Happy Monday to All,
The ice install is near completion so we will be back curling this Thursday December 2 at 9:30am.
Thank you to Dayne Gagnon, Nic Hoffard, Kim Turnbull, Dennis Palmer, Chris Lamb, Linda Wilmott, Bert Creasy for helping us get everything back together again.
That is all for now.
Cheers,
Kent Bird
Good Friday to All,
We have the refrigeration plant up and running full power ahead. Kim Turnbull and Dennis Palmer worked long hours all week making this happen so a big thank you to them both.
This morning we started making ice again so the plan is to be open for curling next Friday morning at 8am for the Sr. mixed bonspiel. League play will begin next Friday with the Friday night mixed league starting at 6:30pm.
We can curl on Thursday December 23 to make up for 1 of the Thursday’s missed, it will be up to each league if they want to play or not but the ice will be open if they want it.
That is all for now. Back to making ice.
Have a great weekend everyone.
Cheers,
Kent
Happy Monday to All,
We have some good news today, the 3rd motor is scheduled to arrive tomorrow morning so we should be able to start the refrigeration plant up Wednesday or Thursday this week. So long as this next storm doesn’t cause any more flooding.
This means we will back curling next week just in time for the Senior mixed bonspiel on Friday December 3 at 8am. We owe a big thank you to the cities of Abbotsford and Vancouver for providing us with the white paint for the install and to Smart Ice, Dayne Gagnon, for helping with the install next week.
I am planning to extend the season 2 weeks in the new year from March 26, 2022 to April 9, 2022. This will get us 2 weeks of curling back from this unplanned shut down. I am also planning to have the last day of full curling before Christmas break on Thursday December 23, so all Thursday leagues can plan to play on December 23. We will also have ice open a few days the week after Christmas for a fun bonspiel and for family and friends to come down and burn off some of the Christmas stuffing. More details to come for the mini bonspiel so stay tuned.
That is all for now.
Cheers,
Kent Bird
Good Morning to All,
On behalf of the Board of Directors, I would like to extend our heart felt sympathies to all those who have been devastated by the floods on the Sumas Prairie. Our loss of a few curling games is pretty insignificant compared to the challenges those people are facing. We also want to thank the first responders and the many volunteers who rushed to help as they always do.
Now to our curling club dilemma. As you are aware, last Sunday the pump room flooded from a storm sewer back-up destroying three pump motors. The ice started to melt. The brine pump was replaced fairly quickly but the compressor pumps were another matter. Despite the best efforts of the repair men they could not get the new compressor motor to work properly and the ice is no longer salvageable. At the present time it seems two replacement motors will not be available until next week. This means that Kent will have to remove the present ice, clean the logos and re-install the ice when the plant is running again. The rink will be closed for at least another week or two. Kent expects to have the rink ready to go in time for the Senior Mixed Bonspiel on Dec 3.
This is an accident that no one could have predicted or prevented, just like the tragedy unfolding around us. Though the damage is covered by insurance, we won’t get the curling time back. I want to recognize the efforts of Kent who has worked tirelessly during this time to try and get us back up and running ASAP only to have to start over. It must be very frustrating but he pushes on. Kent may reach out to individuals for assistance as needed. Kim Turnbull and Dennis Palmer have spent many hours every day in that pump room trying to make things work, adjusting, improvising, moving 700 pound motors. Our thanks to Chris Lamb for loaning us some much needed equipment. The manager of the Golden Ears Curling club has also offered his assistance and ice time if needed.
We did not need this, especially this year. But to quote Kelly Clarkson “what doesn’t kill you, makes you stronger” !
We will keep you informed. We will go on !
Gord Wallington – president
Hi All Abbotsford Curlers,
On Sunday evening the storm sewer backed up sending water into our compressor room. Apparently the creek that drains the areas storm sewers was either blocked or couldn’t handle the volume of water. The water rose to 18 inches in the compressor room then receded only to rise again before finally draining away. It destroyed our 2 compressor motors and a brine motor as well as various switches and sensors.
The brine motor was replaced on Monday and the compressor motors are being replace on Tuesday. The other components will be replaced or repaired as soon as possible.
