The Barrie Curling Club on Essa Road has been chosen to host the 2024 Everest Funeral Concierge Canadian Curling Club Championships.
Curling Canada made the announcement Wednesday.
Next year's event, scheduled for Nov. 17-23, will include Canada’s top club-level curlers. It will feature both women’s and men’s teams from each of Curling Canada’s member associations — 10 provinces, three territories and northern Ontario — for a "competitive week of grassroots curling highlighting the best skills and qualities that make up Canada’s curling landscape."
“We are honoured to be entrusted with hosting the 2024 Everest Canadian Curling Club Championships. This event promises to be a momentous occasion not only for our club, but also for the city of Barrie,” Barrie Curling Club president Kyle Kitchen said in a release.
“Hosting 28 top-tier club teams representing all our provinces and territories will surely be exciting to watch. Our amazing members are ready to welcome the rest of Canada to our club and hospitality," Kitchen added.
The championships are for recreational curlers who don't have the time or resources to compete at the high-performance level. This event gives them the opportunity to represent their home province/territory and compete for a Canadian title.
Ontario curling fans should have plenty to cheer for in Barrie, according to Curling Canada. Men’s teams from Ontario have won the competition a leading four times. Most recently, Team Greg Balsdon won the event last year in Edmonton. He joins a list of alumni champions from Ontario, including Team Robert Stafford at the inaugural event in 2009, Team Wes Forget in 2016 and Team Paul Moffatt in 2019.
Ontario has won the second-most women’s championships, with three. Teams from Ontario that have earned a championship banner include Team Kelly Cochrane in 2009, Team Caroline Deans in 2012 and Team Kerry Lackie in 2014. Manitoba leads the way in total women’s championships won.
Local officials are already looking forward to the 2024 event.
"It gives us an opportunity to showcase our facility and hospitality to the players and fans," said host committee chair Tony Marquis. "We have an incredible group of hard-working volunteers who are eager to make this an event that will be remembered for years to come."
Next year's event is also expected to be a huge draw for tourism.
“We are so pleased to welcome all the curlers to Barrie for the Everest Canadian Curling Club Championships next November," said Kathleen Trainor, executive director of Tourism Barrie. “Barrie is a winter sports destination."
