The prestigious Brier curling tournament could soon return to Regina.
On Wednesday, city councillors will debate whether to move forward with a bid to host the Canadian men’s curling championship in 2024, spending $200,000 in the process.
“The city’s administration has been invited by the Events Conventions and Tradeshows Alliance (ECT Alliance) to participate, in support of Curl Regina, in the preparation of a bid to host the 2024 Brier,” states a council report on the matter, which will be reviewed by council Wednesday.
The report, drafted by city of Regina administration, recommends council and the city “support the community bid to host the 2024 Brier with a total contribution of up to $200,000 consisting of a cash grant of $125,000 and the provision of Regina Transit services valued up to $75,000.”
If council approves plans for the bid, the report states Curling Canada will review it and make a decision this summer.
The ECT Alliance is led by Economic Development Regina and consists of representation from senior leaders from the Regina Hotel Association, REAL District, Tourism Saskatchewan and the City of Regina.
The ECT Alliance’s mandate is to “provide strategic, long-term guidance, and oversight in the identification of major city-wide and regional event prospects that are an ideal fit within community, facilities, and hotels.”
The city of Regina’s consideration for hosting the Brier began this past April in a private executive committee meeting attended by Tim Reid, president of REAL, Chelsea Galloway of Tourism Regina, and Bernadette McIntyre of Curl Regina.
Regina’s bid committee has proposed a total contribution of $1,030,000 to be split as follows:
- City: $200,000 consisting of $125,000 cash and Regina Transit services valued up to $75,000
- Tourism Saskatchewan: $550,000 cash
- Regina Hotel Association: $180,000 consisting of $175,000 cash and $5,000 in-kind
- REAL: $75,000 in-kind
- Tourism Regina: $25,000 in-kind
The city’s stated goals for investing in events like the Brier include “boosting the visitor economy through domestic and international visitation (such as transport, hotels, retail and restaurants), facilitating small business growth by connecting buyers and sellers, enabling knowledge sharing, leading to innovation and business collaboration (both locally and globally), (and) providing a platform for international trade and investment.”
The Brier is typically held in March.
At the tournament, 15 teams representing each of Curling Canada’s 14 Member Associations as well as the defending champion Team Canada, compete for the Brier Tankard, the refurbished silver trophy that was presented to the winners of the Brier during Macdonald Tobacco’s 50-year sponsorship
The Brier has been held in Regina five times: in 1955, 1976, 1992, 2006, and most recently in 2018 at the Brandt Centre.