New curling facility coming to Timberlea, 'great' for curlers: Mayflower president

A brand new curling facility in Timberlea will be great not only for those who enjoy the sport in Nova Scotia, but also in Atlantic Canada and beyond.

That's what Mike Christie, president of the historic Mayflower Curling Club, says.

The province recently announced a $3 million grant toward a $22 million project to build the Nova Scotia Center for Curling Excellence Facility, which will be the new home of the Mayflower Curling Club.

The club has historical significance in our city.

The original Agricola Street location served as a temporary mortuary for Titanic victims in 1912 before it was destroyed by the Halifax Explosion in 1917.

Located on Monaghan Drive for several decades, it remains one of the largest curling clubs east of Ontario and one of the most well-known in the country.

Christie tells our newsroom that a lot of clubs have been built in recent years but are becoming “tired”, including the Mayflower, and that new clubs are needed to keep the sport going.

The most important thing for Nova Scotia is a club with high quality ice, he says.

“What curlers need as they move from junior level into their 20s and 30s is that they need quality ice to compete and train in to continue their success beyond their junior years.”

He says the ice age is also important and changing the facility from six to eight panels will help with that and encourage even more people to come out.

Popular venue

The Mayflower is always busy with various leagues playing regularly every day and games almost every evening, and members are excited for what's to come.

Christie says people travel from all over the province to compete and the new facility will make it even more attractive.

“And then you add quality ice, good visibility, good lighting … if we have all the first-class, first-class facilities … yes, then we will have people traveling from all over Nova Scotia and well beyond.”

Curling Canada estimates there are nearly 400,000 people across the country who curl 10 or more times per year.

plans for the future

The new center will primarily be a curling club, but in the future it will be more than that.

Christie says there will be room rentals for community meetings with a kitchen, which they will market for in 2025.

He adds that they appreciate the province's support and are continuing to raise funds to cover the overall cost, but he says they are on track.

The club is scheduled to open in fall 2025.