WFG Masters curling event at Sleeman Centre expected to bring in $4M for Guelph

Curling fans are filling the Sleeman Centre this week to watch the WFG Masters event.

Round robin action began on Tuesday featuring several matchups of the best athletes from around the world.

The tournament is expected to draw large crowds — and a lot of money.

Hilary McCann, executive director of Destination Marketing Guelph, said the competition will have a positive impact on the economy.

“Obviously, it’s something where everyone is going to benefit. Not just the Sleeman Centre but our restaurants, our stores, some of our other venues and our accommodations,” McCann said.

Destination Marketing Guelph is the tournament’s premier sponsor.

Get breaking National news

For news impacting Canada and around the world, sign up for breaking news alerts delivered directly to you when they happen.

Sign up for breaking National newsletter Sign Up

By providing your email address, you have read and agree to Global News' Terms and Conditions and Privacy Policy.

McCann said the tournament is expected to bring in $4 million for the city.

McCann said curling is becoming a popular sport and it’s an activity that everyone can do, in addition to being inexpensive. The sport is catering to multiple generations.

“Curling has become popular globally, much more than it used to be,” she said.

She said younger people are taking more of an interest in the sport and there’s more demand for it. Curling is not just a rural event that people participate in on the weekends and it’s receiving more attention country-wide, particularly from the media.

She said the allure of this event is having people travel from across the country to watch a tournament of this calibre.

Destination Marketing also ran contests and gave away tickets on its website and on social media, including to people from Saskatchewan as a way to introduce the Royal City to them.

Ticket sales have gone extremely well, and the competition is going to receive national sports coverage, according to McCann. She expects millions of people to take in the national broadcast on television and through online platforms because there’s a demand for it.

McCann said the excitement will continue to build during the week.

“I think that we’re going to see the excitement build up through the week and once they figure out who’s participating in the last draws, that’s when you see the supporters of those teams come together,” she said.