The Eriksdale Curling Club had a successful first season with their new geothermal plant.
After years of fundraising, the local curling club finally installed the geothermal plant last October. The push for a new system started when the global climate crisis became bigger news, as geothermal plants require very little energy and emit even less. So, the Eriksdale Curling Club board decided it was time to upgrade their facilities from a chemical-based plant to a geothermal one.
According to the Government of Manitoba, geothermal heat pumps save money and the environment. Using the earth’s thermal energy, geothermal systems save homeowners 30 to 70 percent in heating mode and 20 to 50 percent in cooling mode compared to conventional systems. Arenas across the province are now switching to the method to take advantage of the savings.
Geothermal heat pumps have underground pipes that carry water and antifreeze, helping heat exchange between the ground and the air. To add heat, that fluid absorbs heat from the ground, transfers it into the pump, and then sends it into the air. To cool the space, the process happens in reverse, the heat being absorbed from the air into the ground and sending cool air out instead.
Because geothermal pumps use ground temperatures to move pre-existing heat, the process uses very little energy yet produces more than a typical system. Where a natural gas furnace may make less than one unit of heat for every unit consumed, a geothermal pump produces three to four — an efficiency of 300 to 400 percent more.
Geothermal pumps also last 20 percent longer than traditional systems, eliminate the combustion of fossil fuels and offer stable heating and cooling, among other things. Because older arenas lose a lot of heat trying to cool the ice, geothermal has become a more popular option for multiple reasons.
“We know it’s going to be there for long after we’ve gone from this earth,” said Donna Pool of the Eriksdale Curling Club. “Our youth are showing great promise, and our numbers are growing so it’s also satisfying to know that the cost and the amount of work that went into that project will make many curlers happy for years to come.”
The project cost the rink $200,000, with an added cost of $63,000 for a dehumidifier that wasn’t part of the initial plan. Pool said they decided to add one after the fact because they’ve seen other clubs have success with them, and the lack of a dehumidifier can cause ice issues. Pool said it will control humidity in the building in the winter and summer months.
Prairie HVAC installed the geothermal plant and donated the dehumidifier for the rink, so the club only had to pay the extra install cost.
The plant started in August and was completed by October, making it available for the entire 2024/25 curling season—and a successful season it was.
“[Prairie HVAC] worked many hours to make that happen,” said Pool.
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This curling season saw numerous clubs, leagues, and activities, including an evening for youth curling instead of the traditional after-school program. Pool said the youth league had curlers as young as five, where the after-school program only allowed children in Grades 5 to 8. The Eriksdale Curling Club also saw a stick curling league with three full timeslots each week, a stick curling bonspiel with 24 teams, a ladies’ league, a men’s league, and a Christmas bonspiel.
Pool said the season was highly successful, and their numbers and interest in the sport continue to grow. Last weekend, the club welcomed curlers Reid Carruthers and Kerri Einarson to teach more than 23 youth the sport, something they were able to do with a grant.
Next year will mark the 60th anniversary of the Eriksdale Curling Club, and Pool said they’re hoping to add even more events to their schedule to celebrate.
