Impact of Kamloops Curling Club cancelling 2020-21 season because of COVID-19

Club membership is down, large banquets are out — there are no banquets because of COVID and safety guidelines don’t allow for non-member groups to rent the ice.

Longtime Kamloops Curling Club member Patrick O’Donovan spent Monday morning clearing out his locker at the downtown club.

For many club members, like O’Donovan, the cancellation of the season has meant much of their social activity during the winter months is gone.

“I’m going to miss the comradery and the social aspect of it for sure.” says O’Donovan. “It was an activity to keep me active in the winter time. Now I’m probably going to have to find something else.”

The email from the Board of Directors to members says membership was down by over 25% —–much of that believed to be by the most vulnerable of the user groups —- and other events that brought in money to keep the club operating.

“The seniors were the ones that were very apprehensive about curling.” says club manager Rob Nordin. “So we were losing those as members. Bonspiels and things they’re very difficult because you can only have 50 people at the event, so that makes it difficult. The curlers are the biggest hit, and of course we do a lot of weddings and we do a lot of staff parties, Christmas parties”

None of those can happen because of COVID crowd restrictions.

The impact affects a wide range of users —- from the very young to the seniors.

And competitive curlers like Corryn Brown, the skip of the 2020 B.C. women’s championship rink —- it won’t be business as usual —– with the Curling Club like a second home during the competitive curling season.

“Probably between five and six, depending on the week whether we had a spiel or not.” says Brown. “So we were definitely pretty spoiled with how much we were able to use this facility and the different times that worked with our schedules.”

For Team Brown, which will have an automatic bye, as the defending champion, into late January’s B.C. championships scheduled for the Olympic rink at McArthur Island, the entire competitive season is up in the air.

“We went from having 10 spiels before Christmas, to maybe one confirmed at the most right now.” says Brown. There’s still lots up in the air. It is a really important year, being the year before the pre-trials. We’re right on the cusp right now, so it’s definitely a big year for us, and we’re not really sure what’s going to happen. Right now points are on hold until the end of November.”

Fortunately for the bottom line of the Kamloops Curling Club, it won’t remain totally dark from October to the end of March.

There won’t be any ice, the lounge and banquet facilities will be closed — but there will be another as yet unnamed user group.

“If we had’nt had the opportunity to rent the facility.” says manager Rob Nordin.. “Closing would have cost us more, if we did’nt have an opportunity to generate some revenue from a different source.”

But for the average user like Patrick O’Donovan, it meant finding another activity on those dark winter nights.

“Ummm — usually I volunteer at the Blazers games.” says O’Donovan. “But those aren’t happening either —- so right now I’m a free agent (laughter)

by Earl Seitz

Impact of Kamloops Curling Club cancelling 2020-21 season because of COVID-19

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