Moncton curling clubs merge

Two curling clubs in Moncton will be under one management starting Friday, as part of an effort to solidify a future in the city for a sport that's currently on thin ice.

Curling official Jacques Robichaud said the Beaver Curling Club and Curling Beausejour will become one entity known as Curl Moncton.

Both buildings are more than a half-century old. Off-ice social activities like dances and video lottery machines aren't generating the same money that used to subsidize the sport.

Ellery Robichaud will manageCurl Moncton.

"People that are members to a curling operation a club, in this case all they want to do is throw rocks," Ellery Robichaud said.

" What happens in the catering division to generate revenue to keep costs down, offset some of the costs curlers don't want to do that. They're forced to do it because the revenue's not sufficientto pay all the bills."

Alistair Syme, president of the Beaver Curling Club, said this is the way to become a successful operation.

"Like most partnerships, we bring our different personalities, our different habits, our different heritage to the table. But, we do have a common vision for the future and we are committed to success," he said.

The third curling club in Moncton, MCA Curling Club, was involved in the merger process, but is adopting a wait-and-see attitude.

It may join after the season's over and the new management structure is evaluated to see if both the financial and the ice sheets are in good shape.