INNISFAIL – The roaring game season is now officially silent at the Innisfail Curling Club.
The long COVID-19 pandemic has snatched another beloved winter sport. Like many other clubs across the province, the Innisfail Curling Club's doors are permanently shutting for the 2020-21 season.
Lowell Peterman, the club’s icemaker and manager, said the decision was made by the board following the province’s recent announcement on new COVID four-stage timelines and benchmarks.
A club review of the timelines showed the earliest possible reopening would have been March 22, as laid out in Stage 3 for adult sports, and only if the province saw the number of hospitalizations below 300. Currently, the hospitalization number is more than 500.
“We had previously put our drop-dead date as March 1, and we just thought that was far too long to hope that we would open even on March 22, and that is still and if, said Peterman. “We made the decision to basically close it down.”
Peterman added the final decision came a few days after the provincial announcement because he was still waiting for confirmation on whether the club would be a practice site for the upcoming bubble national series in Calgary, which will see his daughter Jocelyn curl at the 2021 Scotties Tournament of Hearts from Feb. 20 to 28, and the Canadian Mixed Doubles Curling Championship from March 18 to 25.
“When I found out that wasn’t going to happen as well, we then made the decision to shut ‘er,” he said, adding the club’s official decision came on Feb. 3.
Peterman said on Feb. 4 that the sad task of removing the club’s ice had started the day before with the shutting down of the ice plant. The ice will then be removed from the facility and he will stay on until the end of the month.
“Hopefully by then I will have the ice removed and some of the renovations we are doing at the club will be done, at least the bulk of them,” said Peterman of the $8,500 town-financed project to modernize the club lounge. The icemaker, who would normally work until April 15, still has two more years left on his three-year contract. Peterman said he’s looking forward to returning next season.
As for season refunds to the club’s membership, which is around 250, Peterman said that is already being looked at by board members but a final decision won’t be made until there are additional discussions with club members at the annual general meeting (AGM). He said the AGM is normally held in April but because of ongoing COVID in-person restrictions the meeting could be delayed until the fall just before next season’s registration.
“That way we can make a decision then, getting the general opinion of members as to how to move forward, whether there will be a refund or a credit on next year’s dues. That is yet to be determined,” said Peterman, adding the club is giving a total refund to its junior curlers who were only able to get two weeks of action in this season. “Their dues will be paid for next year,” said Peterman.
He said the cost for annual dues for members vary, as it all depends on the league each curlier is playing in. He said the evening leagues are a bit more expensive than those for day time, with the cost to junior curlers even lower.
Peterman said the overall cost range for members dues is between $270 for day time curling, to $320 for evening play.
