Chatham May Host Grand Slam Of Curling Event

Chatham may play host to one of the world's top curling championships next year.

Councillors will vote on a report Monday night, regarding the Pinty's Elite 10 - Grand Slam of Curling. The event will unite five of the world's top-ranked female and male curlers, according to the report.

The report states that representatives from the Chatham Granite Curling Club approached municipal administration officials in July with a proposal to bring the Grand Slam of Curling to the Thames Campus Arena. In August,  representatives from Sportsnet reviewed and approved the arena as an acceptable venue.

The report asks for council to approve the following:

• The hosting fee of $160,000 payable from the net proceeds of the Pinty’s Elite 10 - Grand Slam of Curling event, payable to Rogers Media Inc., be guaranteed by the Municipality of Chatham-Kent.
• $10,000 be provided as the hosting requirement for marketing expenses to promote the event within the community, funded by the Strategic Development Fund.
• $40,000 be provided towards the event to assist the Chatham-Kent Elite 10 organizing committee in achieving a successful event and ensuring Chatham-Kent receives the benefits of a national and local marketing campaign that includes: commercial spots, in-ice logos, and rink board advertising. Funding allocations be provided from: $5,000 from the Community Partnership Fund – Festivals and Events component, $5,000 from the Tourism Reserve, and $30,000 from the Public Health Unit Reserve Chatham-Kent Operations.

Councillor Bryon Fluker thinks the report will be well received in council.

"This is the kind of thing that promotes not just Chatham, but the whole Municipality of Chatham-Kent. That in itself, because of the quality and size of this kind of a curling match, is certainly going to give Chatham-Kent some good public relations," says Fluker.

It is said in the report that the municipality would "benefit significantly" during the 20-hour event broadcast on Sportsnet.

Fluker says some councillors may have concerns about the costs of hosting such a large event.

"That will be the big issue: the financial aspect of it. It looks like administration has got some good [explanations] for how it can be affordable and where we can get the funding from," explains Fluker.

Administration has also held numerous meetings with the Chatham-Kent Elite 10 organizing committee, Sportsnet staff, and the John D. Bradley Convention Centre staff to determine financial expectations for the event. Staff has also had discussions with two recent host committees of Pinty’s Grand Slam of Curling events, which both had surpluses. The report says "the conservative expectation is the event would have a marginal surplus, including the hosting fee payable to Rogers Media Inc."

The guaranteed $160,000 payment would only come into effect if the event falls into a deficit.

The funds required for the loss of revenue at the Thames Campus Arena would be covered from the event proceeds and transferred to the municipality, according to the report.