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HAY RIVER - The Hay River Curling Club is facing a financial crisis.

The club has only $7,000 in the bank, just enough to pay one-and-a-half month's rent to the Town of Hay River for use of the curling rink.

Gary Hoffman, vice-president of the Hay River Curling Club, uses an ice shaver to maintain the curling surface. - Paul Bickford/NNSL photo

On Jan. 12, club vice-president Gary Hoffman - backed up by a group of club members - appeared before town council to ask the financial arrangement be re-examined and adjusted.

"It is becoming fairly critical for us," he told council.

The town owns the facility and pays for heat and power, while the club pays monthly rent to use the facility and covers many expenses.

Hoffman doesn't think the curling facility will close because of the financial woes. He said council appears willing to find out what's going on and to help out.

"We want to find a fair and equitable solution for both sides," he said.

Mayor Jean-Marc Miltenberger is also optimistic the problem can be solved. He said it would be a big loss to the community if the curling rink were ever to close.

Miltenberger said having a bite of a "reality sandwich" makes the curling club and the town want to work harder to solve the financing problems. The mayor will shortly arrange a meeting between the town and the club. The town's recreation board will also examine the issue.

Hoffman said the rent increased by 25 per cent in the 2007-2008 season from $3,162 per month to $3,952.50.

"It went up so much we can't afford it," he said, adding the last increase was eight or 10 years ago.

Under the current arrangement established in 1987, said Hoffman, the club operates and maintains the curling rink, paying for a range of expenses - including insurance and maintenance.

The club is also supposed to hire an ice maker/maintenance person under the arrangement. However, it hasn't had the money to do that for six years, and Hoffman volunteers to do the work.

The club's curling stones are also in need of refurbishing at an anticipated cost of about $12,000.

The club can no longer provide financial assistance to help curlers, mainly juniors, travel to territorial championships.

In 2008, curling rink expenditures for heat and power were $88,166 and the town recovered 23,721 - a recovery of 26.9 per cent.

There are currently up to 100 curlers in Hay River.