A combination curling centre and music museum? Manitoba continues to mull

The future of a proposed international curling centre, combined with a museum that would pay tribute to Neil Young and other Manitoba music greats, appears to be in limbo.

The future of a proposed international curling centre, combined with a museum that would pay tribute to Neil Young, Randy Bachman and other Manitoba music greats, appears to be in limbo.

The projects have been talked about separately for years and were mashed together by the province’s former Progressive Conservative government, which called for bids on a development plan for a joint facility in 2020.

But two premiers and one pandemic later, there has been no public sign of progress, and the New Democrat government that was sworn in last October has not committed to the idea.

“We haven’t made a decision yet,” Glen Simard, minister of sport, culture, heritage and tourism, said in an interview.

“I can tell you we’re reviewing it closely.”

The curling centre of excellence was first proposed in 2018 by then-premier Brian Pallister, who had won a provincial mixed curling provincial in 2000. He touted the centre as a world-class training facility that would also be able to host international events.

The idea for a music museum and hall of fame goes back more than 20 years. People including John Einarson, a Winnipeg music historian and author, have pushed for a building to honour the province’s rich musical history.

“There’s so many people that think it’s a great idea, there’s so many good intentions from people that want to make it happen … but it’s still at that level where we need a commitment from the government to say, ‘That’s a good idea, we’ll put some money in,'” Einarson said.