More than 59,000 fans take in 2020 Scotties

It was another successful Scotties in Moose Jaw.

The 2020 Scotties Tournament of Hearts took over the city for the second time in five years. The Canadian women’s curling championship previously was hosted in Moose Jaw in 2015.

“We knew coming in that this city would embrace it. We knew that (Mosaic Place) is a fabulous building to host a curling event such as the Scotties Tournament of Hearts,” said Al Cameron, director of communications for Curling Canada. “We expected great things and Moose Jaw delivered.”

When the tournament was held in Moose Jaw in 2015, 70,047 fans came out over the course of the week to watch Canada’s top women curlers in action. It made it the 11th-most attended Scotties tournament ever. The highest-attended Scotties was in Regina in 1998, when 154,688 fans made their way to the tournament.

This time around, 59,298 came out, the most at the tournament since it was last held at Mosaic Place.

“It’s a different sporting environment, even since 2015. When the world junior hockey championship isn’t selling out, when the Grey Cup isn’t selling out, obviously it’s a different sports entertainment market,” Cameron said when asked about the slightly lower attendance numbers.

Cameron said the tournament was still a success for Curling Canada budget-wise and not only thanked the fans but local businesses as well.

“(They) welcomed us and threw their support behind the Scotties, which is great to see,” he said.

The Scotties made its return to Moose Jaw after a great bid was put together by the host committee to bring it back.

Kevin Dedelley was a member of the committee that put in the bid for 2020; he’s also the vice-chair of facilities for the Scotties.

“We’ve had great curling, great people (and) great volunteers so I think it’s as successful (as 2015),” Dedelley said.

He said there were positive reactions from fans and everyone in town for the Scotties.

“People are smiling — they weren’t quite so happy when it was -31 C — but for the most part, everybody’s happy,” Dedelley said. “Curling in Saskatchewan’s a natural (choice). It might not be the birthplace of curling but the fans are die-hard here.”

Dedelley pointed out that committee members knew they were going to be the only city in Saskatchewan that would be making a bid to host the major curling event because the Tim Hortons Brier was in Regina in 2018 and Saskatoon is hosting the 2021 Roar of the Rings with a chance to represent Canada at the 2022 Olympics in Beijing.

“We thought, ‘Why not keep curling coming (to Saskatchewan) and keep the fans home?’ ” Dedelley said.

The players also enjoyed their time in Moose Jaw.

“(The fans) were so supportive in every way. They did a fantastic job with everything from the drivers to all the volunteers; they were absolutely fantastic,” said Saskatchewan skip Robyn Silvernagle, whose team finished the tournament at 6-5. “They make you feel special.”