The best under 18 curlers hurried hard at the 2023 Under 18 Championships last week in Timmins. The event brought in 21 women’s teams and 21 men’s teams from across Canada to compete for the National Championship. It was a significant moment for the McIntyre Curling Club and an opportunity for Tourism Timmins to showcase all that our city has to offer.
How does an event like this impact the community?
Between Feb. 5 and 11, hotels in Timmins hit near sell out. Curling Canada estimates that 1000+ room nights are booked for U-18 Championship events by Curling Canada, not including fans and supporters. Rental agencies at Timmins Victor M. Power Airport reported approximately 100 vehicle rentals that week. 600+ guests visited the Timmins Museum: National Exhibition Centre and the museum’s gift shop tripled sales from the same time last year. 550 game tickets for the event were sold through the McIntyre Curling Club.
“The feedback from teams, visitors, and residents has been fantastic,” says Mayor Michelle Boileau. “The McIntyre Curling Club should be very proud in the efforts they put forward. It was a long week of exciting competition and it highlights how profitable large-scale sports tourism could be for our city and region.”
The event comes at a time when the City is working to update its Culture, Tourism, and Recreation Master Plan. Feedback is being collected through in-person engagement sessions, stakeholder meetings and an online public survey.
“The U-18’s were an example of how the City can work with local organizations to enhance recreation and tourism activities,” says Steph Palmateer, Director of Community Services and City Clerk. “We want to hear from residents, groups, and business owners on what we can do to further improve how the City supports events like the U-18 Championships. I also want to thank our maintenance and arena staff who worked to prepare the facility.”
To date, 885 responses to the public survey on culture, tourism and recreation have been collected. The survey can be filled out online before March 5, 2023 at: https://www.timmins.ca/our_services/recreation_services/c_t_r_master_plan_update_2023/take_the_s_u_r_v_e_y_now_.
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