KENILWORTH – Wellington North council has agreed to partner with the Arthur Curling Club to apply for provincial funding to help the club replace its floor.
“The floor, as it stands today, is still operational, but we don’t want to be in a position where it fails mid-season,” club president Chris Roelofsen told council during its Oct. 21 meeting.
The club was asking to partner with the township to apply for the first stream of funding available through the Community Sport and Recreation Infrastructure Fund announced in April.
The fund provides money for projects to repair and upgrade existing sports and recreation facilities in Stream 1, and for new facilities in Stream 2, with funds being granted on a cost-shared model.
“The applicant can request up to 50 per cent of the eligible project costs,” stated a staff report included with the council agenda.
The township plans to apply for funding through both streams – Stream 1 for the curling club, and Stream 2 for a new outdoor pool for Mount Forest.
Eligible applicants include Ontario municipalities, local services boards, not-for-profits, and Indigenous organizations.
As the curling club is not considered an eligible applicant, the club needs the partnership with the township to apply.
Councillor Sherry Burke expressed concern about the implications of putting in two applications for funding.
“We know we’ve been talking about the pool for a long time,” she said. “We know the minister [of sport] has our project in front of them already.”
She suggested the curling club project might be something that could wait for a different funding program at a later date in order to avoid jeopardizing the Stream 2 application for the pool.
“One application should not affect the other,” manager of community and economic development Mandy Jones responded, but she added application approvals are up to the discretion of the ministry.
No costing has been provided for the curling club project, but the report stated the cost of the floor for the Arthur arena was approximately $1 million.
Jones said Steam 1 will fund amounts between $150,000 and $1 million and only half of the project costs.
According to her report, the project must be completed within 24 months of signing the agreement.
Roelofsen said the curling club has already started fundraising for the project, and if it is successful in obtaining provincial funding it will carry on fundraising for the remainder, or get a loan to complete the work.
“We’re a very healthy club,” he said.
Applications for Stream 1 were due Oct. 29.
Applications for Stream 2 have no set due date.
“Intake is ongoing until all funding has been allocated,” stated the report.
“Staff are preparing an application for Stream 2 for submission by the end of this year,” said Jones.
The motion to partner with the curling club and to apply to both streams of the Community Sport and Infrastructure Fund was carried, with only Burke in opposition.
