'Something to look forward to': Saint John prepares to host 2022 Memorial Cup
As the stage is set for the City of Saint John in New Brunswick to host its first ever Memorial Cup, the chair for the event says the majority of the tickets have already been sold, with only about 20 per cent remaining.
There are only about four months left until the puck drops in one of Canada’s most prestigious sporting events. The Saint John Sea Dogs’ successful bid for hosting rights means the tournament will be held at TD Station this summer.
“Our vision for this event was always a takeover of the region,” says host committee chair Mark-Anthony Ashfield. “Everyone around here is going to know the Memorial Cup is happening.”
Although pandemic restrictions are being eased in many parts of the country, there is still the cloud of COVID-19 concerns hanging over the heads of organizers.
“No surprise to anyone, there’s been a bit of a disruption in everything that’s going on these days. But I would say everything is tracking very well with the Memorial Cup,” says Ashfield.
“We anticipate to have an event like we had planned all along, in spite of some of the recent disruptions, and really, really thankful that things look like they’re opening up.”
Halifax hosted the last Memorial Cup in 2019 – reportedly generating almost $18-million for businesses in the province.
With so many businesses impacted by the last two years of the pandemic, there is hope that this event could bring a much needed boost to hotels, restaurants and other industries in and around the Saint John region.
“The pandemic has been hard on everybody,” says David Duplisea, CEO of the Saint John Region Chamber of Commerce. “Now that there’s something to look forward to, there’s hope on the horizon. There’s a big ticket event coming here.”
For an event of this size, Ashfield says between 400 and 500 volunteers are needed. After a call was put out about two weeks ago, they’ve filled about 70 per cent of the volunteer positions.
“This event is going to happen in June, it’s going to happen in Saint John, and we’re hoping by then it’s going to be a great time where we can all get together and have a full building,” says Ashfield. “That’s the plan.”
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Indian envoy warns of 'big red line,' days after charges laid in Nijjar case
India's envoy to Canada insists relations between the two countries are positive overall, despite what he describes as 'a lot of noise.'
Stormy Daniels describes meeting Trump during occasionally graphic testimony in hush money trial
With Donald Trump sitting just feet away, Stormy Daniels testified Tuesday at the former president's hush money trial about a sexual encounter the porn actor says they had in 2006 that resulted in her being paid to keep silent during the presidential race 10 years later.
U.S. paused bomb shipment to Israel to signal concerns over Rafah invasion, official says
The U.S. paused a shipment of bombs to Israel last week over concerns that Israel was approaching a decision on launching a full-scale assault on the southern Gaza city of Rafah against the wishes of the U.S.
Former homicide detective explains how police will investigate shooting outside Drake's Bridle Path mansion
Footage from dozens of security cameras in the area of Drake’s Bridle Path mansion could be the key to identifying the suspect responsible for shooting and seriously injuring a security guard outside the rapper’s sprawling home early Tuesday morning, a former Toronto homicide detective says.
Northern Ont. woman makes 'eggstraordinary' find
A chicken farmer near Mattawa made an 'eggstraordinary' find Friday morning when she discovered one of her hens laid an egg close to three times the size of an average large chicken egg.
Susan Buckner, who played spirited cheerleader Patty Simcox in 'Grease,' dead at 72
Susan Buckner, best known for playing peppy Rydell High School cheerleader Patty Simcox in the 1978 classic movie musical 'Grease,' has died. She was 72.
Jeremy Skibicki has 'uphill battle' to prove he's not criminally responsible in Winnipeg killings: legal analysts
Accused killer Jeremy Skibicki could have a challenging time convincing a judge that he is not criminally responsible for the deaths of four Indigenous women, a legal analyst says.
Bye-bye bag fee: Calgary repeals single-use bylaw
A Calgary bylaw requiring businesses to charge a minimum bag fee and only provide single-use items when requested has officially been tossed.
Alcohol believed to be a factor in boating incident after 2 men die: N.S. RCMP
Two Nova Scotia men are dead after a boat they were travelling in sank in the Annapolis River in Granville Centre, N.S., on Monday.