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Two local finalists for provincial tourism awards announced

Mar 14, 2018 | 2:00 PM

A North Battleford business and a sporting event which put the area in the national spotlight are among the 33 finalists for the Saskatchewan Tourism Awards of Excellence.

The Gold Eagle Lodge is one of three finalists for the Service Excellence Award, and the Pinty’s Grand Slam of Curling held at the Civic Centre last January was nominated as one of the top three Marquee Events in the province in 2017.

“Congratulations to the businesses and individuals whose impressive achievements have earned the respect of their peers,” Gene Makowsky, Minister Responsible for Tourism Saskatchewan, said. “The 33 finals and the Tourism Builders are exceptional ambassadors for the province and inspiring role models.”

Nearly 100 nominations were received in 12 award categories which acknowledge quality in marketing, service, business practices, human resource development and other areas. The success of Pinty’s Grand Slam of Curling, hosted by the City of North Battleford, will be up against the Canadian Western Agribition in Regina and the Ness Creek Music Festival in Big River.

“It’s very gratifying to be nominated for an award like this,” Pinty’s Grand Slam of Curling Co-chair Russ Brown said. “It was a tremendous event for our community, and to be recognized with a nomination and then to be raised to the level of a finalist is quite an honour.”

The economic benefit the city saw during the grand slam was estimated at $2 million. The 25,000 seats sold over the course of the tournament established a new record for the province, which was previously held by Yorkton.  

“I’m excited not only for the committee members and the chairs, but for the 150-plus volunteers that worked tirelessly to make this event the tremendous success it was,” Brown added.

He said more than two million viewers tuned in during the 27 hours that Rogers Sportsnet had scheduled for coverage, and that positive exposure for the Battlefords area bodes well for future events.

Meanwhile, the Gold Eagle Lodge is joined by nominees Ghostown Blues Bed & Breakfast of Maple Creek and Black Fox Farm and Distillery in Saskatoon in the Service Excellence Award category. This is the second nomination in the category for the Gold Eagle Lodge in the past four years.

The finalists and award recipients will be honoured at the 29th annual Saskatchewan Tourism Awards of Excellence Gala in Regina April 12.

 

roger.white@jpbg.ca

On Twitter:@RJWtheReporter