City eager to bid again on Road to the Roar, says community services director
A day after the Road to the Roar wrapped up in Summerside, the city says it will bid to host the Olympic pre-trial curling event again.
The city’s community services director J.P. Desrosiers says there’s no question: the city wants the event back here in four years time, ahead of the 2022 Winter Olympics.
“It was an event that provided great economic impact for our community, it was good for the curling community. Financially it was good for us as a city and as a venue, so why not? I think we’ve proven ourselves that we can do it now. So it’s a no-brainer that we would like to have that event and others come to Summerside.”
A money maker
The week-long competition sold about 18,000 tickets, Desrosiers said. That’s 1,000 more than the city had anticipated.
‘We’re going to go to bid on it in 2018 for the next round,’ said J.P. Desrosiers, the community services director for the City of Summerside. (Steve Bruce/CBC)
Between those ticket sales, and strong sponsorship dollars, Desrosiers said it was a money maker for the city.
‘An outstanding job’
Curling Canada says it was impressed with the job Summerside did as host.
It acknowledged that Sunday’s finals — broadcast on national TV — didn’t show a raucous crowd or anywhere near a packed house. The 3,500 seat venue was less than a third filled.
But Curling Canada says for the Road to the Roar — an Olympic pre-trial — that’s to be expected.