The City of Prince George has a vision for hosting the biggest curling tournament in the world. They are seeing CN Centre as the venue for the Tim Hortons Brier, and they are seeing with 20-20 clarity.
On Thursday, a contingent of municipal leaders, sports officials and tourism advocates joined in announcing the city's intention to bid on the famed Canadian men's curling championship for the year 2020.
After a series of sports and culture events on the city's recent hosting resume, the practicalities of the bid package will be sparkling, said those in attendance. What the effort really needs is paid public support, to show the Brier organization, Curling Canada, that cheering bums will definitely be in CN Centre seats if we get to be the host city.
"We want to bring the Brier to northern B.C. for the first time," said Mayor Lyn Hall. "We need to prove we really want it."
To that end, the button went live at www.ticketsnorth.ca allowing the public to purchase (fully refundable) a deposit on Brier 2020 tickets. The price is $20.20.
"By April 15 we are endeavouring to sell a minimum of 2,020 ticket deposits, but if we can 3,030 or 4,040 that would really show Curling Canada that we are serious about hosting this event," said CN Centre general manager Glen Mikkelsen.
The city's most successful curler ever, Patti Knezevic (she competed in the junior nationals and represented B.C. at the Scotties Tournament of Hearts women's nationals) said the Brier was an excellent fit for Prince George after hosting the Scotties twice before, the Road To The Roar Olympic qualifier tournament and the Canada Winter Games curling event.
"I'm very excited about this bid and yes, We Are All Curlers," said Knezevic, reprising the official slogan of the Prince George bid. "We have proven time and time again that we have the volunteer base. We can handle that hands-down. We just have to make sure we get people into those seats."
Lest anyone have doubts about the party aspect of the Brier, local organizers promised to make the famed Brier Patch the biggest social gathering in city history. The official Brier bar and trade show would encompass both Kin 2 and Kin 3 for the duration of the event.
Tourism Prince George CEO Erica Hummel said the whole Brier event was a major mark on every host city's local economy like few other sporting events could boast. She said the estimated boost for the St. John's event was close to $15 million infused into the Newfoundland & Labrador economy.
"The positive impact will be shared throughout the north," Hummel said, with measurable impacts on both local business and on sport participation. "If our bid is successful, it will transform our city for the nine days of competition, but past cities have shown (increases in economic activity) both in the days before and in the days afterward as people stay on to explore the area they are visiting."
Best of all, she explained, it happens in the "shoulder season" for the hospitality industry, giving the restaurants, hotels, retail stores and all the event's goods and services providers a late winter/early spring boost when they are usually slower.
"Doughnut make you excited?," joked Mikkelsen, who was adorned with a plaid tam 'oshanter cap in deference to the Scottish roots of curling. He also noted it was Robbie Burns Day, the famous poet of Scotland who even wrote some verse about the sport - verse that Mikkelsen recited to a round of applause at the announcement event.
He then urged the audience to rush over to the box office and begin the purchase of the ticket deposits.
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