Haliburton Curling Club president, Wanda Ruddy, said she’s been hearing rumours of a new curling rink being built in Haliburton for years, though noted chatter has increased tenfold since Dysart et al closed on a 91.5-acre property on the outskirts of Haliburton village last summer.
Mayor Murray Fearrey has repeatedly stated the land, which Dysart acquired for $1.725 million, would be an ideal home for a new arena and curling rink. Ruddy said the membership would be interested in a new location.
“The one here in town is 82 years old. It’s been renovated and refurbished over time, but it’s an old building. So, of course we’d all be excited to have a new curling club… but I think we need to have a seat at the table to make sure it gets designed the right way,” Ruddy said.
She isn’t concerned about losing a prime spot in the centre of town, noting most members commute from outlying areas such as Percy and Haliburton lakes.
Ruddy said the idea of a new curling rink was first floated about five years ago – after local resident Marnnie Blair donated a 15.75-acre parcel of land across from the Pinestone Resort on County Road 21 to Dysart. The gift was made public at a council meeting in November 2019, on condition the land be used for recreational purposes.
Then, there was nothing. While Ruddy said she had preliminary talks with both Blair and Andrea Roberts, Dysart’s mayor at the time, in late 2019, things went quiet as soon as the pandemic hit.
The land transfer never went through, which was news to Roberts.
“It stalled for several reasons – but when I left council my understanding was [it was going to get done]. Then I found out Dysart bought [the 91.5-acre parcel] up the road, so I followed up and asked what happened to the gift from the Blair family and was told it was dead in the water,” Roberts said.
Dysart declines private land gift
She noted staff had spent considerable time on the file – going as far as to rough sketch what any development could look like.
“The land was a bit of a triangle – there was some wetland to the west, there was road access off Soyers Lake Road. We mapped it out using the township office, arena and curling club as a footprint – that area is five acres downtown. We thought we could fit an updated arena and curling rink on five acres, put in parking, and meet the required setbacks, so from that perspective the project seemed feasible,” Roberts added.
Fearrey said the deal collapsed because Blair wanted a tax receipt for the donation based on the land being valued at $300,000.
“We didn’t accept that appraisal and weren’t willing to issue a tax receipt based on that valuation. The land there is a bog, filled with rocks. It would have taken so much money to be able to develop it,” Fearrey said.
The mayor also questioned whether it would be appropriate for the municipality to issue a tax receipt for the land, since it was presented to the previous council as a gift.
“A gift is just that – a gift. They must be given for free,” Fearrey said, referencing the Ontario Municipal Act.
Blair declined to comment when approached by The Highlander.
Looking to the future
Ruddy said she has no idea what a new curling rink would cost, but noted the Haliburton club would be able to transfer infrastructure from the current facility.
The club installed a new ice plant in 2016, at a cost of $175,000, with Ruddy saying it still has 30 years of life left. A new double oven, dishwasher and cupboards for the kitchen – to be installed this April courtesy of a $141,000 Ontario Trillium Foundation grant – could also be moved over.
In a new rink, Ruddy said she’d like separate spaces for a lounge and eating area, with a bar and kitchen grouped together. She feels four sheets of ice “is plenty for Haliburton.”
There’s still life left in the current facility – which she feels is important, as she believes it’ll be years before a new build comes to fruition.
“We are at the very early stages – is this going to be a five-year project? A 10-year project? We just don’t know at this point. We’re clearly an interested party and want to be part of this process. We need to be mindful this could be a possibility down the line and adjust our long-term planning appropriately,” Ruddy said.
