By Sarah Klein
Heather Curling Club, 120 Youville Street (GOOGLE STREET VIEW)
The Heather Curling Club has changed the way it does business to better sustain itself as it enters its 100th year of operations.
Members will now pay a single, low, all-inclusive annual fee to join the club, which will enable them to enjoy unlimited curling in as many leagues as they wish at no additional cost.
“This is a drastic shift from the way curling clubs currently operate in the city,” said Michel Durand-Wood, the club’s treasurer.
“We’re doing away with the a la carte pay-per-play model that is in use in the other clubs, and we’re basically replacing it with an all-you-can-curl buffet.”
All leagues at the club will now run independently as partner leagues, paying no ice rental, and sharing in revenue with the club. This means lower financial risk for leagues, reduced administration, and access to more curlers since everyone curls for free.
Corporate bonspiels, one-time ice rentals, banquets, business luncheons, private functions, and social hall rentals will all continue at the club.
“Ultimately, we think there’s a lot of value here, both for curlers and for leagues looking to start up at the Heather,” added Durand-Wood.
“This new business model gives us a stability that allows us to experiment with all kinds of new league formats that would have presented too much financial risk in the past.”
