A quiet week in BC Curling. Team Mr. Mikes (Blandford) was the only team in action this past weekend. Everyone else took the weekend off or is waiting until next weekend to begin playing. We’ll talk more about what next weekend looks like later on, but for now let’s recap.

Junior Recap

Okotoks Classic (Sep 24 – 27)

Team Mr. Mikes [Blandford] went 2-3 in the triple knockout event. Interesting to note that there has been a bit of a lineup switch with the team. Cam De Jong, who joined the team this off-season, is throwing last rocks while Matt Blandford is throwing third while calling the game.

Of course, Cam is an accomplished skip and no stranger to the pressure of throwing last, so that’s a great option to have on a team. We’ll definitely be watching to see how it all comes together going forward.

With no Junior event and none of the women’s teams playing, we can move straight to…

Coming Attractions:

The Vernon Prestige Hotel & Resorts Curling Classic is on deck this weekend. All the teams that have been competing already this season will be there, and we will also get debuts from just about every other team looking to contend in the province this season.

This is a big event for a lot of reasons: it’s the first stop on the BC Tour, and Tour stops are generally our best chance to see BC teams compete directly against each other in preparation for the BC Championships.

The Vernon Prestige is also a satellite event for the Grand Slam of Curling this season. The winning Men’s and Women’s teams will earn a spot at the GSOC invitational being held in Victoria Oct 13-18, which has attracted a very strong field of competitors to Vernon.

Just a reminder: secured berths to Men’s and Women’s provincials are dependent on CTRS points this year, so a good showing at this event could put a few teams in the pole position for one of those spots.

Avoiding what should be a very strong playdown field will make the road to representing BC at the Brier or Scotties much smoother.

Boomer’s choice for game of the week:

No surprise here, we’re featuring Team Mr. Mikes [Blandford] this week. There were five games to choose from, but Boomer enjoyed their battle against former Olympic gold medalist John Shuster, who is also working out the kinks with a new line-up.

Check it out here: John Shuster vs. Matthew Blandford – Draw E – Okotoks Classic [1]

Boomer

That does it for Last Week in BC Curling; we’ll be back next week with a recap of the massive Vernon Prestige event. Keep an eye out, as there will be some other (hopefully) fun videos and other things coming out around the event as well.

Thanks for reading! 

Written by Curl BC Correspondent Craig Coyne

Craig is a devoted curling fan and third-rate player who loves watching, talking about, and now writing about the BC Curling community and all the amazing athletes in it. He also has the world’s greatest dog. Just ask him! 

The post Last Week in BC Curling: 3rd Week of 26/27 appeared first on Curl BC.

Penticton will host the 2026–27 World Mixed Curling Championship from April 3–10, 2027, while Vernon has reached a multi-year agreement to host the championship in the 2027–28 and 2029–30 seasons.

The World Mixed Curling Championship is an open-entry event for World Curling Member Associations. Teams consist of four players, two women and two men, competing together on the international stage.

Hosting three World Mixed Curling Championships in the Okanagan over the coming seasons is a tremendous opportunity for our sport in British Columbia. Penticton and Vernon have strong curling communities and a history of supporting events, and we’re excited to see these clubs welcome teams from around the world. These championships will showcase not only the quality of curling in BC, but also the volunteers and communities that make our sport possible.

— Scott Braley, CEO, Curl BC

It’s exciting news for the Okanagan region and curling in the province of British Columbia. There’s a history of superb curling events being held there, and I know we have good memories of the last time a World Mixed Championship was held in BC, when Ontario’s Team Mike Anderson won in Kelowna in 2018. Our sincere congratulations to the Vernon and Penticton clubs for their passion for the sport of curling and eagerness to welcome the world to British Columbia.

— Nolan Thiessen, CEO, Curling Canada

Penticton to Host in 2027

The 2026–27 championship will take place at the Penticton Curling Club, a six-sheet facility that has been at its current location since 1988 and is home to approximately 550 members.

World Curling Head of Competitions Eeva Röthlisberger said Penticton has a strong curling community and experience hosting events, adding that World Curling is confident the local organising team will deliver a successful championship.

“We’re delighted to be bringing the World Mixed Curling Championship to the Penticton Curling Club in 2026–2027,” said Röthlisberger.

Penticton Curling Club Manager Kent Bird said the club and its members are looking forward to welcoming teams from around the world.

“This is a wonderful opportunity to showcase our club, our community, and the sport of curling, and we are thrilled to be part of it,” said Bird.

Vernon Secures Multi-Year Agreement

Following Penticton’s hosting of the championship, Vernon will host the World Mixed Curling Championship during the 2027–28 season, and again during the 2029–30 season as part of a multi-year hosting agreement with World Curling.

The Vernon Curling Club is an eight-sheet facility that was established in 1931 and has been a longstanding part of the local curling community.

Röthlisberger said Vernon provides a strong venue for the championship and that World Curling is pleased to secure hosts for two upcoming seasons.

Vernon Curling Club President Trevor Perepolkin said the championship represents an opportunity to showcase the growth and international reach of the sport.

“The World Mixed Curling Championship is a celebration of how far our sport has come,” said Perepolkin. “The growing number of nations competing on the world stage demonstrates that curling’s values of respect, competition and friendship resonate far beyond its traditional roots.”

Vernon Curling Club General Manager Kevin Geistlinger said hosting the championship will allow the club to showcase Vernon, the Okanagan and the club itself to an international audience.

“We look forward to welcoming the world and creating an experience that athletes and fans will remember long after the final stone is thrown,” said Geistlinger.

With Penticton and Vernon hosting three editions of the championship across the coming seasons, the Okanagan will have a major role in bringing international mixed curling to British Columbia.

