The Williams Lake Curling Club is hoping to drum up support as it seeks to apply for a grant to install an elevator lift system.
The Club’s current building was constructed in 1977 with three levels that are only accessible by stairs.
“It’s something that we have been contemplating with different executives for a time and we just felt that we’re in this position right now where we really want to explore this to the point of getting an engineering design and cost estimate done,” says president Mike Pedersen.
Williams Lake City Council agreed at last week’s regular meeting to write a letter in support of the Club’s grant application. If the grant application is successful through Canadian Tire JumpStart, Pedersen says they hope to be able to provide wheelchair curling to people of all ages.
He estimates an elevator lift system could cost between $160,00 to $180,000.
“For us, we live in this city that Rick Hansen calls home and we want to make sure that we’re living up to that accessibility gold standard that the City has set, so we just want to make that we’re stepping in this and providing that opportunity for those with restricted access or have those mobility issues,” Pedersen says. “We want to able to provide that opportunity to curl on the ice.”