Scotties Tournament of Hearts

This year’s Scotties Tournament of Hearts saw a hefty sum raised for the city’s local curling clubs.

Thunder Bay’s local organizing committee for the Scotties helped to set up a 50/50 draw during the tournament, and local organizers additionally received 10 percent of ticket sales from the tournament.

Together, the two sums totalled close to $159,000.

On Thursday, the committee presented the money to the Port Arthur Curling Centre, the Fort William Curling Club, and the Kakabeka Falls Curling Club, each of which received $52,940.

“The cost of running curling clubs, between electricity and heat and just maintenance, is pretty huge,” says Diane Imrie, who served as a vice chair of the Thunder Bay committee for the 2025 Scotties.

Imrie acknowledges that every dollar counts for curling clubs.

In addition to upkeep, the fundraising will also go to the next generation of curlers.

“It helps train our future stars and send our teams when they go to national championships,” Imrie adds.

The Thunder Bay committee began its work in 2019, and initially planned on hosting the Scotties in 2021.

The COVID-19 pandemic scrambled the committee’s efforts, preventing a full event with fans in attendance until this year.

But the wait paid off with the 2025 Scotties Tournament of Hearts, which saw 60,000 attendees in one week at the Fort William Gardens.

Local curling legend Rick Lang, who was also a co-chair of the organizing committee, is proud of the money raised for local clubs.

“I hope that this inspires the next generation to be active in the sport and know what can be done,” Lang says. “It’s very Canadian, so it’s exciting to be a part of it.”