Mayor Jim Parsons saw another shining example of how Corner Brook residents rally around a community event with Hockey Day in Canada providing a window for the country to see us through.
It’s motivated him to continue looking for other major events that will bring the community together for a common goal with hopes of breathing new life into the city and its people.
“We are actively pursuing things all the time,” Parsons said earlier this week.
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Parsons said council understands the economic significance of hosting big events with crowds of people spending money on hotels, restaurants and entertainment.
“It’s a big economic boost for sure and a great promotional tool,” he said.
He said there isn’t anything major coming in the immediate future, but he was happy to see that the City is working on bringing some big conferences to the Corner Brook Civic Centre and there are a number of provincial minor hockey tournaments and the provincial gymnastics championship planned for the city over the next little while so he expects a busy time.
One of the neat attractions coming up this summer is the Firefit Challenge being hosted by the Corner Brook Fire Department in July with over 200 firefighters and support staff scheduled to compete.
Parsons realizes that hosting big sports events isn’t something available on a regular basis, but he knows the people in Corner Brook and surrounding areas know how to put off a great event so he’s willing to listen to anybody who has an idea that could benefit the city and a handful of its neighbours who always show support for events the city plays host to during the year.
According to Sportsnet, 9.1 million viewers tuned into Saturday’s live broadcast of Hockey Day in Canada so Parsons knows the city reaped the reward of being cast in the national spotlight and would do it all again if the right event popped up.
“A quarter of the country is crazy,” he said. “It was really a postcard for the area.”
