(Photo courtesy/Melfort Curling Club, Facebook)

By Ben Tompkins

Funding for phase 2

Melfort Curling hosts successful bonspiel, receives more grants for revitalization project

Feb 9, 2023 | 3:35 PM

Almost 30 teams helped raise thousands of dollars for the Melfort Curling Club during the first-ever Synergy AG Farmers and Friends bonspiel.

This past weekend, 28 teams attended the tournament, featuring players from Kinistino, Rosthern, Tisdale, Naicam, Archerwill, Star City, Saskatoon, St. Brieux, Pathlow, Ethelton, and of course Melfort.

It also showcased curlers as old as 82 (who hadn’t curled in Melfort in 45 years) and curlers as young as 16.

The event handed out $2,800 to the winners and runner-ups of the A, B, C, and D draws, as well as additional prizes for various competitions.

As for the rink itself, it raised $25,000, which will go toward operating costs.

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Being one of very few independently owned clubs in the province, it costs the club $150,000 a year to run.

Nick Fagnou was one of the organizers for the bonspiel and told northeastNOW it went pretty well for a first-of-its-kind event and that it was nice to bring everyone together.

“It’s a small-town game. It’s one of those things our parents and our grandparents, they grew up playing this game. There was a curling rink in every town and everyone did it every weekend,” Fagnou explained.

“At the end of the day, we wanted to let people out there have fun, and it was nice to see that the curling room was full. We’ve gone through some tough years, so it’s just more to get people out of their houses and community and stuff like that, and just kind of show them what the curling rink is all about. At the end of the day, it was how do we get these curlers back for next year.”

Next year the rink will look a little different, as the club continues to fundraise and work towards completing each phase of its revitalization project.

The club received a $50,000 donation from two local families, who described themselves as “avid curlers.”

Their families have been heavily involved in curling over the years and they have a special interest in the rink’s mural project.

Melfort Curling also received two federal grants, through the Enabling Accessibility Fund.

One was through the youth innovation component, which encourages youth to find accessibility barriers in their communities. That was for $10,000, which is set to improve the sound system.

Meanwhile, the other grant was worth $100,000, through the small projects component, which provides grant funding for small-scale construction and communication technology projects that improve accessibility in communities and workplaces.

This will increase the number of entrances to the club, as the rink currently only has one.

Kerrie DeGooijer, project chair, said the more money that comes in makes their goals closer to reality and shorter in time.

“It just instils confidence in everyone that like we’re getting support from all levels, which means that we are going to get this project done, hopefully, sooner than later. We’re still looking for more money, of course, but at least the balls rolling.”

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Ben.Tompkins@pattisonmedia.com

On Twitter @BenTompkins_8