Curl BC cancels provincials; Brier site announced

Curl BC has made the decision to cancel the 2021 Scotties B.C. Women’s Curling Championship, presented by Best Western, and the 2021 B.C. Men’s Curling Championship.

It was previously planned that the top B.C. men’s teams and top B.C. women’s teams would meet in Kamloops at the McArthur Island Sport and Event Centre from Jan. 26 to Jan. 31. The winners were due to go on to the national Scotties and Tim Hortons Brier at a hub city event in Calgary later this year.

However, with the announcement from the PHO that travel and group sport restrictions remain in place until Feb. 5, Curl BC had no other option but to cancel the event.

This means that the 2020 B.C. curling championship winners will be awarded B.C.’s berths at the 2021 nationals. Team Brown, with Corryn Brown, Erin Pincott, Dezaray Hawes and Samantha Fisher will represent BC at the 2021 Scotties Tournament of Hearts in Calgary. And Team Laycock, with Steve Laycock, Jim Cotter, Andrew Nerpin and Rick Sawatsky, will represent B.C. at the Tim Hortons Brier in Calgary.

“The safety of our athletes and volunteers is a top priority. We were hopeful that all the efforts to bend the curve would lead to fewer cases of Covid-19 in the province and more opportunities for people to compete. However, the numbers are still much higher than anyone wants – and it will be difficult for clubs to stay open – so the best course of action is to cancel,” Scott Braley, Curl BC CEO, said.

Curl BC is thanking the Kamloops committee chairs Linda Bolton and Brenda Nordin and their team, as well as the City of Kamloops and all the sponsors, for the hard work and support that has gone into preparing to stage this event.

Curl BC is also announcing the cancellation of our 2021 B.C. Mixed Doubles Curling Championship, which had been rescheduled for Feb. 10-14 in Chilliwack.

The winners of the 2020 B.C. Mixed Doubles Curling Championship, Steph Jackson-Baier and Corey Chester, will represent B.C. at nationals, also scheduled to take place in the “hub city” of Calgary.

In other curling news, the Tim Hortons Brier will be held at the Enmax Centre in Lethbrdge, Alta., in 2022.

Curling Canada made the announcement Friday during a video conference call.

Lethbridge hosted the world men’s championship in 2019 and the world women’s championship in 2012. The Alberta city also hosted the Scotties Tournament of Hearts in 1987 and 2007.

The 93rd edition of the Canadian men’s curling championship will be played March 4-13, 2022.

Thunder Bay, Ont., was previously announced as the host city for the 2022 Scotties. The Fort Williams Gardens was originally scheduled to host the women’s playdowns this season but plans were changed due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

The 2021 Scotties instead will be the first of six competitions held in a bubble setup at Calgary’s Markin MacPhail Centre starting next month.

(With files from The Canadian Press)