Clearwater County has committed $100,000 toward structural repairs at the Rocky Curling Club, matching an earlier contribution from the Town of Rocky Mountain House.
Council approved the funding request at its July 8 meeting, with the amount to be drawn from the county’s contingency fund. Councillors also voted to provide a letter of support for the club’s application to the provincial Community Facility Enhancement Program (CFEP) grant.
The funding comes as the club faces significant structural challenges that rendered the building unfit for occupancy earlier this year. A May 23 inspection by Wood Research and Development revealed critical issues with the roof, including one truss at risk of “imminent failure.”
Repair work is now underway, with the goal of stabilizing the structure in time for the 2025–26 curling season — the club’s 65th in operation.
“The minimum work to be done is on the trusses,” said club president Richard Bonneau. “We have to have the trusses done in order to have a curling season this year.”
Work is now underway to shore up trusses inside the Rocky Curling Club. (Rocky Curling Club/Richard Bonneau)
The club has committed $215,000 toward the indoor repairs so far, but Bonneau said total costs could eventually climb to between $1 million and $1.2 million once engineering reports and roof replacement estimates are finalized.
The roof, which is near the end of its lifespan, could cost as much as $380,000 to fully replace. A CFEP grant could provide up to $1 million in matching funding for the project. The curling club has received an extension for their application of the CFEP grant. Their application is now due July 31, 2025.
Bonneau said the club had hoped for a more celebratory start to its 65th season, but remains hopeful repairs to the facility will keep it in play.
“We had hoped that our 65th anniversary would start a little bit better than this,” he said. “It has certainly thrown a curveball.”
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