WINNIPEG - After years of dealing with shifting riverbank soil, cracked walls and gaping holes that let warm air in, the grand old dame of curling in Western Canada is finally getting a facelift.
The Granite Curling Club, the oldest club in the West, has been approved for $443,000 in funding from the federal, provincial and municipal governments. The money will help pay to rebuild the club's north and south walls, which have moved and cracked so much that warm air constantly blows in and melts the ice.
"We've had a lot of difficulty," club president Frank Clark said. "Our ice-maker ... has done his utmost best to fix the situation, but it just hasn't worked."
The original Granite Curling Club dates back to 1880. The club moved several times before settling in its current location on the shore of the Assiniboine River, just west of downtown Winnipeg, in 1911.
The club has produced several national championship rinks over the years, including those of Howard Wood in 1930 and Vic Peters in 1992. It was also home to the Don Duguid foursome that won back-to-back world championships in 1970 and 1971.
The club has a Tudor-style clubhouse with a warm, old-fashioned atmosphere. It is known the world over, at least in curling circles.
"I was in Scotland the summer before last, and I went into a little pub ... and I was wearing my Granite fleece jacket. A guy looked at me and said 'the Granite. I know the Granite."' Clark said.
"Well (suddenly), I'm a hero and I'm drinking for free."
Over the years, the building has shifted and cracked - a result of both age and the shifting clay soil common in Winnipeg. Walls have split apart, the floors are sloped and the club has spent a lot of money just trying to keep warm areas warm and the ice cold.
Jenny Gerbasi, who represents the area on city council, has been pushing for repair money for years.
"It seemed like a bit of a long shot because at the city, you know, resources are scarce."
Eventually, the timing worked out. The city money became available just as the federal government boosted infrastructure funding to try to help the sluggish economy.
Clark is hoping to have the walls rebuilt by the end of summer.
There is still one hurdle to clear - he and his colleagues have to raise $200,000 in private donations. The task does not appear to faze him, however.
"I think it will be the old-fashioned way of just getting on the phone and calling members."