New curling club facility will be at original location

By Jennifer Hoegg

The Hants Journal/NovaNewsNow.com

The Windsor Curling Club advised town council last week that it will rebuild their rink on its Albert Street property.

Discussions to build the new facility next to the Hants Aquatic Centre pool had been underway. Concerns had been raised in the community, however, about the effect such a project would have on play and green space next to the pool and community centre.

Time is the primary factor in the club’s decision, club president Rae Winkelaar said. “The executive felt that we had to get going. A decision (from the Town) wouldn’t be ready until April, and we would like to start building in May.”

Surveying and soil sampling has been completed on the club’s present property and a call for proposals has been issued for the design and building of the new facility.

Although it will have the same four sheets of ice, change rooms, kitchen, bar and club facilities, the 2008 rink will be substantially different from its predecessor.

Plans are being made for a more environmentally friendly, energy-efficient building with a state of the art ice plant. Water used in the refrigeration process will be recycled, and heat generated by ice making will be redirected to heat the clubhouse.

A greener building was a priority for the club, Winkelaar noted. “We were the second largest consumer of water in the town. In the cooling process, you use water to run over the pipes in the chiller. It wasn’t recycled, it was returned to the river.”

A second change will be, hopefully, a handicap accessible building, Winkelaar added. “We have already been approached by one disabled curler who has to drive to the city to curl.”

Financing will come from the club’s insurance settlement and fundraising efforts, including the Centennial Gala. The club hopes to secure environmental sustainability grant and Health Promotions grants from the province to assist in the rebuilding. “We won’t know until the spring, but we have had favourable comments of support from (MLA) Chuck Porter and Mike Trinacity”