MOOSE JAW — Downtown Moose Jaw buzzed with energy throughout the week of the 2025 BKT Tires World Men’s Curling Championship, which brought a surge of visitors — and with them, a welcome boost for many local businesses.
For many shops and cafes in the city’s core, the influx of curling fans has translated into increased foot traffic and sales. Joycie Sanjuan, manager and barista at Evolve Coffee, said the café has been busy nonstop since the championship began.
“We’ve been so busy for a week already, and we are expecting a lot more until tomorrow (Saturday, April 5),” Sanjuan said. “Most of (our guests) are getting food and coffee, and they’re just waiting for the (next event at the Temple Gardens Centre). Then they’ll leave before or after (the next event takes place).”
Sanjuan added that, while many visitors haven’t offered detailed feedback to her directly, they’ve shown genuine curiosity and admiration for Moose Jaw’s historic downtown architecture and local attractions like the Tunnels of Moose Jaw and restaurants — the latter of which have both seen a noticeable benefit from the event on average.
Clothes Encounter, a popular fashion and gift boutique nestled between the Temple Gardens Hotel & Spa and the curling venue, also saw a noteworthy upswing. Andrea Amiot, who helps manage the family-run store, described the week as one of the busiest in recent months.
“We’ve had lots of traffic all week long — people from Saskatchewan and Manitoba (in particular). We’ve had lots of extra sales all week,” Amiot said. “It has made for a really good, positive week, with busier weekdays than normal, which is nice.”
Amiot noted that visiting guests have had nothing but praise for Moose Jaw’s charm.
“They enjoy all the different restaurants and little shops… everyone seems to really love walking downtown. It’s an easy place to be, and everything is within walking distance from where they’re staying.”
Christine Keck, owner of Cranberry Consignment, echoed those sentiments.
“Starting on Monday (April 7), we started to see a big increase in traffic and definitely in sales as well. Everyone was just in a great mood and loving the event,” said Keck, who was planning to attend Sunday’s final game at the Temple Gardens Centre after being too busy during the week.
The business uptick coincided with the second annual “Swing into Spring” event, organized to align with the championship and encouraged locals and visitors alike to support downtown businesses. The promotion included extended business hours and spring specials, with several storefronts creating themed window displays to celebrate the curling festivities.
The economic impact hasn’t been felt equally across the board, however. Windell Seargeant, manager at Lions Creek, a specialty olive oil shop, reported only a modest bump in traffic.
“(I haven’t) really (seen) an uptick (in sales),” Seargeant admitted. “Sometimes, for those 45 minutes to an hour between draws, we might have a few extra people stroll in, but it’s not a huge uptick.”
While the curling championship certainly brought visitors and energy to the city, some business owners observed that guests seem to be staying close to the Temple Gardens Centre and nearby restaurants. Typical tourist destinations, including spas, the Tourism Moose Jaw kiosk, and some specialty shops didn’t seem to be the focus for many visitors this time around.
The reason for this, some business owners reflected, was likely because the curling venue saw a steady stream of events and onsite entertainment options. Some residents commented off the record that limited parking was a major concern that shortened their options.
Early statistics from Tourism Moose Jaw noted 272 unique visitors at its kiosk from March 31 to April 5, which was an improvement from the preceding weeks, but suggested that most guests came to watch the curling event specifically.
As the curling championship winds down, Moose Jaw celebrated more than just great games and a spot on the world stage — it was also a winning week for several downtown shops, hotels, cafes, and bistros.
