We are less than two weeks away from Moose Jaw hosting one of its biggest curling events, which is expected to have a trickle-down effect on the local curling scene.
The BKT Tires World Men’s Curling Championship will take place at the Temple Gardens Centre from March 29 to April 6.
Moose Jaw has hosted a number of national championships successfully in the past. However, this will be the first time the city will host a world curling championship.
“We’ve had the Canada Cup, we’ve had two Scotties, we had the Canadian Wheelchair Championship, and now we have the top men’s event in the world coming to Moose Jaw. It’s phenomenal,” said Moose Gibson, a board member with Curl Moose Jaw.
For Curl Moose Jaw, they are expecting this event will have a huge effect on their youth programming and may encourage more youth to take up the sport.
Gibson said it’s an opportunity for young curlers to watch their idols and some of the top curlers in the world compete.
“At the back end of it is, obviously, what will be reinvested back into Curl Moose Jaw from being a part of the host consortium for the Worlds. It’s all about paying it forward. We’re all getting a little older, and it’s that youth that’s going to keep it going,” he said.
Curling Canada also has its Future Stars program, which gives kids ages 9 to 12 the VIP experience to meet the teams. Meanwhile, Curling Canada also offers a school ticket program that allows local students to attend weekday morning draws.
While applications are now closed for these programs, it will give youth an opportunity to take in the competition.
And none of this would be possible without the support of the community and volunteers. It’s estimated that it takes nearly 400 volunteers to put on an event like this.
“Our fan base and our support or volunteerism are second to none. (We’re a) smaller city, but curling is really the heartbeat in the winter,” Gibson said.
Single-draw tickets, as well as weekday, weekend, and full-event packages, are still available. You can purchase your tickets by visiting SaskTix.
For more information about the event, as well as the draw schedules, visit the BKT Tires World Men’s Curling Championship page on the Curling Canada website.