The 2014 Tim Hortons Brier at Sandman Centre in Kamloops. (Photo via Michael Burns/Curling Canada)
As reported by NL Sports on Tuesday, the City of Kamloops has officially been named as the host of the 2023 Scotties Tournament of Hearts.
The national women’s curling championships will be held at the Sandman Centre between Feb. 17 and 26, 2023.
“We’re no stranger to hosting national tournaments, and this is one we’ve really been angling for,” Kamloops Mayor Ken Christian said Thursday, noting the tournament will mean a $5-million injection into the local economy.
“Thank you to Curling Canada for awarding this to the City of Kamloops. We’ll be there for the country in February next year and looking forward to it.”
He also noted that the event organizers will be looking for about 400 volunteers, but he’s confident that people will step up to help out.
“It’s an entire community event,” Christian added. “I think that sort of feeling of connectedness will embrace the entire community, in particular the curling community.”
While Kamloops has never hosted the Scotties, the City has hosted the Tim Hortons Brier – the national men’s curling championships – in 1996 and again in 2014.
When all is said and done, Kamloops will become just the fifth city, and the first in B.C., that will have hosted the Brier, the Scotties Tournament of Hearts, the World Men’s Championship, and the World Women’s Championship – joining Winnipeg and Brandon in Manitoba, Saint John in New Brunswick, and Lethbridge in Alberta.
Further, Kamloops will join Brandon as the only two cities that will have also hosted the Canada Cup, with Kamloops doing so from 2003 until 2008.
“I’m a Kamloops boy, I basically grew up at the Kamloops Curling Club and I really cannot wait to see our city in the national curling spotlight yet again,” Al Cameron, the Director of Communications and Media Relations for Curling Canada.
The City is currently hosting both the B.C. Women’s and Men’s Curling Championships, with the winners earning spots at the 2022 Scotties in Thunder Bay and the 2022 Brier in Lethbridge.
“Kamloops has a well-earned reputation for hosting first-class championships in all sports, and its history with major curling events is well-known,” Curl BC Executive Director and CEO, Scott Braley, said.
“I have every confidence that the 2023 Scotties will be a huge success both on and off the ice.”
BREAKING NEWS: The 2023 Scotties Tournament of Hearts Canadian will be played Feb. 17-26 at the Sandman Centre in Kamloops, B.C. Details available in our story ➡️ https://t.co/FyxPU3Z7K5#STOH2023 pic.twitter.com/7NQr9jeg8p
— Curling Canada (@CurlingCanada) January 6, 2022
