COVID conditions cause canceling of curling club seasons

DAN CEARNS, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter, for The Standard

NORTH DURHAM: The Port Perry and Uxbridge Curling Clubs have decided to cancel their upcoming seasons, due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The Port Perry Curling Club made the announcement of their cancelling of the 2020/2021 season on Wednesday, September 30th. “The full board was in attendance and this decision was reached only after lengthy and fully inclusive debate. We looked at the registration numbers from both a financial and a league logistics perspective. [More] importantly, we looked at the current provincial trends, our responsibility to our community, and the spectre of reentering a Phase 2 situation with the possibility of having to shut down again,” read an online post, on the curling club’s website, from President Fred Gibson. The post continued, “As of this morning our registration is at 117 paid and 19 unpaid. This compares to an adult membership of 294 for the 2019/2020 season. I am aware there are a few of you who have been trying to register online but there is a similar number who have contacted us to say they have reconsidered and wish to cancel their existing registration. So it appears, there would be 136 members, give or take, prepared to curl. That’s barely half our typical numbers, putting us in a financial loss position for the year. This would be worsened if we incurred the heavy plant start-up energy costs and then had to shut down.” Mr. Gibson’s post also had a message for their members. “I want to thank the board and sub-committee members for all of their focus and effort, while working through the spring and summer, as we earnestly prepared to be able to open, with all of the new requirements imposed on us. This has not been a wasted effort. It was only with that degree of awareness we felt we could make last night’s tough decision. Lastly, I want to thank you, our members, for caring about our club the way you do. I have received lots of questions, suggestions and words of encouragement over the last little while. I am optimistic our shared love of the game and of this club will get us through,” he wrote. The Uxbridge and District Curling Club also recently came to a similar decision. “It is with great consideration and much disappointment your admin committee has come to the, regrettable but necessary, decision of closing the club for the remainder of the season, in the best interest of everyone’s safety. All club events, including, but not limited to league curling, playoffs, the calcutta, the brier, the ladies pot luck dinner, the skating party, all rentals, and the closing party are cancelled,” read a post, on the Uxbridge Curling Club’s website, from President Margaret McKnight. “All closing banquet tickets will be refunded by the club.”