MOOSE JAW — Volunteers are needed to support a major international men’s curling tournament next spring that will give residents a preview of teams that could potentially compete in the next Winter Olympics.
Danielle Sicinski, a co-organizer with the host committee, spoke to the Moose Jaw and District Chamber of Commerce on Sept. 26 about the 2025 BKT Tires World Men’s Curling Championship.
The event takes place from Saturday, March 29 to Sunday, April 6, 2025, and will attract 13 teams — including the host Canada — from around the globe.
“So the list is endless for possibilities for amazing curlers that will be coming. And … this is going to be a preview to the Olympics because next season is going to be the Olympics (in Italy),” said Sicinski, noting this will be “fantastic curling.”
The economic spinoffs could be in the millions of dollars because these teams will arrive three days before the tournament starts and will leave a day after the gold medal game, she continued. Moreover, these groups will bring spares, coaches, translators, families and friends, so each team could book five to seven hotel rooms.
“So this is going to be an amazing opportunity for Moose Jaw to showcase to the world what (we) have to offer,” Sicinski remarked. “So we’re very excited for that.”
The Curling Centre will host “The Patch,” the ever-popular space where fans can drink, socialize and listen to music, she continued. The Patch was rockin’ every night when Moose Jaw hosted the 2012 Canada Cup and 2015 and 2020 Scotties, while there was a record amount of alcohol consumption during the first tourney.
Meanwhile, the community can expect many fans to attend, similar to the 33,000 people in 2012, 70,000 in 2015 and 60,000 in 2020.
When Ottawa hosted this tournament last year, it had economic spinoffs of $12 million to $15 million, based on 76,000 fans and 5.1 million people who watched on TV or online, said Sicinski. That tournament also had 660,000 website page views and 22.6 million total impressions across all social media channels.
Besides TSN, other international broadcasters will be in Moose Jaw, which means millions of people worldwide will be watching and talking about Moose Jaw.
When Sydney, N.S. hosted the world women’s tournament last year, 46,000 fans attended, and roughly 500 million people watched, including 2.1 million for the gold medal game.
There will be plenty of opportunities for residents to volunteer, and while the organizing committee has recruited half of the necessary help, it still needs more people, said Sicinski. Residents don’t need to be curlers to volunteer since activities like selling 50/50 tickets or helping in The Patch don’t require athleticism.
The organizing committee wants volunteers to pay a $100 registration fee to ensure they will show up so the tournament can function, while it also wants people to commit to a minimum of 20 hours, she continued.
In return, volunteers will receive a T-shirt, a jacket and free access to curling games, which, for $100, is a great deal since the tournament championship package is $400, Sicinski pointed out.
“So, it’s a win-win for everybody,” she remarked.
Residents interested in volunteering can register in person at the Curling Centre on Wednesday, Oct. 9 from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. and 3 to 7 p.m., or at www.curling.ca/2025worldmen/volunteers.
Curling Canada wants youths involved whenever tournaments occur, so last year, it gave out more than 12,000 free tickets to kids, while 19,000 youths participated in the Rocks and Rings Program, said Sicinski. Moreover, kids also can participate in the Future Stars initiative and the Hit, Draw and Tap Program.
For the 2025 tournament, roughly 750 local schoolchildren are expected to attend.
Sicinski added that there are many sponsorship opportunities for interested businesses.
