Blue Mountains’ curling season on thin ice

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This article was published 01/10/2020 (2121 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

Lloyd Luckock has been president of the Blue Mountains’ Curling Centre for the past three years. He says it is difficult to keep funding and memberships up in a regular season, but this year is proving to be an even greater challenge.

“Every year it is more and more difficult for an individual like myself to run these clubs. There’s a lot of stress trying to keep everything going,” Luckock said.

In previous years, the centre’s curling season generally consists of about 70 members playing on four sheets of conversion at the Beaver Valley Arena in Thornbury, every Friday night.

Membership cost $250 for the season, which runs from October to March.

According to Luckock, Blue Mountains Curling is unique in that it is more of a development centre than a league.

The centre does not offer league play but rather a place for individuals to come to try the sport for the first time or sharpen their skills.

He says that in many cases, members will practice and learn at the Blue Mountains Curling Centre and then join other nearby community clubs, such as Meaford or Collingwood, in order to participate in league play.

“I taught roughly 250 curlers last year and some did join the club but many are only here for the weekends, so they take the skills they have learned and join leagues in their communities,” he said.

Now, with COVID-19 looming, Luckock says this year’s curling season is in jeopardy.

“Local clubs are struggling with membership because people are on the fence about whether or not to get involved and what might happen in the coming months,” he says.

“But, I don’t think we can let COVID take over our lives. We have to do things as best we can with all the protocols in place. That’s all we can do,” he added.

With membership numbers low, sponsorship has also not been easy to obtain.

“All clubs rely on sponsorship dollars, but I am struggling to approach anyone this year because everything is so up in the air,” Luckock explained.

In previous years, the Blue Mountains Curling Centre held an auto show in conjunction with the Beaver Valley Fall Fair as a fundraiser, however, this year’s fair has been cancelled.

In an effort to save the curling season, the centre has asked the Town of the Blue Mountains to consider providing financial relief on the ice rental rates.

The centre’s request is currently sitting with TBM’s Grants and Donations Committee, which is scheduled to meet on Oct. 2.

If the Blue Mountains Curling Centre is able to acquire enough members, and is provided with some relief on ice rental costs, Luckock says the club will be ready to move forward with the season with enhanced COVID safety protocols in place.

In preparation for the season, the centre has been leaning on Curling Canada and Curling Ontario, as well as Ontario’s Return to Play guide, to set protocols for the coming season.

“All of the rocks will be sanitized after each game and players will be required to use the same two stones,” Luckock said.

He adds that on top of the club’s own safety measures, the Beaver Valley Arena, is staged in a way that social distancing is possible.

The arena has four sheets of conversion that have space between them and games will be structured with teams starting at opposite ends of the ice to increase distance.

The Blue Mountains Curling Centre board has also been in close contact with TBM staff in order to communicate and ensure all town-initiated safety measures are maintained.

Luckock says he started curling when he was eight-years-old and has continued to curl throughout his entire life, even reaching a few championship competitions along the way.

“I like to give back to curling, because it’s been very good to me,” he says. “I think curling, like other sports, really helps you develop in life.”

He believes that curling is a great option to stay active and healthy throughout the winter months for people of all ages.

“For mental health, we need to do these things. The core thing for me is trying to keep our community healthy and safe, and this is where I think curling can help,” he added.

For more information on the Blue Mountains Curling Centre, visit bluemountainscurling.ca