The Little Rocks and Junior Curling Teams that play out the rink in Nackawic, N.B., may be small but they’re mighty. Ranging in age from four to 13, the children are full of tips on the do’s and don’t of the game.
“Never ever put your slider on the ice before you put your other foot,” says Jada Dupuis, a 10-year-old on the Little Rocks. “You’ll trip.”
Sunday was the first time the young curlers have hit the ice this season.
READ MORE: Jim Sullivan Curling Classic balances competition with focus on mental health
Their season was delayed because of some unforeseen circumstances.
The rink’s compressor, a piece of machinery used to keep the ice from thawing, broke down at the beginning of the season.
The price tag to fix it was a whopping $12,000 — a hefty bill for a curling club run by volunteers and community support.
“We’re looking for any donations and the members are going to pay their fees and hopefully by the end of the summer we can have it paid for,” explained Sheila Barrow, president of the Nackawic Curling Club.
But that’s not the only extra bill the club has had to cover. This past summer, the pipes under the ice surface, which pump salt brine, needed to be upgraded as the metal was deteriorating. The work was done by a handful of volunteers but still cost the club about $4,000 dollars.
WATCH: Fleming College international students learn curling at Peterborough Curling Club
In one year, the club has forked out nearly $16,000 in repairs at a time when the community is fundraising for another big project: upgrades to the Nackawic Arena, which is also in dire need of a new compressor and chiller.
The compressor alone is between $60,000 and $65,000. Through a charity hockey game and a silent auction, the community has raised half of the money needed for that project.
“All of these buildings, whether it be our curling rink the arena in Nackawic like these all bring people to our community so I think it’s very important for people to realize that and to get more people in it makes the community alive and there’s more things for people to do,” explains curling club coach Sam Gagnon.
The club’s president is optimistic the community will rally behind the club and is planning fundraising events for the year including a “funspiel.”
“I know that people will help us and we’ll get there,” says Barrow.