HORNEPAYNE — What would a club be without a clubroom or clubhouse?
Representatives from Hornepayne’s Curling Club recently spoke to municipal officials at Hornepayne’s regular council meeting on March 20, presenting a deputation that addressed ongoing issues related to space, maintenance, and group prioritization.
The Hornepayne Curling Club’s clubroom at the Community Arena has doubled as the municipality’s fitness facility for just over 14 years now.
Judy Mann and Shana Drury, executives of the curling club, appeared before council to express their concerns about how access to their own clubroom has been “restricted and compromised” by the presence of the fitness facility.
“It’s been a long 14 years that the fitness facility has been in the clubroom and we’re just hoping that, after 14 years of not a 50-50 share, that we can have a little more than what we’ve been given,” Drury said.
Counc. Peter Kistemaker noted that a new gym is going to be built in Hornepayne sometime within the next three years, which would provide the fitness club with its own space.
Drury acknowledged the upcoming arena expansion and said that while curling club members – including herself and Mann – have been patient, the time has come to make things more equitable.
“Our club should hold priority in this space that was built with fundraising money by volunteers for a curling club, not a fitness facility,” their deputation read.
Mann and Drury offered two possible solutions, including expanding the amount of space the club has access to in the room so that there is more of an even split; or removing fitness equipment during the curling season (i.e. January to March) – with exclusive access for the club during their closing mixed bonspiel (one weekend out of the year) while, otherwise, fitness facility members could still have access year-round.
As it stands, the curling club is relegated to “four windows” that look out onto the arena ice but as Mann pointed out there are 13 windows in total and the curling club should have access to at least two more to make things fair.
“It’s not quite enough . . . We’re not asking for a lot after 14 years,” Mann said.
This has also made it significantly challenging for the club to host fundraising events which, as stated in Mann and Drury’s deputation “have become indispensable for the continued functioning” of the curling club.
In addition, damages incurred by members of the fitness facility, escalating costs for maintenance and rental of the space, and the need to replace parts for the ice plant have led to fewer curling club members.
“About 12 years ago, the flooring was replaced by the curling club fundraising money and it was brand new. Then, it was in 2010 that the fitness facility went in and now that floor is totally destroyed,” Drury said.
Drury described dents in the floor from dropped weights, scuff marks and scratches from gym mats, damage to the blinds, and a lingering smell as just some of the maintenance issues in the room.
She said there needs to be a plan – particularly when the arena expansion is completed – for the township to provide some compensation to repair the damages.
“I just know that we’ve been given the short end of the stick for 14 years. It’s time has come and let’s get them out of there – it’s our space,” Drury said.
The mayor and council sympathized with Drury and Mann, pledging to find a good compromise and clarify expectations ahead of the next season.
