There will not be any on-ice action at the St. Stephen Curling Club this season.
Club officials have decided to keep the doors closed due to a lack of interest from members.
President Joanne Gorman said only 30 members registered this year compared to the regular membership of around 110.
“We looked at the cost of running and the cost of closing and it just wasn’t monetarily feasible to open it this year,” said Gorman.
Club officials said they would incur a financial loss if they remained closed, but they could lose even more if they opened without member support.
In a previous interview, Gorman said the new pandemic rules may discourage some of the more hardcore curlers from taking part.
Several new rules were to be put in place to help reduce the risk of spreading COVID-19, such as limiting the number of players on the ice to three instead of four.
Gorman said many curlers who spend hours each week at the club are now left wondering what they will do this winter.
“We’re concerned about losing people,” said Gorman, who worries people who do not curl this year may not return in following years.
Gorman said they do hope to keep people coming to the club throughout the season, even if it is not for curling.
“We thought, well OK, let’s open it once a week or a couple of times a month just for a get-together at the club if we can. Card nights, we haven’t really decided yet, but we’d like to do something to keep people coming a little bit for something,” she said.
Club officials are hopeful they will be able to open again next season.
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