2021-03-23

As detailed in our Operations update on February 16th, the Board has been analyzing options to account for the reality that our curling season was cut short.

Background
As discussed at the Annual General Meeting, the Ottawa Curling Club will incur a significant financial loss this season compared to small profits earned in a typical season. The OCC fixed costs, with or without curling operations, are substantial. In pre-pandemic times, multiple revenue streams cover the costs associated with regular operations, and needed capital investments are planned, calculated and saved for. The onset of the pandemic severely limited revenue options for our club. Member support, careful cost management and government assistance have all been critical in mitigating the loss, but the reality is that this season, costs are higher than revenues. Thankfully, years of strong member support, attentive financial management and successive Boards have allowed our club to make needed investments while maintaining reserves that simply aren’t an option for most clubs. Those reserves, cash flow management, and substantial government assistance (we participated in every available government COVID financial program) gives the Board confidence that the long term financial viability of the Club remains intact.

You will recall that in September, we gave everyone the option to opt out of the season prior to September 30, 2020 in order to receive a full refund. We were clear that refunds would not be offered after that. Our decision to open the Club was dependent on those remaining membership funds. Looking back, we believe that we made the right decision based on the information available at the time and the wishes of our members. Similarly, we feel the message from our members in the February survey not to re-open when Ottawa entered Orange was prescient, as the region has now snapped back to Red, case counts are climbing, and area clubs have had confirmed COVID-19 cases. However, the Board is keenly aware that members who paid this season did not get to enjoy as much curling as anyone would like.

Member Credit/Tax Receipt
We are pleased to offer 2020-21 paid members two options to reflect the shortened season.

1. For those who register for the 2021-22 season, a 2021-22 season Bar Credit (Bar Bucks) equivalent to 30% of the membership fee paid*​.

• OPT-IN ONLY- ACTION REQUIRED: If this is the option you prefer, you must notify Dalal by email at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. by no later than Tuesday, April 6th. The deadline is required to ensure we have sufficient time to accurately adjust our financial close-out prior to our fiscal year-end (May 31).
  * note: curling fees paid, excluding the Curling Canada fee and the Ontario Curling Association fee, which were remitted to the respective associations on behalf of members.

​2. By default if Option 1 above is not chosen, paid 2020-21 memberships will be issued a 2021 charitable tax receipt equivalent to 30% of the membership fee* paid.

• NO ACTION REQUIRED: Charitable tax receipts will automatically be issued unless you opt in to the Bar Credit (Option 1).
• Charitable Tax Receipts are available thanks to our membership in CurlON, which provides access to the  National Sport Trust Fund – Ontario (details on the program, and the chance to make an additional donation are below).

COVID-19 has not affected everyone the same way. Should you have any questions or concerns about the above, please don’t hesitate to contact Dalal at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

Looking ahead - Your support appreciated
Financial projections show a range of possibilities for the coming year - from additional losses to a small recovery. While the Board firmly believes that our Club’s long term financial viability remains intact, there remains a lot of uncertainty. As such, our club should take every opportunity to secure our financial position. Thanks to our membership in CurlON, we now have the opportunity to solicit donations through the National Sport Trust Fund – Ontario. This program allows the issuance of charitable tax receipts for donations received. Should you be in the position to make a donation, and desire a 2021 tax receipt for doing so, now is the time.

Details of the Ottawa Curling Club’s campaign are here:
CRStF - SPORT4ONTARIO

A direct link to the donation form is here (be sure to choose to direct your donation to the Ottawa Curling Club!):
NSTF-Ontario Donor Form (logiforms.com)

More information on the National Sport Trust Fund is here:
Charitable Tax Receipting Program – Ontario Curling Council

Spread the word- anyone with an interest in keeping our Club strong can donate!

The Board thanks everyone who has helped the club navigate these challenging times – your support will ensure that the Ottawa Curling Club remains the hub for curling in our city for years to come.

Members can expect a Spring Update message in late April.
 

Stay safe. Stay home.

OCC Board of Directors  

The Ottawa Curling Club will remain CLOSED for the balance of the 2020-2021 curling season

Context

We think that it is important context to go back to the summer of 2020 when we were planning for the uncertainties of the upcoming curling season.  We had 4 main priorities:
1. The health and safety of everyone who came into the Club.
2. The long-term financial viability of the Club.
3. Providing membership with as many curling days as possible.
4. Not allowing #3 to jeopardize #1 or #2.

Survey

We are so grateful to the membership of our Club. On Tuesday we sent out an “Urgent” survey and as at Saturday’s deadline, the response rate was an overwhelming 86% (298/345).  

While 69.5% of you said that you would come back to curl if the Club reopened, only 40.6% of you believed that the club should re-open. The latter figure is a particularly critical part of our decision making.

