A new lift and accessible entry to the Melfort curling club. (Ben Tompkins/northeastNOW Staff)

By Cam Lee

Upgrading

Year in Review: Melfort curling rink more accessible after upgrades

Dec 31, 2024 | 12:00 PM

One of the top sports stories in 2024 in the northeast were the upgrades at the Bourgault Curling Centre in Melfort.

Phase 2 of the upgrades to the curling club wrapped up in 2024. Those changes included a new ice plant, upgraded washrooms, kitchen and seating upgrades, and a new projector and sound system.

Accessibility upgrades were also part of the Phase 2 upgrades. The original entrance features several stairs; however, a new ground-level entrance with a lift was added, with entry from the south side of the building.

“This has been something on our minds for a long time and really a project that we wanted to do because we often promote that we’re a community facility open to everyone,” revitalization project chair, Kerrie de Gooijer told northeastNOW shortly after the project completed.

According to deGooijer, the renovations would not have been possible without several helping hands. The federal government’s Enabling Accessibility Fund helped fund the lift, with additional assistance through a Sport Facility Grant from the City of Melfort, a Red River Mutual Spruce up your Story Grant, and the Prairie North Co-op Sustainable Communities Fund.

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Phase 3 of upgrades to the facility will take place in the coming years. That will include ventilation improvements, a roof replacement over the ice surface, and a replacement of the concrete ice pad.

Anyone interested in donating toward Phase 3 of the project can contact the Melfort and District Curling Club.

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Cam.lee@pattisonmedia.com

On X: @northeastNOW_SK