A Long Awaited Comeback
Members returned to the club this past Saturday for the first time since the space closed for extensive renovations following an overnight incident in April 2025. The ice shed itself came through largely unscathed, but the rest of the building needed a full refresh before it could welcome curlers back.
Club president Michael Gendron says the rebuild became a true community effort, with thousands of volunteer hours going into getting the space ready. Insurance covered the structural work, and members rallied to raise an additional 100,000 dollars to refurbish the building themselves.
What’s New Inside
Walk in today and you will find a brand new bar and kitchen area, updated change rooms, and finishing touches built from locally sourced materials and artwork. It is the kind of glow up that makes a familiar space feel brand new while keeping the same welcoming spirit that has defined the club since 1956.
Gendron says the atmosphere on any given weeknight tells the whole story: members aged 25 to 75 gathered around the same table, laughing about the game they just played. That intergenerational camaraderie, he says, is exactly what kept the club’s spirit alive through the rebuild.
A Phoenix Takes the Ice
Perhaps the most striking new addition is etched right into the sheet of ice itself: a phoenix emerging from a blazing curling stone, the club’s new symbol of resilience. Longtime board member Judy Demillo, who has been part of the club for two decades, says stepping into the renovated space instantly felt like coming home.
For Demillo, the new emblem captures exactly what the last year and a half has meant for the club. Out of a difficult chapter, the community found a way to rise and come back stronger.
Membership on the Rise
Rather than scattering its roughly 500 members during the closure, the club seems to have only strengthened its draw. Gendron reports membership is now up 25 per cent compared to before the closure, a sign that Ottawa’s curling community showed up in force to support the rebuild.
Whether you are a longtime league player or simply curious about picking up a broom for the first time, Carleton Heights Curling Club is once again open and ready to welcome curlers of all ages back onto the ice.
