Unless they just open the doors and wait for winter to bring on the big chill, there's no avoiding the fact the Prince George Golf and Curling Club needs a new ice plant.
Workers found that out over the weekend when they tried to fire up the compressor which chills the pipes in the curling rink. The ice plant was inspected, was found to be not repairable, and will have to be replaced, which will delay the start of curling season by at least six weeks.
"It's the chiller and it basically has to be built to fit and installed," said PGGCC curling co-ordinator Ron Phillips. "We're expecting to curl in mid-November. It could be sooner if the machine comes in faster. It takes a good two weeks to install it."
The price tag on the new refrigeration unit, including installation, is about $125,000. Phillips said the equipment is built to last 10 years and was last replaced in 2001.
Registration in the club's curling programs has been postponed until it can be determined when the ice will be ready.
The PGGCC will be the site of curling competition during the 2015 Canada Winter Games in February. The club has already taken steps to improve lighting over the ice. Phillips said the timing of the equipment failure, more than five months before the start of the Games, gives the club plenty of time to work out the bugs.
"At least it didn't happen during the Games, that's the positive spin we've got on it," said Phillips.
The club had been planning a combined golf tournament/curling bonspiel for Canada Games sponsors on Sept. 24, while the opening curling event and instructional clinics were set to begin on Oct. 4.
Including the school groups the club hosts for instructional sessions, Phillips estimates the curling ice is used by about 800 people annually.
