The next several weeks will be busy as curlers in the Battlefords gear up to move into the new Northland Power Curling Centre.
Plans are afoot to begin moving into the new facility starting next week, and announcements are due shortly on the new name for the curling club as well as the new general manager. That is according to Doug Fehr, former Granite Curling Club president and director on the originating board for the new club.
According to Fehr, the move is expected to happen over the next several weeks as the finishing touches continue on the Northland Power Curling Centre.
Public access is not expected, though, until mid to late August, said Fehr. He adds work is still to be done to the exterior of the building.
Right now there is "a lot of stuff to get ready, in terms of ordering furnishings and office equipment, and reexamining what we will do with various leagues and bonspiels," said Fehr. "A lot of work is still ahead of us."
Still to be finalized is a date for the grand opening, which Fehr expects to include the delivery of the ceremonial first rock. That won't be done until the ice is installed, and the curling club is holding off on picking a date until they know when that will happen.
"We'd like to make sure the facility is all set to go before we have that ceremony," said Fehr. He anticipates that ceremony could take place after Thanksgiving, to coincide with the start of the curling season.
It is anticipated, though, the new facility should be open to events by late August and early September.
In the meantime, there have been a flurry of meetings and planning to allow the new curling club to move to the new North Battleford facility from the old location at the Battleford Curling Club.
Fehr confirms a general manager has been hired and a cook/operator is hired as well, with details to be announced soon
The official name of the new curling club for the Battlefords, comprising members of the former Granite and Battleford curling clubs, is also expected to be announced within the next week to 10 days.
Fehr notes a winning name was selected from a name-the-club contest and the club has gone through a process of running the necessary record checks to make sure the proposed name is available to them.
The process of incorporating the new curling club is expected to be finalized over the next several weeks as well, allowing them to hold an annual general meeting, likely in October.
The club is in the process of getting ready for events for the upcoming 2012-13 curling season. Fehr notes some leagues are already filled up, such as the 50-plus League, and he expects others to fill up quickly.
It has been so busy this summer, in fact, that they have rescheduled the traditional curling club summer golf tournament to Sept. 15 at the North Battleford Golf and Country Club. Fehr noted the decision to move the event was made a number of months ago, due to the amount of work on their plate. He did mention volunteers have agreed to take on responsibility for getting the golf event up and running, so it will be a definite go in mid-September.
Fehr adds the meal for the Sept. 15 golf tournament will take place at the new facility, and he also anticipates another event for the week prior as another dry run.
