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Economic benefits expected from Grand Slam of Curling

Dec 15, 2016 | 4:00 PM

Curling fans are the not the only ones anticipating the arrival of the Pinty’s Grand Slam of Curling, Meridian Canadian Open to the Battlefords in less than a month.

Because of the magnitude of hosting such an event, the city itself will also benefit economically.

Ryan Bater, North Battleford mayor and Destination Battlefords executive director, said the timing of the event couldn’t be better, because January is typically a time when the economy is slow.

“January is usually economically a time when we see less activity,” Bater said. “We’re attracting a lot of visitors. We’re watching ticket sales. We know that people in Edmonton, Calgary, Manitoba, and all over Saskatchewan are going to be attending this event. There are lots of tickets being sold in Regina, obviously Saskatoon, and as far north as La Ronge. It just keeps growing.”

When spectators come from out of town, they stay in local accommodation, eat at local restaurants, and shop locally, Bater explained, so all of that money is being pumped into the local economy.

And that economic benefit will be sustained for several days, as the event runs from Tuesday Jan. 3 until Sunday, Jan. 8.

“It’s going to take 170 volunteers – that’s how many volunteers we have with our committee right now,” Bater said. “It’s going to be a big group of people all coming together to put this on. It’s a lot of work, but as a volunteer on the committee, I can tell you it’s also a lot of fun.”

Those volunteers will do everything from ticket sales, to security, to scorekeeping, to selling beer.

And of course, some of the top curlers in the game will be around as well.

“Usually, after New Year’s is kind of a downer time – that’s not going to be the case this year in the Battlefords because you get to come to this week long party in the Civic Centre after and it’s just going to keep the momentum going,” Bater said.

All the credit for hosting this event needs to go to the Twin Rivers Curling Club, according to Bater.

“They took the initiative to approach Sportsnet,” Bater said. “They developed a committee to organize a bid and a negotiation and they were the ones who eventually signed the contract with Sportsnet to host the event here.”

Local businesses are getting involved as well, as there are over 15 local sponsors already.

“Of course, those businesses are then promoted very heavily to the thousands and thousands of people who are going to be attending and the hundreds of thousands who are going to be watching this across the country,” Bater said.

Destination Battlefords is also taking advantage of the national television coverage to showcase the city.

For the first time ever, they are producing a TV commercial that will air during Sportsnet’s coverage of the event.

“While people are watching the curling, commercials come on and they are going to see an ad promoting the Battlefords,” Bater said.

As day one of the Meridian Canadian Open inches closer and closer, the optimism from those involved is certainly growing.

There are now less than 20 days until the tournament begins.

“It’s going to have a tremendous impact,” Bater said. “If you are in the community during that time, you’re definitely going to notice. There’s going to be obviously a lot more people around and that Civic Centre area is going to be hopping. We expect the whole community to be very energetic.”

 

Nathan Kanter is battlefordsNOW’s sports reporter and voice of the Battlefords North Stars. He can be reached at Nathan.kanter@jpbg.ca or tweet him @NathanKanter11