Arthur Area Curling Club celebrates grand re-opening
'This will bring curling to the community for many years to come': Lennox
ARTHUR – The Arthur Area Curling Club will no longer struggle with ice quality thanks to the addition of a brand-new floor.
The club celebrated the milestone on Oct. 9 with a well-attended grand re-opening celebration that included local politicians, sponsors, volunteers, community members and plenty of curlers.
According to vice president Darren Jones, the club’s home was built in 1977 on the site of the former Arthur Arena.
The building was set over top of the original ice pad from 1964.
In recent years the floor, at over 60 years old, was making it almost impossible to maintain good ice quality, so the club needed to come up with a plan.
Partnering with the Township of Wellington North, the Arthur Curling Club successfully applied to the Ministry of Sport’s Community Sport and Recreation Infrastructure Fund for repair and rehabilitation.
Half the money required, a total of $251,485, was approved for the project. The club needed to raise the other half.
In April, H. Bye Construction started demolition, and by May, reconstruction had begun, including the installation of refrigeration components provided by CIMCO Refrigeration.
By August, the project was completed “ahead of schedule and on budget,” said Jones.
He added, “Without the partnerships from the province, township and community support, a project of this magnitude would not be possible.”
The municipality, Jones noted, “has provided a five-year interest-free loan up to $200,000. The curling club set a fundraising goal of $200,000 over four years and after just one year has raised over $90,000.
“The community support has been overwhelming from individuals, local businesses and local service clubs,” he said.
“Fundraising activities included bottle drives, pulled pork dinners, ladies’ nights, a Super Bowl party, pancake breakfast and a sold-out gala.”
Before cutting the ribbon to celebrate the club’s re-opening, president Shana McFadden thanked the sponsors, donors and volunteers who worked together to contribute to the success of the project.
She described the club as “a place where friends meet, families gather and new friendships are made while memories are created.”
Wellington North Mayor Andy Lennox and Perth-Wellington MPP Matthew Rae were also on hand to address the crowd.
“I’m sure this will bring curling to the community for many years to come,” said Lennox.
Mark Cripps from the Fergus Pipe Band led four junior curlers around the rink before they threw the first rock on the new ice surface to open the season.
For more information about the club, visit arthuracc.com.