The Wynyard and District Curling Club is welcoming a new generation of curlers with a fancy new lounge.

“We decided that if we were going to try to encourage other curlers to join our club, we thought we’d better be upgrading things and making things more pleasurable to come to the curling rink,” said board member Garnet Chorney, who helped with the electrical work.

The lounge is decked out with LED lighting, a stone fireplace and a 120-inch projector screen, as well as two other TV screens by the bar. It has walnut cabinetry built by local tradesmen.

Even though it’s not quite finished and hasn’t been officially opened, the club has already had inquires about rentals, Chorney said.

“It’s quite the lounge. It’s definitely the most comfortable lounge area in town at the moment.”

The club has been fundraising for the past two and a half years to cover the $30,000 price tag - though counting volunteer work, the true value is close to $75,000 or $85,000, Chorney said.

“Everybody is very excited about it, and anytime we asked for any help, we always had lots.”

The club had been dormant for a decade as a generation of curlers left the sport, he said.

But three years ago, when a new recreation director at the town secured a grant for replacing the ice plant, new players started showing up, Chorney said.

They were young people whose parents curled, and who were looking for a social sport that wasn’t too hard on the body.

The club now has around 80 members.

A steak fry is planned for April 20 with proceeds being used to finish the renovations and buy some plush furniture, he said.

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