The Town of Drumheller will not be renewing/extending the lease of the municipally-owned curling rink beyond the end of the curling season. The five-year lease agreement between the Town and the Drumheller Curling Club was signed in 2017, and was determined at the time that the lease would not be renewed after this 5-year period due to the state of the building. The lease was to end in December of 2021, though, an extension was approved to allow the Drumheller Curling Club to see the end of their curling season.  

This decision was determined due to costs of addressing the items identified in the inspection reports by Codes Officers, roofing inspection, air quality monitoring and advice from Alberta Health Services. The Town has met with the Drumheller Curling Club to disclose the findings in the report and has provided copies outlining the details and reasons behind the decision to not renew the lease.

The building is over 70 years old and will require a staggering capital investment estimate of $1M to bring it to current safety codes; with over $500,000 to repair the roof alone. The capital to bring the building to code would not include any aesthetic or ice improvements.

Immediate work that would need to be completed:

• Full re-roof with new insulation
• Removal of lead paint
• Remediating of mould throughout the building
• Electrical upgrades brought to code
• Plumbing upgrades brought to code
• Fire upgrades brought to code
• Building upgrades brought to code
• Upgrades to air handling units to bring up to code

This estimate is based on visual inspection. If work were to commence, additional items are likely to be found as walls and structures are opened, which would result in additional funding requirements. These repairs would provide a limited life extension to the current building.

“We understand that this is upsetting to many members of our community,” states Director of Infrastructure Services, Dave Brett P.Eng. “Restoring the current building is not a viable use of public funding and the ideal outcome is a new facility for Drumheller Valley residents and curling enthusiasts to enjoy.”

A preliminary design for both a four-sheet and a six-sheet facility was presented on February 18, 2018 to Council at a Committee of the Whole meeting, with the estimated construction costs at the time of $5.7M and $8.4M respectively. At the time, the Drumheller Curling Club had 150 regular members, not including spares or drop-in curlers.

The Town of Drumheller has and will continue to support the Drumheller Curling Club to help obtain Federal and Provincial grants to build a new facility in the future, provide Town-owned land for their future development and the ability to tie into the Town’s ice plant.