WINNIPEG -- At least one curling club in Winnipeg has decided to pull the plug on their season, citing the public health orders.
Jason Shymanski, secretary with the Fort Garry Curling Club, confirmed the club is shutting down its ice plant for the year.
“The news we got yesterday was unfortunate,” he said. “We were hoping when we first had to shut down in late October that we were going to be able to reopen, hopefully if the numbers went down, we’d be able to get the restrictions lifted.”
“We held out as long as we could”
Under the new public health orders which take effect on Feb. 12, indoor sporting facilities, such as rinks, can open at 25 per cent capacity including both staff and patrons, but only for one-on-one instruction. Athletes who are potential competitors for the summer or winter Olympic or Paralympic Games can train at indoor sporting facilities with safety measures in place.
Shymanski said keeping the ice ready for a season yields a high utility bill for the club, and with spring sports around the corner, the interest in curling is limited.
“Unfortunately, if we have to wait another three weeks with the unlikelihood of potential restrictions being lifted, we won’t have a long enough season to make it worthwhile,” he said.
(CTV News Photo Jamie Dowsett)
Shymanski said the club respects the province’s decision, knowing that they have to keep COVID-19 numbers down, but said it was a “disappointing day.”
“The drop-dead day we had was the middle of February, because if we could get running by the middle of February, we could still get half a season in and provide our members with a nice change and a nice break, both for mental and physical well-being,” he said.
Shymanski said the pandemic and the missed season have decimated the club’s bottom line, noting without a curling season and being able to hold other events, they lost thousands of dollars.
The decision comes as several hockey leagues, such as the Interlake Minor Hockey Association and Hockey Winnipeg, have made the decision to cancel seasons due to the ongoing public health orders.
