Duane Hicks
Town council will be deciding sooner than later whether to help sponsor the 2018 OFSAA curling championships to be hosted here March 21-24.
While the OFSAA curling committee had made a formal budget request to council in late September, it’s possible the 2018 budget process may not be finalized until April or May of next year.
But the committee has to know much sooner than that whether the town will help stage the event.
“We will have coming to Fort Frances 20 boys’ teams and 20 girls’ teams, along with their coaches, teacher representatives for the schools, parents,” committee member Rick Wiedenhoeft told council at its regular meeting last night.
“We are going to have a huge, huge economic impact to the town during the course of that week,” he noted.
For example, 150 hotel rooms already have been reserved.
The committee has been busy making arrangements to host the event but, unfortunately, a lot of the costs have yet to be determined, Wiedenhoeft said.
One cost will be bringing in qualified umpires to monitor the matches.
Wiedenhoeft noted any local, qualified umpires will be out of town during OFSAA or are coaching, which means qualified umpires will have to be brought in from Thunder Bay or elsewhere in the district.
“That’s going to be a substantial cost because we are going to have to house them and give them an honorarium, look after their food, etc.,” he explained.
Another cost is a banquet, although the committee is hoping it mostly will be covered by a fee charged to the student athletes.
The cost to rent the curling rink is “going to be substantial, probably over $3,000,” added Wiedenhoeft, noting organizers also have to bring in a guest speaker–another cost yet to be determined.
He estimated it will cost more than $10,000 altogether to host the event.
“So we’re looking for your help,” Wiedenhoeft said.
“I know that in the past, Fort Frances has hosted all-Ontario championships in hockey, soccer,” he remarked.
“Whenever people come from out of town to Fort Frances, they always rave about the quality of the town, the quality of the tournament,” he added.
“We have a great reputation for putting on provincial tournaments and I hope that will continue.”
Wiedenhoeft also gave council a breakdown of sponsorships levels–platinum ($2,000 and up), gold ($1,000-$1,999.99), silver ($500-999.99), bronze ($200-$499.99), hog line ($100-$199.99), and friend (under $100), as well as in-kind donations.
“Knowing the history, that the town has given to all-Ontario championships and events like this in the past, I would hope that the town, through its Administration and Finance or whatever committee with this, is going to be co-operative, giving us the opportunity to put on one heck of a bonspiel in March,” Wiedenhoeft said.
Wiedenhoeft noted it would be preferable if the committee could know council’s level of support by the end of December or early January, as it will begin putting together the event program, which will include sponsors, in January.
“The sooner, the better,” he reiterated, because then the committee will know if it has to go out and get more sponsors.
“Incidentally, there’s been a lot of support already from the community in way of donations,” Wiedenhoeft revealed.
Coun. Ken Perry suggested council not wait until the budget process, and that the matter be referred right now to the Administration and Finance executive committee for its recommendation.
Council agreed, with deputy mayor June Caul noting, “We’ve supported this town in every other sports event that’s been around and there’s never been a question about it.”
“I think this is another significant event that Fort Frances is doing and our committees always do it up very, very well,” she added.
“And it certainly does promote our town.”
