135-year-old Winnipeg curling club finding a new home

A 135-year-old Winnipeg curling club is finding a new home in St. James after its current building is being put up for sale.

The Thistle Curling Club announced on Tuesday it would be moving out of its current home at 280 Burnell Street.

"While we are sad to say goodbye to the facility we have called our home, we are excited about the opportunity to bring our rich history and membership into a newer facility," a statement from the club's executive team said, adding it was a hard decision to make.

The announcement said it made the decision due to 'fiscal realities' the club was facing, along with significant losses, and the fact that all the surrounding land and buildings had been purchased.

"The consensus was to see if it were possible for the Thistle to move to another club and amalgamate with them to create one strong club going forward," the announcement reads.

That's where the Deer Lodge Curling Club (DLCC) comes in.

The Thistle Curling Club, which is now in its 135th year, said it has met with the DLCC, which was very receptive to the idea of both clubs sharing the same building at 425 Woodlawn St. "The Executives of the two clubs have met to look at scheduling and have a plan in place to accommodate our leagues," the announcement reads, saying some start times may need to be altered by 30 minutes to accommodate the move.

"There is the possibility of merging and forming larger, healthier leagues with some existing DLCC leagues that are low on curlers."

The announcement said the two clubs will be joining for the 2023/24 season.

CTV News will update this story.