Estevan has a history of punching above its weight when it comes to marquee sporting events.
We've hosted Western Canadian and even national events in sports ranging from archery to baseball. We were the first community to turn a profit for the Western Canada Cup junior A hockey tournament, and we were able to successfully pivot when the Centennial Cup national junior A hockey tournament was expanded from five teams to 10 midway through the 2021-22 season.
The 2016 Saskatchewan Summer Games in Estevan were an enormous success. We think they were the best ever. And we're fortunate to have so many of the sporting organizations that operate here.
In curling, we've had multiple provincial championships, and the Home Hardware Canada Cup was held here in 2018, giving Curling Canada a first-hand look at what Estevan can do.
Now the Estevan Curling Club is taking its ambition to the next level, and if the effort is successful, we'll be rewarded with the biggest sporting event in Estevan's history from a national prominence perspective.
The club announced last week its desire to host the 2026 Scotties Tournament of Hearts – the national women's curling championship. If Estevan is successful, 18 of the top women's curling teams in the country – including some of the best in the world – would be here for 10 days of great shot-making.
Not only would we be treated to great entertainment on the ice, but this event would carry an enormous economic spinoff, likely even bigger than the 2022 Centennial Cup with all of the people who would be coming to Estevan for the event. And just like the Centennial Cup, it would be an incredible showcase for Estevan, from Affinity Place to our hospitality sector to our businesses to our people.
It's not going to be easy to bring this event here. There will be a lot of questions to be answered, both from the community and the selection committee.
Perhaps the biggest one is size. According to the 2021 census, our population is 10,851 people. The smallest communities to host the Scotties are Sydney, N.S. (population approximately 31,000), Penticton, B.C. (33.761) and Moose Jaw (33,665). Sydney and Penticton are tourist hubs and also have a large number of people in close proximity.
But Saskatchewan is a curling hotbed, and there would be no shortage of people eager to watch the best in Canada in their own backyard. Even casual curling fans would likely want to be there.
Someone has to be the smallest community to host an event. It might as well be Estevan for the Scotties.
You might be worried about the size of Affinity Place, which seats up to 2,662 for hockey, but Calgary just hosted the Scotties in a venue that seats 3,000.
We should also have enough hotel rooms to accommodate the influx of people who will be here for the Scotties.
Some local people might be justifiably concerned with the timing of this event and how it would affect minor hockey playoffs, but the 2026 Scotties would be earlier than normal so that the competition can be finished in time for the 2026 Winter Olympics, which start in early February.
It's also worth noting that Curling Canada encouraged Estevan to submit a bid. This isn't something that the local curling club decided to attempt on a whim.
When we hosted the Canada Cup in 2018, the curlers came away raving about the venue and the community. Curling Canada knows what we're capable of.
The Estevan Curling Club is selling ticket deposits for the event. If this is something you want to see here, and if you're able to afford the $100 deposit cost, then we encourage you to support this part of the bid.
If Estevan's bid isn't successful, hopefully it opens the door for the city to host other Curling Canada events in the future and leave a lasting impression with the national group.
And if the Energy City were to win, then it would be an incredible victory for the community.
