Canadian Meridian Open a huge economic boost for city
To anyone who was able to make it out to the Meridian Canadian Open this past week, you probably noticed what a great atmosphere it was – but it was also great for city coffers, as the economic impact on the area has been estimated at $2 million.
That’s because the Civic Centre was sold out for the entire weekend and even the morning draws during the week brought crowds that surprised the curlers.
Russ Brown, co-chair of the organizing committee, said not all the numbers have been calculated, but that there were roughly 25,300 total committed seats sold over the course of the tournament. That tops Yorkton’s previous tournament high of just under 20,000.
Brown also estimated that more than 50 per cent of tickets were sold to areas outside the Battlefords, mostly in Alberta and all over Saskatchewan.