New gameplan for former Thistle rink

Hey there, time traveller!
This article was published 28/08/2024 (392 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

A St. Matthews neighbourhood building that once hosted bonspiels will soon house all kinds of deals.

Starting Sept. 1, a tenant called Royal Pacific Group is leasing Thistle Curling Club’s former headquarters at 280 Burnell St. The group plans to open a flea market and restaurant, according to real estate agents involved with the deal.

Royal Pacific Group has made a written offer to purchase the building when the lease expires at the end of April 2025.

The deal is welcome news for Thistle Curling Club Ltd., the six-person group of shareholders that owns the Burnell Street property.

Club leadership announced at the end of February 2023 their intention to sell the property and merge with the Deer Lodge Curling Club. The building has sat empty since April 2023.

“I feel good about it — real good about it,” said Thistle club secretary and shareholder Trevor De Ryck.

He added the shareholders have twice needed to call the police to remove a man who was squatting on the premises. “We don’t have to deal with that stuff anymore.”

Finding a tenant for the building was difficult, according to Kelly Williamson, chairman of the ownership group.

Two conditional sales — one to a potential buyer who sought to convert the building into a brewery and the other to a potential buyer who wanted to start a nightclub — fell through because of the extensive renovations the structure would have needed for those pursuits.

“It was a struggle, but it’s all done, so we’re all good,” Williamson said.

The 18,500-square-foot building includes a kitchen, banquet hall, restaurant and bar. It sits on 22,323 square feet of land that includes 32 parking stalls.

The property was most recently listed for sale at $950,000. De Ryck and Williamson declined to say how much they sold it for.

“The flea market is kind of the perfect use,” said Bruce Harvey, one of the real estate agents representing Thistle. “This was kind of a perfect conversion because it doesn’t require a lot of renovation.”

In addition to a flea market, the new tenants will open a restaurant on the property, said Brad Gross, the realtor representing Royal Pacific Group.

Gross is not an owner but said he will be a managing partner in the endeavour, which he said will be called Winnipeg Flea Market.

“We’re super excited and I think it’s going to be something else,” said Gross, adding in addition to providing space for people to sell collectibles, the plan is for the market to offer fresh produce and handmade items from an array of local makers.

“Hopefully, we can … bring the beauty of Winnipeg all under one roof.”

A representative from Royal Pacific Group declined to comment Tuesday on the agreement with Thistle and did not confirm Gross’s involvement in its plans.

Thistle was struggling to keep its doors open when it operated on Burnell Street, owing to a declining membership exacerbated by the COVID-19 pandemic.

It had around 600 members when it merged with Deer Lodge Curling Club last year. Thistle shares the Deer Lodge ice at 425 Woodlawn St., but retains its name.

Thistle was founded Oct. 27, 1887, by members who separated from the Granite Curling Club. It has since operated out of numerous locations throughout Winnipeg. The club was headquartered at 745 Minto St. from 1921 until 2006, when the site burned in an arson.

Private owner Arnold Asham sold the club the Burnell Street location in 2007 for around $250,000. That price was roughly half of what the building was worth, Asham told the Free Press last year.

The building had housed the Valour Road Curling Club since 1948. Valour amalgamated with Thistle when it moved into the building in 2007.

Meantime, Thistle’s arrangement with Deer Lodge is working well, according to Williamson, who has strong ties to the club: his family has been involved with Thistle since 1959.

“The ultimate decision to move was to make one strong club out of two because after COVID, every curling club in Winnipeg was struggling a little bit,” he said. “Now that the clubs are joined together, I think you can see the two clubs will last a long time into the future.”

aaron.epp@freepress.mb.ca