More people were walking, riding, or scooting in downtown sa¹ú¼Ê´«Ã½ last Saturday than on any other day this year, city data suggests.Ìý
At the corner of Richter Street and Cawston Avenue, a total of 1,152 people passed in front of an ‘Eco-Counter’ owned by the City of sa¹ú¼Ê´«Ã½.Ìý
That was well above the daily average for the preceding month of 735 people. And it was the highest number of cyclists, pedestrians, and scooters counted at the corner since late September last year.ÌýÌý
Last Saturday was both the first full day of the Montanasa¹ú¼Ê´«Ã½ Brier, the national curling championship underway at Prospera Place, and the warmest day of the year so far, with a high of 13.3 C.Ìý
In fact, it was the warmest day in sa¹ú¼Ê´«Ã½ since last Oct. 27, when the high reached 14.1 C.Ìý
So whether it was the prospect of strolling to Prospera Place to watch Canadasa¹ú¼Ê´«Ã½ best curlers, or just the chance to revel in weather not felt for more than four months, the multi-use pathway along Cawston Avenue was a particularly busy place.Ìý
The city has13 Eco Counters in and around the downtown core. But the real-time data from only one, the Cawston-Richter location, is posted on the citysa¹ú¼Ê´«Ã½ website.Ìý
Canada Day 2019 was the single-busiest day at the corner, in terms of non-motorized traffic, with a count of 3,438 walkers, cyclists, and scooters. In fact, Canada Day has been the busiest day in each year, going back to the Eco-Countersa¹ú¼Ê´«Ã½ installation at the location in 2014.
Attendance at the Brier averaged 4,100 on draws through the opening weekend. Attendance has been about 2,500 at matches this week, with expectations for higher numbers this weekend leading toward Sundaysa¹ú¼Ê´«Ã½ championship final.Ìý
Direct comparisons to previous Briers are difficult, given variations in both the host cities’ populations and the size of the arenas in which the events have been held. But Brier organizers say attendance at the sa¹ú¼Ê´«Ã½ tournament has exceeded expectations.Ìý
This is the first time the Brier has been held in sa¹ú¼Ê´«Ã½ since 1968. Organizers say itsa¹ú¼Ê´«Ã½ unlikely a future Brier could be staged in either Penticton or Vernon, as arenas in those cities are considered too small to host the event.Ìý
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