If residents of The Blue Mountains want a curling club, they are going to have to find more money to build it, at least that's the opinion of the Infrastructure and Recreation committee.

At the most recent committee meeting on Tuesday, January 12, director of recreation, Shawn Everitt, presented a staff report that included the plans made thus far for a curling rink facility in The Blue Mountains. The project is being spearheaded by a group of community members, some of who curled at the former Thornbury curling club.

The group proposes a $3 million facility, which includes a parking lot and the cost of removing the cement pad from the former skating arena that is now being used for the skateboard park.  

Their plan is to, as a club, look after the operational costs all year around and work with the town to use the building for off-season events like music performances.

The proposal from the group was that they raise $500,000 to build the club and have the town fund the remaining $2.5 million via development charges (DC).

Everitt told the committee that the group circulated a petition and received 350 signatures in support of a curling club facility. Each was asked to state if they were currently curling in Meaford or Collingwood.

"There's a number of people that aren't currently curling saying they would be interested in beginning to curl even more so if [the rink] was in Beaver Valley," said Everitt.

The committee wasn't convinced.

Councillor John McKean said that considering a $2.5 million contribution from development charges would have to see a resurgence in development and higher DC rates. He worried that increased rates will make it harder to build in The Blue Mountains, and added that council had already heard a presentation on a multi-use recreation facility and had pushed that project farther into the future because of the cost and its weight on DC rates.

"How long will it be before there's going to be $2.5 million in the fund?" he asked. "They aren't going to want to sit around here for six years."  

Councillor John McGee wanted more proof of actual support from those in the community that wanted a curling club. He wanted to know they would actually use the club.

"How many people would be willing to put up some real money to be a founder of such a facility?" he asked.

He also referenced the Leisure Activities Plan, which was compiled in 2006 by a town committee and hired consultants to assess the town's recreational assets and determine future needs and wants. McGee said a curling club wasn't part of that plan, and argued that was because the interest for a club was not evident.

"We have an open door policy," said Everitt. "I wouldn't be doing my job if I said, 'if it's not in the Leisure Activities Plan, I'm not doing it.'"

Deputy Mayor Duncan McKinlay said he remembers talking about building a curling club at the same time that the town built the new arena and community centre, but there was an exisitng club in Thornbury with two sheets of ice.

"Building an arena is a fairly big bite," said McKinlay.

Councillor Bob Gamble said the town should have the money in the bank before going ahead with a project. He said that in order to have 60 per cent of the money in the bank, the town would have to receive payment for 500 development charges.

"Now it looks like there are 75 to 100 collected every year," he said. "It's a squeeze on the town's finances ... if we could get better funding on that $2.5 million then it's a better situation."

Gamble suggested the committee receive Everitt's report but direct the group to look for more financial support to cover the concerns that the committee has about deficit financing.

"The financial situation isn't feasible at this time," he said.

The committee was unanimous in its agreement.

Alex Maxwell, chair of the group pursuing a new curling club, said he is going to try to bring back a revised proposal to the committee at the end of January or beginning of February that will include other funding options.