Medicine Hat Curling Centre officially reopens after two-year wait

The club was forced to cease operations in fall 2022 due to the poor condition of the ice caused by problems with the brine lines located under the concrete slabs.

The curling club was approved last December for a $870,000 grant from the Alberta government through its Community Facility Enhancement Program.

Between the grant, selling the building to the City of Medicine Hat and fundraising efforts, the curling club raised over $1.7 million to get the facility running again, general manager Bryden Smith said.

It was a big effort by the community to get the club back on the ice and Friday’s reopening of the curling centre brought a sigh of relief for Smith.

“It just feels like we finally crossed that finish line we’ve been racing towards and it’s really good to see everyone back and out curling,” Smith told CHAT News.

It wasn’t long after Landsiedel slide the rock down the ice that an inaugural tournament got started with dozens of curlers filling the sheets.

Smith is looking forward to relaunching the local curling scene with new events and by attracting the next generation of curlers.

“Our goal is to try and get new curlers out. We’ve been in contact with the schools to get them all gym classes or to get high schools out and curling competitively,” he said.

Smith also wants to create a welcoming atmosphere for those who curl to have fun.

“We’d really like to expand our facility, see more curlers and bring a general positive and relaxed recreational vibe to the facility where it’s not about winning or losing,” he added.

“It’s about having fun and making good memories.”

— with files from Jesse Gill

by Eli J. Ridder

Medicine Hat Curling Centre officially reopens after two-year wait

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