Curling rink roof collapses
A temporary setback won’t be enough to quash the community of Goodsoil’s love for curling. This is the opinion of Brent Rogers, president of the Goodsoil Parks and Recreation Association, mere hours after the roof of the Goodsoil Curling Rink caved in late last Wednesday (March 18).
“It was reported to me at 7 a.m. this morning,” Rogers told Northern Pride when contacted last Thursday (March 19). “Someone who lives near the rink got up, looked out their window and saw the curling rink roof had collapsed. Others said they heard a loud bang at one point but never investigated. They thought it was the sound of snow falling off the roof, essentially. That was about 10 p.m. last night. As president of the association, I received a phone call, I contacted some other members as well as the mayor.” Upon arriving at the scene, Rogers confirmed the curling rink had indeed collapsed in on itself. “I don’t want to speculate on what the cause could have been until investigations are completed by the insurance company,” Rogers added. “But, we are working with the village to look at our insurance options in order to get the facility repaired in the future. It’s going to be a long process, but it’s something we’re hoping to get back up and running eventually.”
As of last Thursday, the roof had fallen on at least half the length of the curling sheets. “The other half is still up currently, but as the day progresses, things might change,” Rogers said. “There could be a domino effect, and we’re kind of expecting that to be the case. As such, all of our valuables that could be in danger have been removed and we have the area taped off so no one can access the building. This will be the case until it gets to a point where we know things will be stable.” According to Rogers, the curling rink was built in the late 1980s. “Some of the people who helped construct the building were on-site this morning,” he noted. “The building definitely has some age to it.”
The rink was also a popular venue for Goodsoil and area residents. “The mezzanine portion of the ice hockey side, our last game of the season was there last night (March 18),” Rogers said. “The last person put of the rink was at 9 p.m. and this happened around 10 p.m. They wouldn’t have been in direct danger as they weren’t on the curling surface, but our last curling game was Feb. 28. The curling ice had been shut down for a few weeks, but, still, this could have happened at any time. It makes us a little more aware of some of the ongoing conditions of our building.” And, although Rogers said the long-term plan is to repair the building, he’s uncertain as to how long this will take.
“I don’t think next season will be as much of an achievable goal, but we will continue to work closely with the Village of Goodsoil to get the insurance moving in the right direction and see what our options are,” he said. “Right now, we are just working to get all our ducks in a row so we can have all the documentation the insurance company needs to start moving forward. If it is next season, great. But, these things take time.” The silver lining, Rogers added, is no one was hurt as a result of the collapse. “There was a lot of volunteers who came out to help make the area safe for the community, to get the Zamboni out and to just help in general,” he said. “The Goodsoil Parks and Recreation Association truly appreciates this, and everyone for offering words of support. At the end of the day, things like this make your community stronger and I hope we bounce back soon and get things back up and running.”