In 1879, a handful of locals founded the Smiths Falls Curling Club. They'd play in the cold, sweep on the ice, share a drink in the warm room afterward. 147 years later, that warm room is still there. The ice is still there. The community is still there.
What's not there much longer is the chiller — the industrial refrigeration unit that turns a concrete pad into a curling sheet. It's been faithfully producing ice for decades. It is, to put it gently, well past retirement.
A new chiller costs roughly $200,000 CAD. A volunteer-run, not-for-profit community club doesn't have $200,000. The club has something better — a town that cares whether it survives.
So we put on a show. Two weekends a year. The Home & Outdoor Show brings in local home, garden and lifestyle vendors, fills the building with visitors, and sends every dollar of net proceeds into the chiller fund.
When you buy a ticket, when you book a booth, when you sign on as a sponsor — you're not just supporting an event. You're keeping the oldest curling club in the area on its feet. You're keeping the squash courts open. You're keeping a 147-year-old community institution from going dark.