A city once famous for its Midsummer Curling Bonspiel will have no curling at all this winter.
The Nelson Curling Club said it was forced to pull the plug because it hasn’t yet raised the money needed to replace a condenser on the ice-making plant.
President Kristina Little said they have about $50,000 of the $200,000 required so far, but the rest will not come in time. They are waiting to hear back on a couple of large grant applications.
She thinks there is a good chance they will receive at least one of them but adds it’s not guaranteed.
“We were looking at our timelines for when we would have to have our new equipment ordered and shipped and installed,” she said. “We’ve simply run out of time.”
While the ice plant is still working, Little said the City of Nelson, which owns the building, has decided that it’s too old to continue operating and ordering it decommissioned.
Fundraising within the last year has had some success, with small grants and money committed by businesses, but Little said they haven’t yet collected as they want to wait until they are sure the project is ready to go ahead.
“It’s a pretty sad time for all the curlers in the community,” Little said. “We have about 140 members who are not going to be able to have their winter refuge that they look forward to every year.”
She said it also means students who use their facility through school programs will be out of luck. While she expects some members will travel to Castlegar to curl, the commute will likely be too much for others.
One silver lining is that the announcement has brought attention to the curling club’s plight.
“I’m trying to stay optimistic,” Little said. “We’re not curling this year but we want to make sure that come next season we’re here and we have a place for the long-term for our community.”
