Justine Carr, Centretown News
Tom Sinclair is pushing to get new curling stones for the club’s O’Connor Street location. The Ottawa Curling Club is set to make major improvements to its 98-year-old home in Centretown in preparation for the club’s centennial celebrations in 2016.
The OCC is planning to replace its aging supply of curling stones – a potential $75,000 expenditure – while also looking to enhance the viewing experience for spectators at the club.
The club’s curling stones are believed to be about 40 years old and due to be retired, something members are keen to see happen, according to OCC president Tom Sinclair.
The club also has plans to install 11 high-definition television monitors, which will enhance spectators’ viewing of the club’s games.
Sinclair says the two things that affect the enjoyment of curling are “the ice and the rocks . . . so we better look after the rocks.” The club conducted a survey last year to gather the 600 members’ views on buying new stones, which resulted in a Yes vote.
“The only thing holding us back from getting new rocks right now is the cost,” says Sinclair. “One set will cost about $15,000 and we need five sets, so that’s about $75,000 . . . . but there are things that can offset the cost.”
Curling stones are expensive because they need a specific type of durable granite found exclusively in Scotland and Wales.
Having members personally sponsor specific stones, selling the old sets, as well as looking for commercial sponsors are all possibilities the OCC is considering in order to minimize the cost.
Personally sponsored stones are commonplace at the OCC. Members purchase stones and in return have their name engraved on the stone’s handle.
Commercial sponsorship is not something the OCC has been involved in the past, but Sinclair admits it is something worth considering.
Fred Veale, owner of Canada Curling Stone, says: “Commercial sponsorship of curling stones is definitely becoming more popular for clubs looking to offset cost,” says Fred Veale, owner of Canada Curling Stone based in London, Ont.
All curling clubs experience the need to replace their stones at some point. The Granite Club in Westboro faced this problem in 1997, says Granite Club manager Denise Hoekstra. Rather than replacing the entire stone, the Granite Club opted for the low-cost option of simply replacing the bottom surface of the stones – the part that faces the brunt of the abrasion.
The planned new array of TV monitors in the viewing area would give spectators a bird’s-eye view of the house – the concentric rings where stones are thrown – on the playing surface.
The club’s previous monitors were out of date, with some failing to show anything more than a blue screen. They were taken down this past month.
OCC member James Grant donated the high-definition monitors to the club, though Sinclair says the club will still need to buy new cameras.
“We’re trying to figure out a way to get the cameras done without having to ask anything from the membership,” Sinclair says.
The Ottawa Curling Club moved to its current location at 440 O’Connor St. in December 1916 when the federal government ordered the curlers to move from the previous downtown location.
Elected president of the OCC last September, Sinclair is determined to get both the stones and the monitors finalized during his two-year term.
“Before my time is up, we will have new rocks and a spiffy set of monitors.”