SPORTS FLASHBACK 1993: Ste Anne curlers getting green light to replace rink

The Village of Ste Anne will rebuild the community’s curling rink, destroyed by fire 10 days ago, in time for most of the upcoming curling season after the project received the green light from council.

Firemen from seven departments managed to save the adjoining Ste Anne Arena, but the curling rink was completely destroyed in the June 20 blaze. Arson is suspected as the cause.

The alarm at the curling rink went off shortly after midnight, June 19, alerting guests at a wedding reception at the nearby Ste Anne Cultural Centre. By 12:30 a.m., that building had been evacuated in the fear the fire could spread to the arena right next door.

The blaze at the west side of the curling rink appeared to have been started on the outside of the building in an area where refrigeration pipes are located, Ste Anne Fire Chief Ken Dayment said.

The fire chief said if the blaze had spread into the mechanical room between the two buildings, the arena would have acted as a giant wind tunnel and the whole complex would have gone up in flames.

There was some damage to ice plant equipment, but any necessary repairs will be covered by insurance.

The concession area, which served both the curling rink and the arena, shows no ill effects from the blaze, even though a steel fire window facing the curling rink became red hot during the fire.

The arena board met last Monday night, and decided to ask the village to rebuild the $250,000 facility as soon as possible, with the view of salvaging part of the upcoming curling season.

At a special meeting last Wednesday, the village council agreed and a building committee with council, curling club and sports complex board members was struck.

The committee will be chaired by Maurice Chaput, who is also sports complex chairman. Ste Anne Arena manager Noel Kirouac and village secretary-treasurer Guy Levesque will join the eight-member committee.

The committee met last night to begin drawing up plans and assessing alternatives in hopes of making early recommendations to council for approval, Levesque said.

The complex, including the arena and ice plant, was covered by replacement insurance and once final damage reports are received, the project is expected to get an early green light.

While the popularity of curling is not on the upswing, it is a facility much needed in a small town, Chaput said. The local curling club was exhibiting a renewed enthusiasm and already recruiting curlers for the upcoming season.

Last year, there were about 180 curlers in regular leagues at Ste Anne, including 15 rinks from La Broquerie, not counting junior and school curlers and an afternoon seniors group, Chaput said.

The committee will push to get reconstruction started, with hopes a new building could be ready by early December.