Cranbrook has been the centre of the curling world for the last week, hosting the Capital One Canada Cup of Curling, which wrapped up Sunday at the Rec Plex.

Cranbrook and Kimberley are left, among other things, with a sense of local accomplishment and a heightened awareness and appreciation of all things curling.

Bernadette McIntyre, member of the board of governors for the Canadian Curling Association, came to Cranbrook from her home in Regina to present the trophies to the winners. On Sunday she had praise for the local organizers and volunteers.

"Cranbrook has done a fabulous job," she said. "The volunteers are wonderful, it's a great facility, and the curling has been second to none."

Terry Morris, event manager with the Canadian Curling Association, has been coming to Cranbrook off and on for the past year, helping local organizers with the fine details.

"It's been a great town- lots of enthusiasm," he said on Sunday. "Three hundred volunteers - about what we need to run this event. And they all signed up really quick.

"The curling was great, it looked great, it was good for the city. And we did a lot of good things for the (Cranbrook and Kimberley) curling clubs."

The sport of curling has traditionally been the bailiwick of small-town rinks. But increasing television exposure and big time events are broadening its audience, McIntyre said.

"I think curling's popularity is growing, especially with the TV audience. And I think everybody who comes to an event like this has a great time. We want more people to come out and enjoy these great events."

However, while elite curlers are enjoying growing prestige, the sport's strength is still in its community roots.

"Where curling has to go is to get more of the normal everyday curlers into the clubs," McIntyre said. "Events like these really help - they get people interested in the sport within their community. So after a big event you tend to see more people coming back to curling, and you see more youth coming out to try it.

"We need participation to increase. Because certainly our curlers are the best in the world."

The initial driving force that brought the event to Cranbrook was the Cranbrook Curling Club.

The Club will reap some financial benefits, of course, but perhaps more important are the intangibles - the buzz around curling the event has created in the community and the long-term rejuvenation of the sport in Cranbrook.

"We're certainly hoping that happens," the Club's Bill Brock said. "The Club has had some struggles over the last period of time. It's coming back now. We've taken the whole facility back from the City, we're running it ourselves - 99 per cent volunteers, basically. There's more interest, curlers are coming back, and this (the Canada Cup) is obviously going to help.

There's not going to be much time off between the Cranbrook event and planning next year's Canada Cup, which is set for Moose Jaw, Saskatchewan.

"We'll wind this up in December and part of January and then kick into the next one," Morris said.