HALIFAX – The Ford World Men’s Curling Championship in Halifax has reached the midway point of its nine-day run, and the influx of fans from around the world has been a boost to businesses in the downtown area.
Fans from Canada, Sweden, the United States, Italy, Russia and the rest of the countries competing are discovering a city that’s growing on them.
“We’ve been enjoying the local pubs and the different restaurants around here. It’s really been a great atmosphere,” said Kelsey Bretschneider of Minnesota, whose boyfriend curls for Team USA.
James Greenwood, whose son throws second stones for Scotland, said he’s been having a great time.
“We’ve been out enjoying the restaurants and the scenery, and landed in a few bars,” he said. “Canadian people are really friendly.”
In a long lineup for autographs from the curlers on Wednesday, Shawn Riggs from Oromocto, N.B. said his family was “planning on doing some shopping at some of the stores we don’t have in New Brunswick.”
Hotels are busy, too: half the guests of the new Hampton Inn are curling fans, while that number is 75 per cent at the Delta Barrington.
The Halifax Mooseheads hockey team is playing three home games at the Halifax Forum instead of the Scotiabank Centre this week, but the restaurants downtown said they are more than making up for the loss of hockey-related income thanks to curling fans.
“Especially with three games a day, it’s more spread out and we don’t get such a big hit all at once at supper time,” said Courtney Whynot, the manager at Freemans.
Next door at the Midtown Tavern, co-owner Eric Grant said it has been a good month with events at Scotiabank Centre.
“It’s been awesome. This is the third big thing in a row,” he said. “The basketball, the CIS hockey and now the curling. We’ve been looking forward to it with a great bunch of people. The Briers in years gone past were always awesome for business and this is holding up to that same fashion of great people.”
While crowds have been small at morning draws, organizers expect to reach their goal of 80,000 fans and said the economic spin-offs should be strong.
“A 10-day event like this with 80,000 people, there’s no question you’re in the millions of dollars,” said championship co-chair Graham Harris.
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