Dear Editor:
As a 44-year resident of the North Shore and formerly a member of the North Shore Winter Club where I curled for many years, I write to support the inclusion of a curling rink in the Harry Jerome Community Centre reconstruction project.
For years I was a board member and in my final year the president of the board of the NSWC and for each of those years, the North Vancouver Recreation Commission approached us about absorbing their curling members into our club as public curlers. When that finally happened, the deal struck was immensely advantageous to NVRC but not so much to NSWC. As a result, in 2015 the current members determined they could no longer subsidize spublic curling in their club.
All leagues were then forced to locate alternate venues in which to curl all of which were off the North Shore. This has created a hardship for many of our curlers especially our seniors who hesitate to drive long distances in the evening and have subsequently given up the sport. A sport that provides much desired and recommended physical activity for seniors in addition to the socializing benefits for those seniors living alone.
Not only has this affected our senior curlers but it has also impacted any opportunity for new and youth curlers to learn about this fantastic sport in which Canada dominates in the global arena. This is a sport that can be played from eight to 80 and beyond and deserves at least as much support as beach volleyball.
I urge you to support this proposal and encourage council to find a way to once again return curling to the North Shore.
Diane Blaney
North Vancouver
Editor’s note: The City of North Vancouver mounted four public input sessions and a survey in May regarding two options to consider regarding a new Harry Jerome Community Centre. At the Monday, June 26 regular meeting of council, staff will present a summary of that public input as well as a report seeking direction for the site and programming.
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