The B.C. curling championships are expected to bring more than $100,000 in economic spin-offs to the city (Image Credit: CFJC Today)

By Chad Klassen

B.C. CURLING CHAMPIONSHIPS

B.C. curling championships bringing positive economic impact amid cancelled tournaments in Kamloops

Jan 5, 2022 | 2:28 PM

KAMLOOPS — The focus on this week’s B.C. curling championships is on crowning a winner, teams that will represent the province at the Scotties next month and the Brier in March.

However, there have been some winners already outside the rink, such as hotels and restaurants that are benefitting from the presence of the event.

“A small positive for sure in events like that that are happening and we’re pleased that’s continued and back on again,” noted Delta GM Bryan Pilbeam. “Hopefully this is short-lived in terms of what’s happening. We know case counts are very high, but hopefully we find a way to get back to a regular operating way. I won’t say normal, but at least a more consistent operating pattern.”

Most of the players on the 20 teams, including the Kamloops players like Corryn Brown, are staying at hotels for the week. There are also officials that have travelled here for the championships.

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“From a players standpoint, it’s about 100 players that are using the hotel services, and for our officials and staff standpoint, it’s about 12 staff using the hotel services, and we’re here for a week,” said Curl BC competition manager Will Sutton. “So it not only has an impact on the Best Western Plus in Kamloops, which is our host hotel but a number of the hotels and other options that teams have.”

The tournament’s initial cancellation before Christmas had an impact on hotels like the Best Western Plus, which is only housing a few teams. The Delta Hotel downtown has welcomed teams as well.

Overall, even the revised championships with more COVID-19 protocols has brought the same number of people to Kamloops, both athletes and officials. Curl BC expects an economic impact of more than $100,000.

“For the past two championships, the economic impact has been around $182,000 when we’ve gone into places like Quesnel and Cranbrook, so it would’ve been similar to that,” said Sutton.

For Pilbeam, the curling has eased the hit hotels took from the cancellation of KIBIHT as well as a U15 girls hockey tournament that was scheduled to take place next week.

“Between the KIBIHT tournament and another tournament next week here in January, be in the hundreds of room nights we would’ve lost and certainly in the tens of thousands of dollars that have been cancelled in the last couple weeks,” said Pilbeam.

Pilbeam says most hotels in Kamloops have had a 30 per cent occupancy rate over the winter, which is down even during the slow season.

“Through Christmas, we managed to stay in the double-digits in occupancy,” he said. “Going into January again, hopefully we see improved business 30-40 per cent is the mark people are going to look at if we’re fortunate. Hopefully that builds back into February and March into a more sustainable level in the spring and summer months.”

Hotels like Delta are thankful that business travel has continued, also helping the industry keep its head above water.