UNITY — After a rocky three years, the Unity Curling Club is looking to make a strong comeback. With last season cut short due to the curling rink’s structural problems and the pandemic prior to that, the club is looking forward to being back in their own house.
The club held registration Oct. 10 and 11 and the club would like to start league curling Oct. 30 at 7 p.m. The club was concerned about registration numbers as the two major closures have stunted growth for the organization's participation and finances. To date, the club has not been able to confirm numbers although both registration nights saw many members coming back for a new season.
“We often do registrations right up to the first week of curling so there is still time to sign up,” says Club Manager Sharon Reiter.
The junior league, “Learn to Curl” is scheduled to start Nov. 2 at 5:30 p.m. with Brenda Pool organizing the program. Junior curlers are asked to sell tickets for the annual draw of a big-screen television as the UCC’s main fundraiser. With the closure of the rink last year, junior curlers are able to return with no registration fee.
The UCC had been selected to host a Curl Sask event last year but it had to be cancelled. Due to the uncertainty of the club’s reopening at the time of bidding, the club decided against putting the bid in for the 2023-24 season but will bid for next season.
Although there will not be any Curl Sask events held in Unity this year, the junior curlers in the area will host the BattleWest Junior District Curling at the Unity Curling Club Feb. 28 and 29.
The organization will host the Oilperson’s Spiel and dance again this year. This event is usually one that helps pay bills. Pattison Ag Men’s Open and the Bramiche Farms Ladies’ Open will also bring curlers into the facility.
The club is always encouraging new curlers to come try the sport. The club is offering times for new curlers to practise with instruction at no cost so everyone can test their skills.
The Afternoon League has been brought back this year. This league will meet Tuesdays and Thursdays at 1 p.m. and by 3 p.m., everyone will have coffee and a visit.
UCC is organizing a workshop that is designed to promote doubles curling. Plans are to start in early November with a finalized date being announced soon.
Brad Sloboda continues to be the icemaker for the Unity Curling Club, however the executive members did change this year. Glen Heitt stepped down as president to allow vice-president, Ross Neumeier to replace him. The vice-president position was then filled by Curtis Bowker. Director Martin Berg also stepped down, with Kyla Snell stepping up to fill that vacancy.
The club appreciates the work that was put into the beams while the ice surface had to be closed. The town employees worked hard to get everything ready so a new season of curling could start on time, club officials say.
