Hilary Fisher has been throwing rocks for close to half a century.
The Howe Sound Curling Club president entered the sport in 1964 when Squamish built its first facility. The old rink, which stood where Stawamus Elementary School stands today, was a warm, social hub, Fisher recalled. As the only sheet of ice in town, it served as a skating facility when the brooms were put away. And when the sweepers were out well, the place was rocking, Fisher said.
In the old club, we had a lot of young leagues, she said. It was party time.
In 1980, the curling club burned down. Four years later, residents pulled together to construct a new facility at the Squamish Valley Golf Club. Today, the club aims to conjure up the same spirit, as the organization looks to replace its ice-making equipment that was salvaged from the fire more than 30 years ago.
So far, the club's 160 members have fundraised $37,000, secured a $23,000 District of Squamish Community Enhancement Grant and, as of last week, a $25,000 Vancity/Real Estate Foundation Green Building Grant. The organization is more than halfway to its goal of $150,000 to retrofit the facility with energy-efficient equipment, club member Eric Andersen said.
We have a complex of buildings with add-ons mostly [built] in the cheap energy era, he said.
The new system will feed heat generated from the ice machine to lobby and club areas, said Paul Lancaster, the plant upgrade committee chair. That will cut the organization's gas and electric bills in half, he said, adding the investment should pay for itself in a couple of years.
The club recently upgraded its lighting to green technology. Not only did it reduce costs by 50 per cent, but the lights are twice as bright, Lancaster said.
Across the province, 66 ice arenas and 25 curling rinks were built more than 25 years ago, Andersen said. He hopes the Howe Sound club's project will be viewed as a prototype for other facilities.
We are collaborating with the squash club, golf and curling clubs and with Squamish Climate Action Network, who are involved in disseminating the information, he said. The District of Squamish is hoping to learn something from this project too.
Curling enjoyed a resurgence after the 2010 Winter Olympics, the club's manager Brian Avey said. The big event changed its image funky pants and shirtless fans flashed across TV screens worldwide.
It became a sport overnight, he said.
The club aims to uphold the sport's recent notoriety and continue the organization's tradition of pulling the community together. The club and facility are a product of devoted Squamish residents, Lancaster said.
People really do care about what they have got and where it is going, he said.
For more information on the club or to donate visit www.howesoundcurl.com or call (604) 898-9521.
