Now that the last of the pandemic restrictions have been lifted (again) in Saskatchewan, it appears we can look forward to some big events in the community.
Last weekend saw the Winter Classic provincial figure skating event (which brought over 200 skaters to Estevan for the largest figure skating competition in the province), plus the Victor Elias Memorial Shoot for a Cure senior girls basketball tournament (five teams joined the host Estevan Comprehensive School Elecs) and the Saskatchewan High Schools Athletic Association curling regional playdowns (18 teams entered).
All those people were here, despite a late winter storm that hammered much of the province.
There were people in town who hadn’t been here in a long time, and some who might not have been here before.
Before the month is out, we get to look forward to events such as the Estevan Oilfield Technical Society’s Oilmen’s bonspiel on March 25 and 26.
Next month we’ll get the Estevan Strippers Spring Bust tournament (the largest recreational hockey competition in the province), and before we know it, we’ll be enjoying the Centennial Cup national junior A hockey championships from May 20-29. And there are so many events coming to our community in the next few months.
All of these events have a common thread: they’re bringing people to our community, and carrying a pretty good economic spinoff.
While most of the teams that competed in the high school curling playdowns last weekend were from within 90 minutes of Estevan, and could therefore return home at night, these athletes and their families were spending money at our restaurants and service stations.
For our hospitality sector – which has taken such a big hit, not just during the two years of the pandemic but prior to that due to the decrease in the price of oil – all these events are a big blessing.
It’s great to see people from out of town flocking to Estevan. It’s great to have events that are bringing people here. And it’s wonderful to see more people in our hotels and restaurants.
For some of the larger events, it’ll mean that we get to have people converging on our retail areas, too. They’ll be downtown, in the mall and in other shopping areas.
Of course, this means we have to be welcoming. We have to let people know that we want them here. It means that some of the businesses in town might be wise to have in-store specials during the marquee events, or look for ways to reach out to people.
And if you interact with people from out of town, regardless of who you are, it never hurts to smile and offer a simple “Welcome to Estevan.”
It’s encouraging to see the big events starting to come back. It’s also good to see some of the other events that will be happening before the event of the month that maybe won’t bring lots of people to the community, but still offer us a chance to get out, mingle, have a good time and remind ourselves of how much we have to do here.
Organizers of these events are showing confidence as we emerge from the pandemic.
If you’re planning an event, it’s important to promote it. You can’t take it for granted that people will show up simply because the restrictions are finished and the public is eager to get out and do things. (Note: a sponsored Facebook event likely won’t be good enough).
We certainly hope that the events that are scheduled will be able to proceed, and that we’re finished with pandemic restrictions.
After all, when good people are coming to Estevan, we all stand to win, whether it be directly or indirectly.
