to COVID-19 to ensure the health and safety of our employees and members. We experienced a slight delay due to required changes resulting from the tightening of some COVID-19 guidelines when several of the regions rolled back to modified stage 2. Our members have responded very positively to the required change and the Return To Play safety protocols that we have put in place.
We are excited to begin curling with a new flow to the game as well that will ensure social distancing throughout our time on the ice. We are very happy that Huntsville Curling Club will be providing curling to the community this season as many other curling clubs have not been able to open. Our Learn to Curl program although reduced in size will begin Sunday, November 8 and the youth program will begin on Tuesday, November 10.
For more information about the Huntsville Curling Club, visit huntsvillecurlingclub.ca.
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Carol Sullivan says
As a member of the Huntsville Curling Club I would like to thank the club executive and the Return to Curl committee for their hours and hours of hard work. We have had our first week of curling and spent some of the time remembering all the new rules that are allowing us to open. We still are getting our laughs in as we must stand on our spots and keep our masks on even when our glasses are fogged up. We still have our social time after the game but with a smaller group, but the rest of the group are just on the other side of the plexiglass screen. Our club is old and needed many improvements but the spirit of the members is still there. So happy to be back.
Lou D'Alessandro says
A big thank you says it all!! We are able to curl!! It would have a been a long winter without curling. Many kudos to the board of directors, return to play committee, staff and members for helping to remake the sport we all love to enjoy safe. Participating members will benefit from the excercise and being able to safely socialize in this difficult time.