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The Memorial Cup has officially arrived in Kelowna, welcomed in ceremonial fashion by Westbank First Nation, which brought junior hockey’s top prize to the city by canoe.
The trophy received a traditional welcome, complete with drumming, ahead of the national tournament as excitement surrounding the event continues to build across the city.
“We just want to live the moment,” said Jason Guyitt, director of operations at the Delta Grand Hotel.
The hotel has put up a large Memorial Cup-themed art installation as it welcomes visitors to the host city and prepares for an influx of visitors.
“We are definitely going to see an upside in volume, not just people staying in our hotel, but people coming down to enjoy the downtown core,” Guyitt said. “We’ve activated our restaurant space, we’ll have outdoor seating and we’re adding entertainment on a nightly basis.”
Businesses throughout downtown Kelowna are also ramping up preparations as Memorial Cup displays pop up across the city.
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At Frannie’s Coffee, the staff is preparing for increased demand during the tournament.
“We’ve brought in a bunch more staff to prepare for the extra business,” said Caitlin Wood, the coffee shop’s manager. “We’re going to be extending our hours. We’ve fully stocked our menu.”
The City of Kelowna estimates the economic impact of the 10-day event to be around $22 million, although officials say past tournaments suggest the final number could be much higher.
“If we looked at Rimouski last year, where the Memorial Cup was, it was $42 million for Rimouski and in 2024 it was $40 million,” said Kelowna Mayor Tom Dyas. “It creates a vibrancy, it creates entertainment, it helps to fill up restaurants, it helps to fill up hotels.”
Visitors are expected from across Canada.
Some have even planned their vacations around the tournament.
“We’re going to take in the Memorial Cup, of course, but a lot of what Kelowna has to offer,” said Iris Simons, who is visiting from Revelstoke.
Simons and her husband Pat said they will likely spend thousands of dollars in Kelowna by the time they tally up costs for hockey tickets, restaurants, accommodation and activities such as golf.
“We want to spend our money here locally,” Simons said.
The economic boost will give Kelowna an early breakaway this tourism season after what many tourism operators described as two back-to-back flat seasons.
“We are ready for it, we have been ready for this,” Guyitt said.
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