We would like to say a special thanks to the many of you who took the additional time to send us emails to complement your survey responses. The overwhelming majority of these notes urged us not to open again this season. Some cited COVID risks and the concern of yet another closure while virtually all pointed to the financial risks to the Club and its long-term viability as the key factors for consideration.

We would like to speak to each of those items – you deserve to know how we came to this decision, particularly as we see some other clubs in the city and in the province re-opening this week.

COVID Risk

We are so grateful to Dalal, her staff and several Board Members for their diligent work at the start of the season when they established and implemented the COVID protocols and procedures which allowed us to safely curl with confidence.

While we are permitted to return under those same protocols (including potential  enhancements), we admit to being somewhat less confident than we were at the beginning of the season with the emergence of more highly contagious variants.

Members’ and the staff’s health remain our first priority.

COVID Related Scheduling Risk

Given how close we are to the natural end of the curling season, in order to re-open, the Board needed to be confident that we could curl until at least mid-April. You will recall our decision to reduce expenses and remove the ice on January 15 (when the Ontario lockdown was announced). Reinstallation would require two weeks and we felt that we needed to see at least 6 weeks of curling in order to complete an entire round of games in each league. Curling beyond that for possible bonspiels would have been a welcome bonus.

While the Ottawa region transitions to Orange status on Tuesday, February 16, it comes with some notable concern from many in the medical community and warnings related to hospital capacity, front line worker exhaustion and potential variant related third waves. The provincial government points to an “emergency brake” which they will not hesitate to engage if data warrants a further shutdown. While we appreciate the merits of that approach, it is exactly that possibility that most concerns the Board as it relates to a possible re-opening.

Incurring the expenses related to re-opening and to then only curl for a week or two would be a terrible outcome.

Financial

We are fortunate that the Club’s financial position is as strong as it is. Curling is a tough business and while no club’s financials are investment grade, we are fortunate on a number of financial fronts.

Under Dalal’s leadership, we participated in every government COVID financial program including:
- Wage subsidy (Dalal is an employee of the Club, rather than on contract which is the case for most other curling clubs)
- Canadian Emergency Business Accounts (CEBA) loan: Interest free loans totaling $60,000, which is partially forgivable (up to $20,000) if the balance is repaid prior to December 31, 2022. The Club intends to repay in full prior to December 31, 2022.
- Utility subsidy of approximately $7,500. 

The reality of the current situation is that given Orange level restrictions, bar and food services would, at best, only break-even if we re-opened. In normal operations, these services typically generate nearly 55% of our revenues, with a gross margin of over 55% (revenue less cost of sales as a percentage of sales).

With no additional revenues generated by a re-opening, the additional expenses related to our ice-maker contract, utilities, cleaning, PPE, etc. would have resulted in an additional loss of over $50,000 for this season.

While that is a material amount, we do not believe that the Club’s long-term viability would have been risked by these expenses. That said, our financial position is certainly much stronger if we do not re-open this season. Further, we do not yet know whether restrictions will continue into next curling season, or whether there will be any long-term impacts from the pandemic on our operations. Maintaining some cash reserves will provide us with some security in weathering any financial challenges we may be presented with over the next curling season and beyond.

There remains an uncertainty to the number of returning members for next season. This is a significant consideration as the Board assesses the financial position of the club.

Consideration for refunds / discounts

You will recall that in September, we gave everyone the option to opt out of the season prior to September 30, 2020 in order to receive a full refund. We were clear that refunds would not be offered after that.

Many clubs across the country chose not to open at all this season because of the financial risks involved. Our decision to open the Club was dependent on those membership funds. Looking back, we believe that we made the right decision based on the information available at the time and the wishes of our members.

That said, we were only able to curl for approximately ¼ of our season and we are now in a position where the government is allowing us to re-open. Yet we are choosing not to. That was not a scenario we had considered in the Fall.

We wanted you to be aware of our decision not to re-open as soon as possible but please be assured that we are analyzing various options for refunds, discounts etc. We cannot commit to anything at this point but please know that we take this extremely seriously and we will share an update as soon as we can.

Many of you have proactively told us that you will not avail yourselves of a possible refund or discount of any kind in order to support the club and we are extremely grateful for your kindness and generosity.

If you have any views related to this, please do not hesitate to contact us at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..

Charitable Tax Receipts 

We have applied through CurlON to have the opportunity to solicit donations through the National Sport Trust Fund – Ontario. This program allows the issuance of charitable tax receipts for 2021 on donations received this season. Further details will be provided as the application develops.

The Last Rock

We are disappointed that we cannot offer you any more curling this year. The Board is unanimous in our belief that this is the right decision. We respect the fact that some of you will be supportive while some will disagree with this decision and we welcome your feedback.

We cannot wait to see all of you next fall when things will hopefully be back to some semblance of “normal”.

