The North Bay Granite Club and the City of North Bay have submitted an official bid to host the 2018 Ford World Women’s Curling Championship.
“We had publicly declared our intention to bid for this event back in March, but we officially submitted our proposal on June 30,” confirmed bid committee co-chair Rick Miller.
Miller is expecting a decision from Curling Canada by the end of August regarding the successful host community.
If North Bay’s bid is successful, the Championship will be staged at the Memorial Gardens in March 2018. The North Bay Granite Curling Club would act as the “Patch” and be home to entertainment and refreshments throughout the week, as well as a venue to meet competitors.
Miller said that with residents, businesses and the curling community behind the City’s bid, he’s optimistic that there is good news coming.
“We’ve received incredible support locally and nationally demonstrating that people are very excited about hosting an event of this magnitude in North Bay,” said Miller. “It’s a great opportunity for North Bay to showcase our community to the world.”
Supporting the community’s enthusiasm is North Bay’s history of hosting successful sporting events, from hockey to soccer, skiing and beach volleyball. The City is also no stranger to hosting curling championships, playing host to the Northern Ontario Men’s Championship earlier this year and the Canadian Mixed Championship in 2014 says a news release from the group.
There are also tangible economic benefits to hosting an event of this size, said Councillor Mark King.
“Not only will this event be broadcast live on national television, there will be officials, athletes, media and spectators who will stay locally in hotels, and shop, eat and explore within the community,” he said. “We estimate the Championships will bring between six and eight million dollars into our community.”
“It would be a big deal for the City, and a tremendous opportunity to drive more large-scale events to the North,” said Mayor Al McDonald, noting that the bid represents the direction the City is taking with its sports tourism strategy.
Tickets and full event passes can be pre-purchased at City Hall and Memorial Gardens.
