The 2018 SaskTel Tankard men’s provincial curling championships are nearly a year away, but the committee tasked with planning for the event is making strides in their preparation.
A press conference was held on Feb. 16 at Affinity Place – the venue that will host the tournament from Jan. 31 to Feb. 4 next year.
Event co-chairs Helen Fornwald and Leah Moriarty spoke at the press conference. They stressed that Estevan hosted two successful sporting events last year, with the Western Canada Cup junior A hockey tournament and the 2016 Saskatchewan Summer Games.
This will be the first time that Estevan has hosted the Tankard since 1994, and it will also be the first curling event inside Affinity Place. Curling ice will have to be installed at Affinity Place.
“Estevan is no stranger to hosting first class events … so it’s long overdue to be bringing the Tankard back to our city,” said Fornwald.
She also praised the city’s strong volunteer base and its community spirit.
“We will be welcoming 16 of the top men’s teams from our province to Affinity Place, all fighting for the opportunity to wear the green jacket and represent Saskatchewan at the national level,” said Moriarty.
Adding to significance of winning the provincial title is that the 2018 Tim Hortons Brier men’s national curling competition will be in Regina.
The theme for the Tankard will be Let’s Rock Estevan.
In order to host the event, approximately 100 volunteers will be needed.
“We’re reaching out to Estevan and the surrounding communities for their support now,” said Fornwald. “You do not have to be a curler to get involved. There are many opportunities to volunteer, both on the ice and leading up to and during the event.”
The committee already has about 40 volunteers signed up, which Moriarty views as a really good start.
“We don’t have all the committee heads yet, so we are still looking for those people to come out,” said Moriarty.
They have the committee chairs for officials, finance and sponsorship, but they still need people for media relations, social events and team relations.
The committee is working on the budget, but Fornwald noted the 2017 event in Tisdale raised about $200,000, and so Estevan will have to meet that high standard.
Naming rights will be sold for many of the areas that will be used for the Tankard. Among them will be The Patch at the Wylie-Mitchell Air Cadet Building, which will be the site of the beer gardens. Live bands will perform the third and fourth nights of the Tankard.
“This is open to the public to participate in the off-ice curling events that the curling world is very famous from,’ said Moriarty.
Fans will be able to watch games inside The Patch, thanks to a streaming service.
“One of the neat things about a curling event is that the curlers who are participating also partake in the fun things,” said Moriarty.
