Battle of Alberta: Calgary's Whiskey Rose Saloon gears up for spike in business
Staff at Calgary bars and restaurants are gearing up for a potential spike in business as the Flames take on the Edmonton Oilers in Round 2 of the Stanley Cup Playoffs.
The series kicks off on Wednesday with a visit from the Oilers, and will inevitably see fans flocking to local watering holes to watch the matchup.
Devin Peterson is the operating manager for Calgary's Whiskey Rose Saloon, a live music venue on 17th Avenue S.W. that opened in December 2021 amid the COVID-19 pandemic.
The bar faced eight weeks of restrictions when it opened its doors, but now Peterson says they're seeing a boom in business.
"There are big pockets of Edmonton fans already in Calgary that are looking for Edmonton games, and now we can accommodate that with a Calgary game,” he said.
He's hoping the further the Flames push into the postseason, the more the business will prosper.
"We have an upstairs too,” he said. "So the first thing we did after the game-winning goal yesterday was get on the phone and order a whole bunch of TV’s so we can have viewing parties upstairs."
Inside Calgary's Whiskey Rose Saloon, a live music venue on 17th Avenue S.W.The Calgary Chamber of Commerce says each playoff game in the city brings in about $3 million in revenue.
"Bars see about 19 per cent higher revenues, and restaurants see 9 per cent higher revenues when the playoffs are on," said spokesperson Ruhee Ismail-Teja.
PLAYOFF WAGER BETWEEN MAYORS
The mayors of Calgary and Edmonton are throwing their support behind their respective home teams ahead of the long-awaited return of a playoff version of the storied Battle of Alberta.
Mayor Jyoti Gondek announced Monday afternoon that she had agreed to a friendly wager with Mayor Amarjeet Sohi, her counterpart in Edmonton, ahead of the Flames-Oilers Pacific Division finals series.
Gondek says the mayor of the city that loses the series will wear the victorious team's jersey and full facepaint in the colours of their rival.
The provincial rivals last met in the playoffs 31 years ago during the 1991 Smythe Division Semifinals, in which the Oilers defeated the Flames on an Esa Tikkanen goal in overtime in Game 7.
WHO DOES THE PREMIER WANT TO WIN?
Premier Jason Kenney, who is in Washington D.C for meetings, was quizzed by CTV News Washington Bureau Chief Richard Madan on who he will support.
Kenney laughed off the question, saying "I’m from Calgary," before adding “The whole province is going to get into this thing, and I just hope one of them emerges and wins the Stanley Cup."
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
B.C. tenants evicted for landlord's use after refusing large rent increase to take over neighbouring suite
Ashley Dickey and her mother rented part of the same Coquitlam duplex in three different decades under three different landlords.
Mountain guide dies after falling into a crevasse in Banff National Park
A man who fell into a crevasse while leading a backcountry ski group deep in the Canadian Rockies has died.
Expert warns of food consumption habits amid rising prices
A new survey by Dalhousie University's Agri-Food Analytics Lab asked Canadians about their food consumption habits amid rising prices.
MPP Sarah Jama asked to leave Ontario legislature for wearing keffiyeh
MPP Sarah Jama was asked to leave the Legislative Assembly of Ontario by House Speaker Ted Arnott on Thursday for wearing a keffiyeh, a garment which has been banned at Queen’s Park.
Charlie Woods, son of Tiger, shoots 81 in U.S. Open qualifier
Charlie Woods failed to advance in a U.S. Open local qualifying event Thursday, shooting a 9-over 81 at Legacy Golf & Tennis Club.
Ex-tabloid publisher testifies he scooped up possibly damaging tales to shield his old friend Trump
As Donald Trump was running for president in 2016, his old friend at the National Enquirer was scooping up potentially damaging stories about the candidate and paying out tens of thousands of dollars to keep them from the public eye.
Here's why provinces aren't following Saskatchewan's lead on the carbon tax home heating fight
After Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said the federal government would still send Canada Carbon Rebate cheques to Saskatchewan residents, despite Saskatchewan Premier Scott Moe's decision to stop collecting the carbon tax on natural gas or home heating, questions were raised about whether other provinces would follow suit. CTV News reached out across the country and here's what we found out.
Montreal actress calls Weinstein ruling 'discouraging' but not surprising
A Montreal actress, who has previously detailed incidents she had with disgraced Hollywood producer Harvey Weinstein, says a New York Court of Appeals decision overturning his 2020 rape conviction is 'discouraging' but not surprising.
Caleb Williams, Jayden Daniels and Drake Maye make it four NFL drafts with quarterbacks going 1-3
Caleb Williams is heading to the Windy City, aiming to become the franchise quarterback Chicago has sought for decades.