The Trail Retiree Men’s Curling Club will be getting two more sheets of ice thanks to a request from the Trail Curling Association (TCA).
Trail City Council voted for the proposal at the Oct. 20 council meeting, after cost-cutting measures had removed two sheets of ice prior to the 2014-15 season, leaving six of eight sheets to curl on.
At the time, six sheets accommodated the number of teams in the various Trail curling clubs, but with the addition of two more teams, from 12 to 14, to the Men’s Retirees Club, the TCA requested the other sheets be reinstalled, so that rather than hold two draws, the retirees club can now ice all the teams at the same time.
“As a result of the additional sheets of ice, the camaraderie of the club will increase and the work of the icemaker of the club will decrease,” said retiree spokesman Tom Hall in a an email. “It will also allow more teams to enter the annual retiree bonspiel, up from 24 to 30.”
The addition is not without its costs, as outlined by Deputy Director of Parks and Recreation, Robert Baker, in his staff report to City Council.
Trail Parks and Rec (TPR) estimates an increase of up to $5,000 per year to run the extra sheets, in addition to costs related to reattaching pipes and adding brine.
TPR reduced its annual budget by almost $13,000 in expectation of a decrease in electricity costs and ice paint relating to the reduced number of sheets at the Trail Curling Club.
City Council agreed to extra funding of up to $10,000 to cover cost overruns in reinstating the extra ice. The sheets are expected to be completed sometime this month.