Almonte – Things were really cooking at the Almonte Curling Club last Saturday – and not just on the ice. Over 60 members took part in the end-of-season bonspiel. In addition to the hot competition on the rink, there was plenty of action off the ice as Mayor Shaun McLaughlin, Louise Heslop, an Ontario Trillium Foundation (OTF) volunteer, and other local dignitaries were in attendance to cut the ribbon to unveil the newly renovated kitchen.
The Almonte Curling Club, (ACC), which is the eighth oldest club in Canada, offers curling opportunities to people of all ages and abilities. While the ice and the curling stones are in excellent condition, the kitchen needed an upgrade.
“We thought it was a good opportunity to partner with the Municipality,” said Bob Farmer, President of ACC.
Farmer was familiar with OTF, as the Club had received a grant in 2014 to replace aging curling stones. So, the Municipality applied for an OTF grant and received a $7,000, OTF grant in November to renovate the kitchen and purchase new removable hacks. Club volunteers also offered a commitment to contribute the labour for the electrical, plumbing and storage work and install the new cabinets and countertops. The value of the labour was conservatively estimated to be $3,000.
With the new cabinets ordered for delivery in early March, ACC volunteers contributed over 120 hours of labour to complete the project in time for the April 2nd unveiling.
The old kitchen was poorly laid out with insufficient storage and counter space, and limited electrical outlets. The old oven didn’t work, so club members had to use the stove in the upstairs community centre, generating a safety issue by having to transport hot food dishes up and down stairs.
“We have doubled the counter space, increased our storage, made it more functional and fixed our safety issues with a new double oven appliance,” said Jane Sorfleet, who managed the renovation project.
Louise Heslop, the Chair of OTF’s local Grant Review Team, spoke highly of the value and ability of community organizations like the Almonte Curling Club to promote active people and a healthier lifestyle.
“This particular grant is a wonderful example of how the Ontario Trillium Foundation can help a local organization like the ACC, create opportunities for people to lead longer, happier and healthier lives,” she said.
“The renovated kitchen is marvellous, and will be well used by the many active curlers from age nine to 90 who use the ACC weekly,” added Councillor Paul Watters.
Diane Smithson, CAO of the Municipality of Mississippi Mills said that the Club’s volunteers did a remarkable job, not only with the kitchen rearrangements, but also in the preparation of the grant application, and in the control of expenses and detailed documentation of the project.
After cutting the ribbon to officially open the newly renovated kitchen, Mayor Shaun McLaughlin thanked each one of the volunteers individually. He mentioned how proud he is that active volunteerism is so visible and an extremely valuable strength in our community.
A leading grantmaking foundation in Canada, the Ontario Trillium Foundation strengthens the capacity of the voluntary sector through investments in community-based initiatives. An agency of the Government of Ontario, OTF builds healthy and vibrant communities. www.otf.ca
