The Sudbury Curling Club is Sudbury's oldest sports organization. With 125 years under its belt, the club is now looking forward with a new vision for curling in Greater Sudbury.
Starting in the 2017-18 season, the Sudbury Curling Club will be known as Curl Sudbury. As the name infers, it's not a club and there's nothing exclusive about it. Curl Sudbury aims to grow the sport of curling in Sudbury while maintaining an all-inclusive, welcoming and fun atmosphere for everyone.
“If you've been following curling news around our country and even our city over the last few months, you know that it's been a tough summer on curling clubs,” said Curl Sudbury Facility Manager and Ice Technician Tom Leonard.
"It's not just bad for clubs, it's bad for the sport. On any given night here, we have competitive curling, first-timers, wheel chair curlers, stick curlers, pensioners – there's a place for everyone, no matter your curling background. Curl Sudbury is more than just a club, it's a social gathering place for anyone and everyone.”
Curling operations in the province and around the country are on thin ice due to a number of factors including lower membership, the higher maintenance costs of older buildings and high hydro costs associated with running a curling club in the winter, which can climb higher than $10,000 per month.
Copper Cliff Curling Club recently held a members meeting on Aug. 9 to determine whether or not they would consolidate with Sudbury Curling Club, in an effort to make both clubs more financially viable.
With the members at Copper Cliff ultimately deciding to stick it out and remain independent, Sudbury Curling Club is now taking steps of their own.
“We've got a very bold vision for the future of our sport in our city,” said Jason Bissonnette, President of the Curl Sudbury board of directors.
“It starts with growth at the grassroots level, dedicated fundraising and ultimately culminating in a new facility that will be the crown jewel of the roaring game in Northern Ontario. To achieve this we have to become more than a club, we have to become a social centre for our community.”
Curl Sudbury has been running several fundraisers through the summer months including fish frys, porketta bingos, euchre tournaments and wing nights.
Curling will start again in October, with the first registration night on Thursday, Sept.14.
