The Medicine Hat Curling Centre is inching closer to completing renovations after receiving a shipment of new ice mats.
Instead of being cemented in like the last ones were, the new mats will sit on top of the cement.
Cal Hauserman with the Medicine Hat Curling Club said they’re able to have a very small gap between the pipes with the new mats.
“So that actually leads to the increased efficiency and effectiveness of the curling ice,” Hauserman told CHAT News on Friday.
“People, when they come to the curling rink, will not notice any difference in the ice.”
The mats are also mobile, should the club ever relocate.
Bryden Smith, president of the curling center, told CHAT News that renovations are nearly halfway finished, with significant progress made on the upstairs bar.
The next phase involves installing the new ice plant in August.
“Our members are looking forward to being back in our building. Our competitive teams are looking to have that home ice advantage again, being able to practice when they need to instead of driving out of town,” Smith said.
“It’s something we’ve desperately missed and we’re tremendously excited to have back.”
Smith estimates they’ll have curlers back on the ice in October.
He said this progress wouldn’t have been possible without immense support from the community.
That includes board members, sponsors, volunteers, curling clubs across North America who have provided advice and the contractors working on renovations.
