The City of Kamloops has released details about the $940,000 in technical upgrades being made to Sandman Centre ahead of the 2023 Memorial Cup.

Upgrades will be made to the game presentation systems, the video production control room and video replay systems, the broadcast cable infrastructure, as well as signage, sponsorship, and distributed video systems.

“As Canada’s Tournament Capital, we strive to provide the best facilities possible for our local, provincial, and national sport partners to deliver memorable, quality events at exceptional venues,” Jeff Putnam, the City’s Parks and Civic Facilities Manager, said, noting these upgrades will benefit all of the events at Sandman Centre that are broadcasted.

“Ultimately, these upgrades are about providing an exceptional game experience to fans, whether they’re in the arena or watching from around the world.”

Putnam says the upgrades will also include some temporary dehumidification and air conditioning units for the ten day event between May 26 and June 4 of next year.

Mayor Ken Christian said last month that City taxpayers won’t be bearing any of the costs to upgrade the Sandman Centre, with the money coming from grant funding and gaming revenue.

“We put forward a bid that we felt was very strong,” Christian said. “We met a couple of times with the bid committee and with the technical group in terms of the asset we have here in the Sandman Centre and some of the things that they need to be able to broadcast this tournament to the nation.”

Putnam says $25,000 of the costs will come from the existing operating budget, with $120,000 coming from gaming grants, $445,000 from the Community Works funds, with the remaining $350,000 from the Asset Management Reserve fund.

The City estimates the 2023 Memorial Cup – which will be held three months after the 2023 Scotties Tournament of Hearts – will have a $12 to $15 million economic impacts in the Tournament Capital of Canada.