The Simcoe Curling Club has received a $70,400 boost from the province’s Community Building Fund.

The grant, delivered by the Ontario Trillium Foundation, will be used to replace the club’s 26-year-old dehumidification system. Plans call for the new dehumidifier to be in place for the start of the next curling season in the fall.

“A big thanks goes out to the Ontario Trillium Foundation, as well as to our board members Ric Duwyn, Ian Macaulay and Charlene Smith Mitchell for their efforts to make this a successful grant,” said club president Craig Thompson.

He said a new dehumidifier will improve ice conditions.

“If the air is too damp the ice will become too slippery, and if the air is too dry the ice surface will erode,” Thompson said. “Both factors can contribute to making ice conditions dangerous.

The club, on South Drive, has about 350 members per season. It operates seven days a week with both day and evening leagues for all ages and skill levels.

“As we look forward to putting the pandemic behind us, it is my hope that many folks will get back to the things that keep them active and part of the community,” said Haldimand-Norfolk MPP Toby Barrett.

The Trillium foundation, an agency of the provincial government, is one of Canada’s leading granting foundations. Last year, nearly $112 million was invested into 1,384 community projects and partnerships.

To learn more about the foundation, visit www.otf.ca.

For more information about the curling club, visit http://www.simcoecurlingclub.ca or email This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.