The ice surface is now covered with a layer of water but we are hoping to save the foundation of the ice. The playing surface will require a lot of work to get it back into playing condition.
At this time we hope to be able to resume curling next Monday morning. The rink will be closed for the rest of this week. Watch for any email should there be any changes.
It is unfortunate that this happened this year. However the weekend bonspiel was over. No one was hurt. And our insurance should cover the loss. But we really didn’t need this, especially this year. I guess you don’t mess with Mother Nature.
Cheers, Kent
Hi All Abbotsford Curlers,
I hope everyone is weathering this storm better than the the curling club. We are presently taking on water at a very rapid rate in the compressor room so we have had to shut down the power to the compressors and chillers. Curling will be cancelled until further notice until we can assess the damage and complete any repairs. I will hopefully know more by Monday afternoon when the rains let up.
Sorry for the bad news.
Cheers, Kent
Hi All Abbotsford Curlers,
You still have time to join curling this year!
The Monday Night Open league play at 6:45pm and we have room for more curlers. This league is open to everyone of any age and any skill level. We will offer free instruction and coaching for new curlers, please contact the office to schedule a time.The cost is only $100 for the remaining 7 weeks and includes all equipment, 2 hours of ice time, instruction (as needed) practice ice available before and after the game, bar will be open at 6pm and food is available. You can join until Christmas, create a 6 person team, play with your family, friends, neighbours or whatever works. The league will continue in January to March as well so you can play in the new year if you want.
All you need to do is register online at:
https://abbotsford.curling.io/en/leagues?page=2
Friday Night mixed league plays at 6:30pm and still has room for teams or individuals who want to join a team. Fees will be pro rated on games played.
We will be curling on Remembrance day November 11.
Cheers, Kent
Hi All Abbotsford Curlers,
Our AGM held Sept. 22, summarized a roller coaster 2020/21 season. Marked by a flurry of unique rules and a series of Covid 19 openings and closures, we finally shut down early last fall, resulting in a shortened but safe season for our members. We were all grateful to our Covid safety committee for their hard work, leadership, and timely advice to the Board as we all felt our way through the pandemic.
By cancelling a major part of our season and many potentially profitable events, we suffered a financial loss last year of about $40,000. However, the losses were mitigated by the club initiating an early spending freeze, our sponsors not asking for refunds, many members donating their partial fee refunds to the club and Kent willingly accepting only two-thirds of his salary for five months of the year. We should all be very thankful to Kent and Della for their generosity on the club’s behalf. Kent explained that he wants to continue to be part of the club’s success and future and last year he put his money on the line. Our completed upper washroom renovations used targeted funds from a New Horizon Grant. We still have money in the bank to repay the $40,000 CERB loans due in December 2022, about $40,000 in term deposits and the contingency fund remains untouched.
This year started out looking bleak. Then the PHO mandated vaccinations and things got easier, for most of us. The rules for curling became clearer; masks when walking around in the building; vaccination passports to come in and curl; no masks necessary on the ice; common sense distancing. People were enthusiastic again. People were having fun. It is not 100% safe, but it is livable and acceptable. There are still some curlers who have not yet joined us but hopefully they will soon.
We still have challenges. Our membership numbers are down at least 30%. Some leagues have been cancelled, moved, or amalgamated. Junior programs are under prescribed. We cannot get enough coaches for school programs where we do not know if kids are vaccinated or not. Rental groups are down. The rink is still dark on too many nights and underutilized on too many days. Covid is still playing havoc with our bottom line. The way things stand now our budget is projecting another significant loss of about $30,000. The Board wants to mitigate our losses as much as possible, hopefully even finish the season in the black. We cannot rely on the generosities of last year. Consequently, the Board is striking two committees to look at strategies around rebuilding our membership and exploring fund raising opportunities. We will need the help and support of all members. Nothing is off the table.
I realize our Board is reduced this year. We are going to need your help with these committees and with the individual events and activities planned for this year. I know that you will support our initiatives and help ensure the success of the club. This is a fun club with a great future. We have come a long way in the last few years. Let us make the hiccup of last year be exactly that, a speed bump on the road to excellence. Here’s to our continued success.
