City councillors are throwing some tax money into Kingston’s bid to host the 2020 Canadian Men’s Curling Championships.
They voted 13-0 to contribute $100,000 worth of in-kind donations to help offset facility rental fees, extended transit service, equipment, security and staffing costs, plus another $100,000 in cash, should the bid be successful.
“A $200,000 contribution is a tremendous investment when we think about the $11 million to $15 million this event will bring to our community,” said Mayor Bryan Paterson prior to council’s unanimous support Jan. 23.
Municipal support is considered vital to persuade Curling Canada to choose Kingston to host the Brier in two years. The annual national curling event would play out at Kingston’s flagship arena, the Rogers K-Rock Centre, attracting 16 teams from the provinces and territories with national television coverage from TSN. Staging the event will require about 500 volunteers and could include community events on the city’s outdoor rink at Springer Market Square, located three blocks away from the K-Rock Centre.
“The Brier will leave a legacy of hosting more major curling and other prestigious national and international events in Kingston,” according to a report by community services commissioner Lanie Hurdle.
Greater Kingston Curling is behind the local bid with support from Tourism Kingston and Kingston Accommodation Partners. The bid committee is expected to submit a formal letter of interest to host the 2020 Brier to Curling Canada by April 30, 2018.
“We are going to be doing a lot of hard work to win the honour to host this event,” explained Ken Thompson, chair of the bid committee.
In addition to the city’s $200,000 contribution, Tourism Kingston and Kingston Accommodation Partners will also contribute $100,000 each.
Kingston wants to host The Brier in 2020 Photo courtesy: kingstonbrier2020.ca
Thompson say the committee still has work to do convince curling fans to buy into the event by purchasing a $50 pre-package deal in advance of the formal bid. The committee aims to sell 2,020 of the $50 tickets, which are considered a down-payment for a full event ticket package. The fees would be refunded if Kingston isn’t named a host city.
The Brier occurs annually in February and March over nine competition days. The event typically has a budget of approximately $2.5 million and is projected to attract over 130,000 spectators with an economic impact estimated between $11 million and $15 million, according to staff.
Taking over the K-Rock Centre for nearly two weeks will impact the Kingston Frontenacs during a “critical time” of their hockey season, staff acknowledge.
“City and SMG (arena operator) staff will work with Kingston Frontenacs to ensure their needs are met should Kingston be awarded the Brier,” explained Hurdle.
The city’s $200,000 contribution – to be incorporated into the 2020 municipal operating budget – would be funded through reserves plus other available funding sources. The contribution is contingent on Kingston being chosen as the host city.
Kingston is up against Prince George, B.C., St. Catharines and Moncton, New Brunswick to host the prestigious tournament in 2020. Curling Canada is expected to announce the winning bid in October of this year.
The last time Kingston hosted the Brier was in 1957.
The city has played host to other national sporting events in recent years, including 2013 Scotties Tournament of Hearts and 2015 National Figure Skating Championships.
