Fate of Windsor's Roseland curling club could be decided next month, says councillor

Rachel Katzman loves to curl and is hopeful the ice remains at Windsor's Roseland Golf & Curling Club.

Talk of demolishing the curling part of the facility has been ongoing since 2020.  A plan endorsed by the previous Roseland board suggested the existing building be torn down to make way for new golfing facilities. 

"We'd have to drive hours and hours to be able to play," said Katzman, referring to if the city ice was permanently removed.

"I started curling there when I was about nine or ten years old … I've been curling there throughout my life ever since."

The curling club currently serves more than 400 members.

"When you're a kid and you're trying to learn or an adult trying to learn, that's a really hard investment to make."

Windsor Ward 8 councillor Gary Kaschak also chairs the board of directors at Roseland Golf & Curling Club.

He says parts of the facility are "somewhat rundown," and that he expects recommendations on its future to go before council during the Aug. 8 session.

"We've got a lot of the expenses with the HVAC and electricity and it's just too big of a building at 50,000 square feet for what we need moving forward," said Kaschak.

"There was a proposal to talk about maybe demolishing that and building a new curling facility — and a new clubhouse to service the golfers and the curlers." 

"Or just focus on a new clubhouse for golf and restaurant activity."

The curling club has been open since 1979, and is owned by the city.

Community support to keep curling at Roseland

The Future of Curling in Windsor-Essex is a committee that was formed in response to Roseland Golf & Curling Club possibly demolishing the curling rinks.

Member Ben Iannetta says they want the building to stay.

"Just simply pushing us to an arena may not provide the support a community like this needs to thrive."

Some possible outcomes were discussed during an information session held by the city and Roseland in May — including demolishing the current facility and moving to a new rink, or renovating the arena.

The committee advocating for the Roseland curling rinks to remain open recently submitted a petition to city hall with around 2,300 signatures of support.

Hockey association concerned about ice if Roseland is torn down

The president of Riverside Minor Hockey Association (RMHA) says she's concerned with the idea of there being less ice for skating in the city.

Anne Marie Schofield says all she knows, at this point, is that the city and curling club are still in "fact finding mode."

RMHA plays out of the WFCU Centre.

"We, as ice users, are very nervous about any possible disruption to youth schedules and hours if the curling club needs a home that would displace us," she said. 

"All one needs to do is remember the issues during FINA and how badly the ice groups were affected."

"We hope that the city finds that the only viable solution is to work with Roseland to allow them to retain their current home."

Kipp Van Kuren, president of Windsor Minor Hockey Association (WMHA), told CBC News he's aware the city is looking at options for the curling club, including the possibility of moving it to an existing arena.

WMHA primarily plays out of Capri Pizzeria Recreation Complex in south Windsor, Adie Knox and Central Park Athletics (which is privately owned).

Forest Glade Arena is the other city-owned rink in Windsor.