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Heavyweights of Canadian curling meet in Canada Cup finals
Event organizers couldn’t have asked for a better finale to the Capital One Canada Cup of Curling at the Cranbrook Rec-Plex Sunday.
It was a veritable who’s who of Canada’s top male and female curling teams vying for a pass to the eight-team Tim Hortons Olympic Curling Trials in Winnipeg in two years, in the men’s and women’s finals Dec. 4.
In the men’s final it was Alberta’s Kevin Martin rink taking on Ontario’s Glenn Howard, with Martin sweeping his way to a 7-4 victory before several thousand avid curling fans. John Morris, Marc Kennedy and Ben Hebert make up the rest of Martin’s team, which has now won four Canada Cup titles.
The Martin team won $26,000, plus entries to next year’s Canada Cup at Moose Jaw and the 2013 Continental Cup at Penticton.
Howard and his team of Wayne Middaugh, Brent Laing and Craig Savill left Cranbrook with $16,000.
In women’s play held earlier in the day, Winnipeg’s Jennifer Jones rink won her second Canada Cup title, beating fellow Manitoba rink Chelsea Carey 9-4 in the women’s final.
Hosting Canada’s biggest bonspiel was a feat to be appreciated by a small group of dedicated Cranbrook volunteers and businesses.
Chief organizer Colin Campbell said the event went off well and was pleased with the turnouts throughout the run of the event, Nov. 30 to Dec. 4. Along with world-class curling, event visitors were also able to take in The Patch, billed as Canada’s biggest pub, with 1,100 seating. Great live music and a friendly vibe prevailed in The Patch.
“My sincere thanks to everyone who attended the Canada Cup this past weekend. Was that great entertaiment or what? And can you believe a $11,000-plus 50/50 draw! Wow what a weekend. Now it’s time to rest,” Campbell stated on his Facebook page.
Campbell reckons about $6 million was injected into Cranbrook’s economy from the successful event.
He noted there were 90 athletes, 14 coaches, another 150 – 200 CCA officials, media, the TSN crew, ice makers etc.
“There were more than 400 pass holders who were not from Cranbrook ,” he said, adding that the budget to run the event was $1.1 million.
“Multiply that by five, it represents a capital injection to our economy of about $6 million,” he said.
City officials were beaming following Sunday’s final action.
“A great event for Cranbrook – thank you Colin and your fine group of volunteers,” stated City of Cranbrook Mayor Wayne Stetski. “It was absolutely spectacular – really exciting.”
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