Scotties 2025 tournament a win for Thunder Bay

As the Scotties Tournament of Hearts wrapped up in Thunder Bay Sunday with team Homan taking the win, curlers and curling fans alike were reflecting on its impact. Players say Thunder Bay's ardent support is energizing, while local fans and organizers say the city benefits too.

Skip of Team Ontario Danielle Inglis said it's clear to her that Thunder Bay is a curling town.

"You can tell Thunder Bay has a great curling community," she said. "It's a very knowledgeable crowd." 

She said seeing the packed stands and hearing the support helps teams stay motivated.

"There's definitely a lot of energy in the arena here at Fort William Gardens," she said, "There's nothing like it."

Inglis said her team's goal was to make it to playoffs. They made it to the first round of playoffs, but were defeated by an Alberta team skipped by Kayla Skrlik. 

Inglis said players have felt embraced by the people they meet around the arena and in Thunder Bay. 

"Some of the most special moments were interacting with the people here, especially the kids," she said. 

Financial and social impacts: organizer

Thunder Bay received the tournament well, said Diane Imrie, the 2025 Scotties Vice Chair.

"They're cheering for everybody. They're not just cheering for good shots. It's not just cheering for their favourite team," she said.

Events of this scale also serve as an opportunity to inspire the next generation of athletes, she said. Seeing women competing at high levels gives girls and young women someone to look up to.

"More and more young girls are saying, 'Hey, this is for us, we belong' and we encourage that," said Imrie. 

"The winners here are going to South Korea with the Maple Leaf on their back. What a great opportunity for a young woman to say, 'you know what, one day that's gonna be me'."

The tournament had a significant economic impact to the tune of $7 million, said Imrie. 

"That's why communities like ours bid on these sorts of things because the impact is so substantial financially," she said. 

Fans were glad to see the city host the tournament, said attendee Lynn Hazen. 

"This is just such a lovely opportunity for Thunder Bay to have and for us northern people to be able to come to this event," she said.

Hazen said she's been impressed with many team's performances, particularly team Black from Nova Scotia and Alberta's team Skrlik.

She said she's grateful the Scotties was hosted in Thunder Bay because it allowed her to cheer the teams on in person.

"I think it's fantastic. It brings people in from all over," said Hazen.