Our thanks to those people who have left the Board this year: Geoff Beulens, Karen Copeland, Brenda Giesbrecht, Mike Descente, Art Heppner, and Roy Huston. We all appreciated their efforts on our behalf. A special welcome to Tina Hinds and Rick Lang, newly elected to the Board.
Finally, we are hosting the BC Senior Men’s and Ladies’ Championships next week from Tuesday to Sunday. There will be some great curling. Plan to cheer on Kent and the Abbotsford men’s team. Best of luck to all the teams from around the province. Big Thanks to all our Volunteers.
Gord Wallington; President ACC
Hi All Abbotsford Curlers,
Well I am sure everyone is interested to see what curling will look like this year, especially with the new PHO on August 24. So here we go…..
We are still in step 3 of the BC restart plan until September 7 at which time they may move to step 4 but we will have to wait and see. In step 3 we can resume curling as normal or like pre covid days. Wearing a mask is optional, yelling at your 2 sweepers is completely acceptable, opposing teams can sweep behind the tee line, etc. Good old fashioned regular curling !!!!!!
When we are off the ice we will be required (by the new PHO from August 24) to wear a mask when walking around the common area, to the washroom, bar, etc. or until you are outside the building or sitting in a chair. Players can sit and socialize, eat or drink at tables with your team mates or other people as normal. Unfortunately no dancing on the tables.
Also in the new PHO everyone is required to be vaccinated, at least 1 shot by September 13 and a 2nd shot by October 24. These are the rules as of today which we are required to follow.
The curling club has a complete “Return to curling guidelines” which can be found at the following link: https://abbotsfordcurling.com/covid-19-news-policies/
I know this sounds like a lot but really we just want everyone to be safe and have some fun curling and socializing at the club. We are still planning a full year of events and bonspiels so feel free to enjoy the festivities at your own social club. So remember to register online starting September 8 and be ready to start throwing rocks at houses on September 21.
Reminder: The AGM is set for September 22 at 7pm in the upstairs lounge of the curling club.
Cheers, Kent & Della
Greetings,
Hope you are all enjoying a wonderful summer. It has been a warm one has it not! Nice to think that we will soon be on the ice. Wouldn’t it be nice if it were just that simple!
Two months ago, it seemed that this would be a “normal” curling year with us moving into Stage four of the re-opening plan with few if any bumps in the road – and we still might! But it seems that we are instead entering a 4th covid wave led by Delta, the new variant. Though the rising case numbers have not as yet led to new provincial restrictions, that is a very real possibility, and the present situation still leaves us with some challenges as individuals, as members of a curling club and as a club.
As I have stated in the past, I remain committed to protecting our members as best we can, following the guidelines and protocols as set out by the PHO, viaSport, and local Health officials and acting upon the advice of Curl Canada and Curl BC. We have convened a Covid committee to advise the Board about covid protocols to guide our club through this season. No matter what rules we adopt, we cannot totally eliminate the risk of catching or carrying covid and the protocols we adopt will not likely satisfy everyone. I think we want to keep those protocols to a minimum, so we accomplish the above goals but have a minimum impact on the game and the social aspects of the club. If it is not fun, what is the point.
The case numbers and the situation are changing nearly daily, so we are being patient. Making a decision too early may force us to make changes early in the season, a situation I don’t think anyone wants to repeat. I understand that people want to know the ground rules before registration. So, what is the balance? The committee meets next week and will make a recommendation to the Board on August 30th. We will inform you of the protocols after that meeting and before on-line registration on August 8.
In the meantime, I would urge all those who have not had their two shots to line up for the “jab”. The medical experts (not the online medical experts) tell us that vaccination is the best way to protect yourself, your family and those around you. That includes the curlers you ride with to the next bonspiel, the guy sweeping beside you, the people sharing the sheet with you, the lead who buys the next jug of beer and the lady in the locker next to yours. We all deserve as much protection as we can give ourselves and each other.
I welcome your feedback and suggestions.
Contact me at – gmwallington@shaw.ca
Stay Safe
Cheers
Gord Wallington
President