We look forward to hosting you all on a Saturday night late in the year when, the curling gods willing, we will all be together again with vaccines in our arms, drinks in our hands, music blasting (at an age appropriate level) while we celebrate life and curling and friends.


Until then, please take care and stay safe. 

OCC Board of Directors  

Returning Members

Please login to read updates that are for members only and to register.  There is a Member-only Menu to help guide you.

New Members

Thank you for your interest in becoming a new member. Here's what you need to know and do.

• Complete our online information form accessible in the last instruction below. 

• You will be sent a verification e-mail to the address you provided. Please click on the verification link to allow your request to proceed.

• You will receive an e-mail shortly thereafter with simple instructions that will allow you to log into the Ottawa Curling Club website.

• Login to our website, then click on the menu item for CURLING --> MEMBERSHIP and the registration link will be added to the instructions. We look forward to having you join our club.

• To start, please create your new member account and login.  

Returning or New Members if you have any questions or problems, please contact the This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. for assistance.

 Some Additional FAQs here

Thank you for your continued patience with the Board as we prepare for the unprecedented curling season ahead of us.  We remain optimistic that we will have a successful, albeit unique, season ahead.  

Return to Curl Guidelines 

Click HERE to open the Return to Curl Guidelines for the Ottawa Curling Club.  We have put these guidelines together following the latest guidance from public health officials, Curling Canada, and CurlON, while ensuring adherence to current legal restrictions in place.  In addition, the Board took the survey results into considerations when preparing for the season ahead.  These guidelines will be updated as necessary based on changes in guidance from governing bodies.  We understand that Members may have questions or concerns, and we invite you to submit them to our Manager, Dalal, at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..  Please note that these guidelines are in place to get the season started and will be adapted as necessary to provide a safe and healthy facility. 

Frequently Asked Questions

Click HERE Please find attached our FAQ document that includes questions from the Annual General Meeting.  We will be creating a section on our website for this information - stay tuned. 
 
We invite you to submit any other questions to our Manager, Dalal, at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..  They will be added to our FAQs.

2020-21 Deadlines 

In order to ensure the financial viability of the Club, we have set strict deadlines so that we can plan for the season ahead.  The ice installation comes at a considerable cost for the Club early in the season, and therefore it is imperative that we have a firm commitment from our Members by these deadlines.  Membership fees for 2020-21 must be paid by September 30, 2020.  Further, Members who have already made a payment for the season, but decide they do not want to participate this season must notify the Manager by September 30, 2020.  After September 30, 2020, we cannot guarantee refunds.  That being said, should the Club be required to close during the season, the Board will evaluate the situation to determine if and what refunds may be made. 

Registration

The deadline to register and provide payment is Wednesday, September 30th – which is approaching quickly.  In order to ensure the financial viability of the Club, we have set strict deadlines so that we can plan for the season ahead.  The ice installation comes at a considerable cost for the Club early in the season, and therefore it is imperative that we have a firm commitment from our Members by these deadlines.  Please review our FAQ section titled REGISTRATION & MEMBERSHIP for more details.

If your team needs a player or is in another scenario please contact our Manager, Dalal at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. or 613-234-4119 for assistance.

Retrieving Personal Belongings from Lockers 

Due to the sudden closure of the Club back in March, many Members have personal belongings that have been left at the Club.  Dalal will be opening the club next week to allow Members to retrieve their belongings; see hours below.  Please wear a mask and practise physical distancing while inside the club.
 
Monday, September 28 to Friday, October 2 from 9:30 a.m. till 3:30 p.m.
Saturday, October 3 from 11 a.m. till 4 p.m.

Annual General Meeting (AGM) 

The AGM was held virtually via Zoom on September 22, 2020 and it was a success.  Thank you to all who participated!  It had the highest attendance in years.  We held an election and congrats to the candidates.  The Board appreciates Members offering their support to the Board, especially in these difficult times. 
 
The Board would like to thank Eddie Chow for his dedication over his many years on the Board and especially his leadership during his Presidency.  Thank you, Eddie!
 
We would like to update our Membership with your new Board lead by our new President, Mike Burke.  Please see below and this has also been updated with contact information on our website.
 
Directors:
Michael Burke, President
Nicole Merriman, Treasurer
Alexandra Birtwistle, Match & Member Services
Ian Rathwell, Ice
Pamela Ponic, Director At-Large
Wesley Blight, Business Development
Ian Lovsin, Facilities
Kirk Anderson, Director At-Large
 
Ex officio Director:
Eddie Chow, Past-President
 
Officers (non-voting):
Joanne McGraw, Secretary
Dalal Abou-Eid, Manager

League Information 

Due to current legal restrictions in place and guidance set by public health officials, there will be some changes in the operation of leagues this year.  League Conveners will send out league specific information to league members in a subsequent message. 

Thank you again for your patience and support. 

Sincerely, 
The OCC Board