Thunder Bay will be hosting a major Canadian sports tourism event, a year later than expected.
The northwestern Ontario city was initially picked to host the 2021 Canadian women's curling championship but due to the pandemic, Curling Canada is pushing the event to 2022.
The 3,300-seat Fort William Gardens in the city's south end will be the venue for the week-long event to be played Jan. 28 to Feb. 6.
The 2021 Scotties will be moved to Calgary.
“These are unprecedented times, as we all know, and while we had to make some tough decisions for this season’s events, it was gratifying to see the understanding and support from the scheduled host communities,” said Mitch Minken, the chair of Curling Canada’s board of governors in a news release.
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“It’s wonderful to see that Thunder Bay will get its chance to host the country’s most prestigious women’s curling championship and see Canada’s best curlers compete in the world-renowned Scotties Tournament of Hearts.”
The curling organization said the "buzz" in Thunder Bay following the initial announcement of the 2021 Scotties was "incredible" with a ticket sale response "that promised sold-out crowds for many draws."
“The opportunity to host this national championship with an arena full of fans will bring a significant economic boost to our community to recover from the pandemic,” said Eric Zakrewski, the CEO of the Thunder Bay Community Economic Development Commission in a statement.
“The 12,000-plus room nights expected from over 5,000 visitors to our city by curlers, officials, broadcast crew and spectators will have an projected impact of over $7 million, which will make our return on investment from the municipal accommodation tax fund at $17 for each dollar spent.”
Fort William Gardens, opened in 1951, hosts the Lakehead University hockey team.
It will be the fifth time the women’s championship has been hosted by the Northern Ontario Curling Association. The 1969 and 1996 championships were in Thunder Bay, with the 1978 and 2010 Scotties held in Sault Ste. Marie.
“Thunder Bay was eager to host this prestigious national championship in February and while disappointed to not have that opportunity, we fully understand the impacts caused by the pandemic,” said Thunder Bay Mayor Bill Mauro.
“Curling Canada has shown confidence in Thunder Bay to host this major national championship by deferring to 2022 when our city will deliver a successful event with fans at the historic Fort William Gardens.”
The winner of the 2022 Scotties will represent Canada at the 2022 World Women’s Curling Championship, which will be hosted by Canada at a city and date to be announced later.
