Haliburton Curling Club members celebrated major grant funding on Friday Sept. 9 at the club with a ribbon cutting ceremony. From left VP Kent Milford board member Wanda Ruddy local MPP Laurie Scott Ontario Trillium Foundation grant review team member Ramesh Makhija local MP Jamie Schmale and club president Mary Hillaby. The club was celebrating $150000 from the Trillium Foundation and $25000 from the New Horizons for Seniors grant. They also thanked the Municipality of Dysart et al. JENN WATT Staff

Curling club celebrates landing major grants


By Jenn Watt

Published Sept. 13 2016


The Haliburton Curling Club has undergone major improvements with money from federal and provincial funding programs and has been able to pay off its debt to Dysart et al.


On Friday Sept. 9 the club celebrated the $175000 in grant money and $25000 in forgiven interest payments to the township.


“Because of the very kind contributions of a number of people here today not the least of which is the Ontario Trillium Foundation and the provincial government as well as the support from the federal government and our ongoing support from our municipality and our town we were able to make some significant changes here over the off season” said the club’s VP Kent Milford during the event at the curling club in Haliburton.


New ice making equipment LED lighting a dehumidifier condenser scraper and chiller were all purchased by the club using $150000 from the Ontario Trillium Foundation and $25000 from the federal New Horizons for Seniors Grant.


“We’re expecting that will drop our power bill our energy consumption by 27 per cent” Milford said of the LED lighting.


MPP Laurie Scott was on hand to congratulate the club and specifically mentioning Wanda Ruddy a board member who did the application paperwork.


“It’s a big chunk of money for a curling club in Haliburton” Scott said.


“I think there’ll be lots of improvements a lot more people coming out to curl I hope.”


MP Jamie Schmale also spoke telling the audience that Haliburton’s upgrades were among many happening across the constituency.


“Curling clubs across the riding are seeing a new energy people getting involved with the sport” he said.


The New Horizons program “wants to get seniors engaged it wants to get them participating especially in the winter months when it’s a little more difficult to do that” he said.


Trillium Foundation grant review team member Ramesh Makhija said the improvements would remove environmental hazards save costs and increase durability of equipment at the club.


Although Reeve Murray Fearrey was not able to attend the event organizers made sure to thank the township for forgiving the interest portion of their loan.