Charlottetown Curling Club aims for new home in Stratford's community campus

CBC

28-01-2025

After a few years without a permanent home, the Charlottetown Curling Club is working toward establishing a new location within the Town of Stratford's upcoming community campus.
The club's president, Blair Weeks, said the group has been collaborating with the town for about three years to explore the possibility of bringing a curling facility to the community.
Construction is underway in Stratford on a new community campus that includes sports fields, a high school and a $85-million multipurpose wellness centre featuring two ice surfaces.
Weeks hopes the Charlottetown Curling Club can be a part of the campus.
"We've had regular meetings with Stratford town staff. They're doing their final plans and working on an agreement that we'll consider when they pass it on in the near future," Weeks told CBC News.
"It's our job to get our share of the money in place, and we're working on that. And so I would say in the next few months we'll have a serious discussion on the agreement, and then we're hoping to be part of the facility."
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Stratford's new campus presents a "wonderful opportunity" for curlers in the capital region, said Robbie Doherty, a professional curler and commentator who played out of Charlottetown.
"After travelling the nation with the Grand Slam of Curling for the past 8 years, I have seen first hand what a community hub a curling club can serve as. And the best part — there is room for everyone!" Doherty said in a written statement.
The Town of Stratford said it has received inquiries from various recreational organizations, including the Charlottetown Curling Club.
"We remain committed to collaborating with them on establishing a curling facility in Stratford," Mayor Steve Ogden said in a written statement.
Finding home ice
The Charlottetown Curling Club, previously located at 241 Euston St., has faced significant challenges since the pandemic.
The ice plant broke down and, with repairs proving too costly, the club ultimately sold the building to the province for $1.5 million in 2021.
The site became home to the Community Outreach Centre. However, with the outreach centre now relocated to Park Street, the building remains vacant.
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Weeks said the club had initially hoped to stay in Charlottetown and be a part of the new Simmons Sports Centre with its NHL-sized rink. But the Simmons project was already too far along in its planning for the club to join.
Funding opportunities
Weeks said the Charlottetown Curling Club has worked with an architect to draft an initial design for a facility in Stratford, estimating the cost at $8.4 million.
The club is prepared to contribute funding to the project, he said, using proceeds from the sale of the Euston Street building, as well as the interest earned on those funds.
"We're quite pleased that we have a significant amount of money to put down to contribute to the facility," Weeks said, adding that the club is also exploring funding opportunities from the provincial and federal governments.
Weeks hopes the new facility could open by 2027. The club has already received a grant from the 2023 Canada Games Legacy Fund, which has been used to purchase curling rocks.
In the meantime, Charlottetown curlers have been using rinks in Cornwall, Montague, Summerside, and other communities.
Weeks hopes that if a new facility is established in Stratford, it will not only provide a permanent home for the club but also introduce curling to many new players.
"My long-term goal is to be able to teach, let's say, 300 new people in the Town of Stratford how to curl," he said. "That's really what I'm looking forward to."