Guelph expects 'huge economic impact' from hosting Grand Slam of Curling
CBC
The city of Guelph is hosting the 2025 World Financial Group Masters Grand Slam of Curling this week, and organizers say the six-day event will have a "huge economic impact" on the local economy.
The top 16 women's and top 16 men's curling teams worldwide are in competition at Guelph's Sleeman Centre between Jan. 14 to 19 for World Curling Federation points and a chance to curl at the Olympic Games.
"For the city of Guelph, it's approximately a $4-million economic impact right out of the gate," said Rob Mungham, co-chair of the Guelph Grand Slam host committee and vice-president of Guelph Curling.
"Twenty thousand unique visitors will come to the city of Guelph this week, which has larger impacts to the greater Wellington region with all hotels and restaurants. There's a huge economic impact to the immediate area, certainly with this event."
Mungham said it was an "in-depth process" that took "about three years" to get to the stage of hosting the event.
"Guelph Curling really wanted to host this because we wanted to showcase what Guelph is really about, what Guelph Curling is about," he said.
"We also wanted to introduce information that curling is inclusive for everybody in our community. We really wanted to make sure that people understand that this is a safe space for everybody to come and it's welcoming and curling really is a friendly sport."
Erin Cook, Guelph Grand Slam host committee co-chair and communications chair of Guelph Curling, said some of the more widely known international players at the event include Niklas Edin from Sweden, American curler Korey Dropkin, Silvana Petra Tirinzoni from Italy and Bruce Mouat from Scotland.
Canadian favourites Brad Gushue, Rachel Homan, Kerri Einarson, Mike McEwen and Brad Jacobs are also competing at the event, Cook said.
"The Grand Slam also gets to invite two Ontario teams just to bring some local flair to it, so we've got John Epping and Danielle Inglis. So that kind of brings some of the local fans out to cheer for them."
Among the local fans were Clark Acheson and his friend Wylie Ferris, both of whom were on hand to see the games on the first day.
Acheson said when he heard about the games coming to Guelph he told his parents he wanted tickets as his Christmas gift — to which they agreed.
"It's really cool," Acheson, a first-year student at University of Guelph, told CBC Kitchener-Waterloo.
"I would never [have] thought I'd be able to get to see one of these, but last year I got to see a couple games at The Brier and that was really cool as well, and then to see it so close, it was really good."
More than 53,000 Manitobans have accessed birth control at no cost in the first year of the provincial government's free contraception program, the province says.
The Niagara Regional Police Pipe Band is inviting beginners and youth to try its free music program to help carry on the world-calibre musical ensemble's tradition.
Mayors of municipalities across southwestern Ontario say they’ve focused on the things they could control this year, as the U.S. trade war with Canada and the world has hammered local economies.
A house filled with snakes and spiders might be straight out of many people's nightmares, but to longtime exotic pet keeper Nolan Asplund, they’re like family.
The Ontario government is introducing new rules for publicly advertised job postings in the new year, but questions remain over whether the changes will result in tangible benefits for jobseekers.
Did you know ambulance services on Prince Edward Island were once largely provided by funeral homes?
The past 12 months brought big political headlines, new partisan players and plenty of parliamentary surprises. How much do you remember from it all?
The Ontario government has quietly given itself the power to override archaeological protections on development sites.
A freezing rain event that's left roads and trees across southwestern Ontario coated in ice has also seen emergency crews overwhelmed with calls for help from people without power and snapped trees.
Annette Dionne, the last surviving Dionne quintuplet and a champion of children's rights, has died.
The Newfoundland and Labrador government is warning of multiple scams circulating leading up to the holidays.
The painted bunting usually calls the southern U.S. home and travels south at this time of year, but one decided to spend its Christmas holidays up north in Bayfield, N.B.
The Greater Montreal area could see a prolonged period of freezing rain on Monday, with potentially hazardous conditions developing across much of southern Quebec.