The Canadian Sport School Hockey League (CSSHL) announced today that the 2017 championships generated a $2.89-million economic impact for the City of Penticton, an increase of $1.17-million from 2016.
The economic impact is the result of such factors as expenditures of out of town participants and their families attending the event, as well as operational expenses associated with hosting the event.
“The CSSHL is proud to have partnered with Spectra over the last three years to bring the championships to the City of Penticton,” said Kevin Goodwin, chief operating officer of the CSSHL. “To see the economic impact that the event has brought to the city this year is remarkable and it would not be possible without support from the City of Penticton, Travel Penticton, the Western Hockey League, BDO Canada, Ramada Penticton Hotel & Suites, Sandman Hotel Penticton, Coast Penticton Hotel and the Penticton Lakeside Resort & Convention Centre. The CSSHL is looking forward to having this event in Penticton into 2020 and we are very excited to be returning next year with over 60 teams.”
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The 2017 CSSHL championships ran from March 13-19, two days longer than the year prior and saw an increase of 150 more student athletes playing, bringing the total number of athletes and staff to 1,078. Paid attendance (18 & over) was up 20 per cent from 2016 with a total of 2,019. The percentage of participants that traveled over 320 kilometres to the event was 88 per cent, with teams from Saskatchewan and Manitoba competing for the first time.
Of the 49 teams that participated, 41 required accommodations, which was up from 31 in 2016. The CSSHL also brought in an additional 12 on-ice officials from elsewhere in the province, the first year the league has had to do so, due to the 37 per cent increase in games from 65 in 2016 to 89 in 2017.