Skaters and farmers will be vying for the same hotel rooms next
January, when Saskatoon hosts two major events.
The 20th annual Western Canadian Crop Production show is slated for
Jan. 7-10. The Bank of Montreal Canadian figure skating championships
are scheduled for Jan. 6-12.
This year’s crop show attracted 16,000 visitors, while Skate Canada
said it expects 60,000 spectators.
Donna Bohrson, agriculture manager of the Prairieland Exhibition Corp.,
said crop show exhibitors have been informed of the overlap to ensure
enough time to make hotel bookings.
She has also contacted city and tourism agencies, which said there is
sufficient hotel service to accommodate both events.
She was not concerned about the two events competing against each
other. “It may be advantageous to both,” she said, noting visitors will
have extra entertainment choices during their stays.
There are 3,600 hotel rooms in Saskatoon, according to Tourism
Saskatoon. The agency expects 1,000 rooms to be filled by skating fans
next January. Approximately 65 percent, or about 2,300, of the city’s
hotel rooms were occupied during the 2002 crop production week.
