New floor to bring new possibilities to Elk Point Curling Rink

The rocks are going to sail smoothly across the newly installed floor at the Elk Point Curling Rink this winter thanks to community volunteers and a $125,000 Community Facility Enhancement Grant (CFEP) that has allowed the club to install new concrete flooring.

Treasurer for the club, Joanne Warawa said the new floor will be a big improvement over the last, “the old floor was very unlevel. On one end you’d have eight inches of ice and on the other, it would still be wet and pipes would be poking through.” The old floor had a sand base with piping to keep the ice cool.

The club had originally tried to keep costs lower by keeping the sand floor, however, after reviewing it with the construction crew, they realized that was not possible. Which meant all the funds were to be allocated toward the flooring and volunteers were needed to help keep costs down.

Over the past two months, crews of volunteers would work on the floor with a paid construction worker on-site to oversee the project. This allowed the club to stay on budget but also meant a lot of work for the volunteers, said Warawa, “most of the volunteers work during the day, so we would come at night.”

Thanks to the volunteer workforce, the concrete was poured last week and will cure over the next 21 days. “We’ll have a later [than other clubs] start to the season,” Warawa explained the ice should be in for early December, which is typical of the Elk Point facility. “We hope to be able to put the ice in sooner next season.”

The club was also able to offset costs thanks to a $30,000 boost from the County of St. Paul, as well as monetary, equipment and material donations from community partners. Warawa explained that they will have a complete list of all the volunteers and sponsors at the grand opening celebration.

 

 

Recent and Upcoming Renovations

There have been some other major renovations to the facility over the past few years, including upgrades to the bathrooms and the flooring. The facility received a facelift to the exterior front entrance and a ramp was installed. The lights have been replaced with LEDs. Funding for those projects came from a $90,000 grant.

There is still a project that will need to be addressed in the near future, a leaky roof. The club hopes to be able to raise funds and apply for grants to help repair the roof.

 

Growth in Popularity

The Curling Club has gained popularity over the years with 16-18 teams participating in the mixed league pre-covid.  They also have a strong Junior League that sees players from Grades 4-12 take to the sheets. The club did take two years off due to the pandemic but is hopeful to retain those numbers once the facility opens for the season.

The club hopes to host their annual year-end bonspiel, the Oilmen’s Bonspiel, a Junior’s Bonspiel and regular Crib & Curl Nights.

As Warawa explained, “Crib & Curl was really popular. It’s more relaxed, drop in with a partner or alone. We do two-man curling teams and when you’re not curling you play crib and vice versa.”

Along with regular league play, the facility is home to the Elk Point Lions Club and 4-H, who both host their meetings at the rink.

 

Future Possibilities

An advance to the new flooring is the possibility to expand services and uses for the facility. With the floor being sand, the club could only use the facility in the winter for curling. Warawa explained with the new floor the club could hold dances and pickleball in the off-months. “The Lions Club is very excited and we already have ideas for pickleball.”