Here's real purpose behind new center

I've followed with interest the many articles and letters about the new sports pavilion under consideration and it appears to me that one of the actual intended purposes of this facility and the driving forces behind it may not have yet been revealed to the public.

Ice hockey? Well, of course, but could it just be possible that our city fathers and the business community are concurrently trying to establish Yuma as the center for a far more lucrative enterprise?

Winter visitors are an important part of this city's income and activities for almost half of each year and certainly do affect much of the restoration, preparation and planning in the off-season. Of these, our Canadian neighbors are a large part and any attraction to substantially increase their interest in Yuma would be certainly reflected in the community's cash flow.

An attraction of continuing major interest to them and, perhaps unique to their culture, would surely be welcomed. With this in mind and from a firm basis of no facts and a mountain of speculation, there can be little doubt that the sports arena is really intended to introduce the sport of curling to Yuma and promote its adoption.

Think about it! Not just professional curling but amateur competition from among teams comprised of winter visitors. The ticket sales. The equipment sales. (A "broom" for curling can cost 30 or 40 loonies and who even knows how much that is in "real money" or how many more loonies would be brought to Yuma?)

And youth leagues, too! Imagine all summer on the ice when it's 115 degrees outdoors, followed in the autumn by "The Curling Crims" versus "The Kofa Curlers."

The prospective popularity of and steady income from these activities are almost mind-boggling.

I think that we should give our business community and city fathers credit for their modesty in not having yet revealed their foresightedness in planning for our future entertainment and prosperity.

JOHN DIONNE, Yuma