Thanks to a grant the Morden Curling Club will experience more efficiency for the aging structure on the corner of 2nd and Wardrop Streets.
President of the Morden Curling Club Scott Bissett explained.
"Last summer, we attended a seminar by Efficiency Manitoba that was sponsored by the local (Morden) chamber of commerce. They introduced a few projects for different community clubs, and I kept in touch with them. In the fall, they contacted me saying they had a program called the Community Rink Lighting Initiative, which would fund upgrading to LED lighting through our entire club. They were willing to fund 100% of the project."
He reminisced a bit about the history of the club and this building in particular and how far it has come.
"We were one of the original members of the Manitoba Curling Association back in 1888 and I believe there were 12 clubs at that time. Our actual building got moved from downtown in the 1950s. There's a lot of volunteer efforts put into moving a building like that. We have Members from ages 6-90 years old using the facility (now). So, it's on a fairly busy schedule."
While Bissett joked it won't improve your game, it will lower costs and bring efficiency to the aging building.
"Opportunities like this are very beneficial to our curling club for saving electricity and keeping our costs down. Recently with our season ending, we've had 18 lights in the ice shed replaced and there's quite a difference when our members come back and fall on the brightness of it and during the summer all interior lighting is going to be done."
Bissett mentioned growing the sport and expanding events and programming is a priority for the club.
"This year, we ran approximately 5 or 6 Learn to Curl Programs that were totally free for any age to come out and just to come out and try the game. They get 1/2 an hour or 45 minutes on the ice with some very good instructors who introduce them to the game. The idea is to somehow get them into a regular kind of league thing or if the kids come out to the junior program once a week, it certainly makes a big difference down the road when you're looking for something to do as an adult and you go, 'Well yeah, I used to curl.'"