The North Grenville Curling Club put forward a community request for council to consider during the budget process. A special meeting was held last night.
Member Laura Melnick explained the club’s history, dating back to 1989. The club took over the former arena, located on Reuben Crescent, in 2005. A net-zero lease was struck, with the municipality retaining ownership and the club taking over maintenance.
Melnick says the facility regularly experiences blocked sewer lines and sewage back-ups because of degrading plumbing and sewer lines. She says in 2017, during the Women’s Fall Classic, the plumbing failed. Melnick says thousands of volunteer hours go into that event each year.
The cost of repairing the problem is estimated at $60,000. The club currently has around $42,000 in reserves – half of which is already going to other repairs.
Melnick says the club has invested over $300,000 into the building to date and spends $180,000 annually to operate it.
She says the club has been throwing money down the drain. Melnick says the club has been spending its own dollars to investigate the problem, bring in plumbers, clean up after floods and rent portable toilets for big events.
Melnick says the club wants council to take responsibility. The lease between the municipality and club is up for renewal this year.