Brier brings millions to St. John's economy, outsells last year's tournament in Ottawa

The 2017 Tim Hortons Brier in St. John's added as much as $15 million to the local economy, according to city council.

Early reports from St. John's City Hall indicate more than 2,000 people travelled to St. John's to watch the tournament, and there was an infusion of as much as $15 million to the local economy.

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"And all of this in what is traditionally been a slower time of year within our tourism shoulder season," said Coun. Danny Breen.

A full economic impact study will be completed by the Canadian Sports Tourism Alliance by the end of the summer.

When it comes to attendance, the 2017 Brier was the 20th best in the tournament's 90-year history, with a final tally of 122,592 tickets sold.

Hotel bookings went through the roof, Breen said, with an increase of more than 10,000 room-nights over the same period last year.

Airbnb rentals were also booked solid, and taxis were in full demand. Some restaurants reported increases in sales more than 20 per cent above the same time last year.

Sport of curling sees major spinoff

Days after Brad Gushue hoisted the Brier trophy above his head, more than 200 new curlers flocked to a curling rink in his hometown of St. John's.

Lines extended out the door at the ReMax Centre, home of the St. John's Curling Club, for an open house.

"There was a lot of interest," said Harold Walters, general manager of the local curling club. "It was a little overwhelming. We only have six sheets of ice and trying to get everybody out … They were pretty much lined up across the parking lot."

Walters said the biggest spinoff he saw was the expanding interest in the sport.

While numbers are stagnant or declining in many clubs around the country, the membership at the St. John's Curling Club remains strong at around 300 curlers.

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Still, the club loses as many as 40 members each year and has to find ways to replace them with new curlers.

Walters hopes to find at least that many new members out of the 220 who attended the open house in March. 

He says the province's interest in the sport is at an all-time high, even more than after Team Gushue's Olympic gold in 2006.

Fans were able to feel part of something historic while showcasing their city and province to the rest of the country.

"Newfoundlanders go all out for this kind of stuff," Walters said. "It was just truly phenomenal. It's an amazing place to be for something like that."