The 2025 Scotties Tournament of Hearts was a roaring success for everyone who took part.
The Scotties had a tremendous economic and media impact on the community, said Paul Pepe, manager of Tourism Thunder Bay with the Thunder Bay Community Economic Development Commission.
There was a minimum $4.1 million economic impact on the community of Thunder Bay with a significant per cent of ticket purchases from out of town.
The live TV coverage really elevated Thunder Bay's reputation nationally, on all fronts. It provided an amazing opportunity for Thunder Bay to showcase its very best to the Canadian audiences.
“We saw people out and about enjoying the community. This really didn't just have a national impact. It had an international impact,” Pepe said.
Having great feedback from people all over North America shows the capacity Thunder Bay has to host events at that calibre.
“It gives us more confidence and it gives event organizers, not just in curling, but across all sports in Canada, a chance to think a little bit more about Thunder Bay as a venue for a future event,” Pepe said.
“Curlers love playing in front of a full house. They're like any athlete, entertainer or performer; they get fired up for that. The fact that we had standing room only on opening weekend and closing weekend was truly thrilling for our organizing committee and for all of the players,” said Rick Lang, vice chair of the 2025 Scotties in hosting.
This tournament is seen as the premier annual women’s sporting event in Canada ̶ and is certainly the biggest.
There was more than 70 hours of a live national broadcast, which a lot of sports don't get. A lot of other amateur athletes are only seen in the Olympics, once every four years.
Thunder Bay has a long history of successful curlers and the sport is a big deal across the city.
Women's curling on national television gets excellent ratings, with millions of people watching the Scotties over the 10 days. An astounding 54,000 people attended live in Thunder Bay, from all over North America.
“It shows you that curling is a mainstream sport in Canada. The community really got on board and supported it,” Lang said.
The 2025 Scotties had close to 400 volunteers who helped make the event possible.
Curling Canada has a deep dedication to youth. Its #expiriencecurling programs connected youth to the tournament, including having schools watch live.
The stands were rocking with the kids, just watching the games inspired some of them to give it a try.
“I give a big shout out to Curling Canada for recognizing it wasn't just about this tournament. It was about the future of the sport. It was about celebrating all aspects of the sport and providing volunteer opportunities,” said Diane Imrie, vice chair of the 2025 Scotties in special events and volunteers.
A Curling Canada official came up with a saying that if something needed to be done, you just ‘Thunder Bay do it’.
“If we needed it done, we just Thunder Bay did it. The community comes together to help solve a problem and get things done. That was very heartwarming for me, definitely,” Imrie said.
The Scotties 2025 showed Thunder Bay in an incredibly positive light, really lifting a sense of community pride.
Curling Canada’s Director of Event Marketing, Andy Henry, thanked Thunder Bay for welcoming the Scotties Tournament of Hearts, and everything that came with it.
“Hosting an event of this magnitude is a tremendous opportunity and creates unforgettable memories for all involved. Without question, Thunder Bay pulled out all the stops to make the 2025 Scotties a huge success,” Henry said.
