The City of Lloydminster is looking to continue their agreement with the Lloydminster Curling Club.
The curling club’s five-year agreement has expired. Before 2019, the Lloydminster Golf & Curling Centre (LGCC) was operated through the Lloydminster Facilities Corporation. After the dissolution of the Lloydminster Facilities Corporation, the City created an agreement with the Lloydminster Curling Club to continue operation of the facility.
Administration has worked with the city to create a new five-year agreement lasting until 2029.
“In essence, we’re leasing out the facility to the curling club and letting them operate it with some responsibilities on both parts,” said Lloydminster Mayor Gerald Aalbers.
The new agreement outlines the responsibilities undertaken by the curling club and the City of Lloydminster. As part of the agreement, a small cost recovery is included, seeing the club pay a small amount to the city for maintenance every year.
“The curling club has, after the change, used the facility, the city’s paid for the maintenance with zero dollars coming to the city,” said Aalbers. “What’s being proposed in the new contract is a small cost recovery by the city from the curling club.”
The fate of the curling club building is still unknown as the city continues their building evaluations.
“That will be coming back to administration as they continue to do building evaluations,” said Aalbers. “I don’t believe it’s in the current 10-year budget, that would change if something drastically happened to the building.”
“Like anything else, every building has a lifespan, and that will be determined as building evaluations are continuously done,” he said.
The building has seen lengthy closures recently, beginning on Nov. 20 due to an asbestos disturbance. Air testing revealed asbestos levels above allowable limits, leading to the Nov. 20 closure.
The building finally re-opened to the public on Dec. 2 but the upper level once again saw a closure Dec. 12. Testing revealed elevated readings of asbestos-containing materials in a mechanical room leading to the upper-level closure.
The agreement was accepted as information to council and will be brought forward to a future regular council meeting for decision.
Read more: Upper level of curling centre closed
