The city is being asked to support plans to host the 2021 Scotties Tournament of Hearts.
Officials with the Fort William, Kakabeka Falls, and Port Arthur Curling Clubs asked them Monday night to officially support a bid to bring the women’s curling tournament to Thunder Bay.
Rick Sutton with the Fort William Curling Club asked them to endorse their plan, including letting them use the Fort William Gardens and sending a letter to Curling Canada.
The tournament is from February 20th to 28th.
The bid has to be submitted by June, and officials with the three local curling clubs would have to pay $400,000 if they’re chosen by Curling Canada in October.
They are planning to use some of the city’s hotel tax revenues which are set aside for tourism projects.
Sutton notes if they’re successful, they would be required to spend around $25,000 to install a large screen at the Gardens.
The tournament would also force the Lakehead Thunderwolves to play elsewhere for their playoffs.
Sutton is hopeful based on support they received for other well known curling events like last year’s Pinty’s Grand Slam.
“We sold out in two weeks in the spring, when the event was going to be held in the fall. Over 20,000 people, six days, and there was a $1.5-million impact on our community from that.”
Some councillors were supportive of the bid, but didn’t commit to supporting it yet.
Current River Councillor Andrew Foulds calls approving the request “one of the closest things to a no-brainer that there is.”
“Thunder Bay is a sports town, and we continue to prove that” through things like the Telus Cup, Foulds argues.