The post Penticton, Vernon to Host World Mixed Curling Championships appeared first on Curl BC.

Curl BC kicked off the season with its first “semi-monthly” 5050 being held from September 16 – 30. There will be 11 more draws this season which will be held on the fifteenth and last day of each month. Please go to rafflebox.ca/raffle/curl-bc/ to support your favorite club/curling organization (they receive 40% of your purchase!).

The Governor General’s Curling Club (GGCC), founded over 150 years ago in 1874, held their annual induction dinner in Victoria on September 14 with Curl BC’s Vice Chair, Penny Shantz serving as host. Four long-time contributors to BC curling were inducted for their service to the sport, including Paul Addison and Keith Dagg of Victoria, Teri Palynchuk of Nanaimo and Jock Tyre of Kelowna. The focus of the Club is to recognize Canadians who have made a significant contribution to curling locally, provincially or nationally, not only as competitive curlers, but also as builders and administrators. One of their most important functions is to provide scholarships to student curlers each year which are funded exclusively through club members’ contributions. At the AGM preceding the dinner, BC’s Warren Hansen was elected as the new GGCC President for the 2026-27 season.

With two BC women’s teams representing the host club (Reese-Hansen and MacMillan), Victoria is also excited to be hosting the Grand Slam of Curling (GSOC) Co-Op Invitational from October 13 – 18 at Save-On-Foods Memorial Centre. There will be 32 of the best Men’s and Women’s teams in the world playing including teams from Canada (9), Denmark, Italy, Japan (5), Norway, Scotland (4), South Korea (2), Sweden (3), Switzerland (3) and the United States. The final team for both the Men’s and Women’s divisions will be determined at the Prestige Hotels & Resorts Classic being held October 1 to 4 at Vernon Curling Club. More information and tickets are available at the GSOC site: thegrandslamofcurling.com/. 5050 ticket sales at the event will help Esquimalt Curling Club purchase a new set of stones.

On a sad note, for those of you in the Lower Mainland, 2010 Paralympic gold medalist Darryl Neighbour’s Celebration of Life will be held from 1:00 – 3:00 pm on October 3 at Richmond Curling Centre. We hope you have a chance to attend and pay tribute to Darryl. If not, please have him in your thoughts on Saturday. Darryl was a wonderful member of BC’s curling community and will be greatly missed.

Finally, on October 12, Happy Thanksgiving to all Member Facilities’ boards, staff, ice makers, coaches, officials and volunteers who have been working so hard to kickstart the curling season for everyone. Thanks for all you do throughout the season.

Scott Braley
CEO, Curl BC

sbraley@curlbc.ca

The post Happy Thanksgiving – CEO Message appeared first on Curl BC.

Shantz joined the Linda Moore rink for the 1987 Canadian Olympic Curling Trials, where they earned the right to represent Canada at the 1988 Olympic Winter Games in Calgary. With Shantz playing lead in place of Laurie Carney, the rink won the women’s curling gold medal when the sport was contested as a demonstration event. Now, she is formally recognized alongside her teammates as part of the inaugural class.

Shantz’s remarkable competitive career has continued for decades, including three consecutive Canadian Masters championships from 2022 to 2024. She remains an active member of the curling community and continues to compete, teach and support the sport, including being a member of the Curl BC and Vernon Curling Club Boards.

The post Penny Shantz Formally Recognized as Part of the 2025 BC Curling Hall of Fame Class appeared first on Curl BC.

First of all, apologies are owed to Team Harris, who were accidentally left off the list of teams starting their season this past weekend in the last newsletter. Sorry about that! 

This past weekend had lots of action in Alberta, a sprinkling of Ontario, and the first BC Junior tour event of the year. Let’s start with that one:  

Junior Recap

The Anita Cochrane Memorial (Sep 18-20)

On the ladies’ side, Team Yuen-Hogeboom takes the title with a 5-2 victory over Team Westenenk, capping an undefeated event as the team went 6-0 overall. 

The boys’ final saw Team Jaeger nip Team Hrynew 6-5 in the final – an identical result to their earlier round-robin game.  

Men’s Recap

It was a relatively quiet weekend for the men, with only two teams in action, both in Edmonton:

Saville Grand Prix (Sep 18-21) 

Team Miki (Josh Miki, Mat Fenton and Branden Reimer) made their debut for the season, playing as a trio and finishing 1-3 in pool play and DNQ for the playoffs.  

Team Kopytko couldn’t capitalize on the momentum from a strong previous event and went 1-3 and DNQ for the playoffs. 

Women’s Recap

AMJ Shorty Jenkins (Sep 16-20)

Team MacMillan was the only BC based team competing in this event. They went 3-2 and just missed out on the playoffs. Their losses came against Team Skrlik and eventual champions Team Paetz. 

Saville Grand Prix (Sep 18-21)

Team Reese-Hansen had a 2-2 record, with 1-point losses to Sluchinski and Gray-Withers (in an extra) which kept them out of the playoffs. 

Team Hafeli (Holly Hafeli, Julia Markle, Emma Woike and Maya Belway) went 1-3 in their first event of the season. 

Team Harris (Mahra Harris, Meredith Cole, Sasha Wilson and Katelyn McGillivray) also went 1-3 while making their season debut. 

Team Prokopowich (Lane Prokopowich, Gabby Brissette, Ashley Mallet and Sophie Brissette) experienced some growing pains, marking their first appearance this season, with a winless weekend, finishing 0-4.

Coming Attractions:

This upcoming weekend is very quiet as most teams have taken the weekend off. With the Vernon event on the horizon – and many of the teams competing there for a potential Grand Slam of Curling berth – it makes sense to utilize this weekend to recharge. 

Team Blandford is the lone BC team in action and will be competing against a strong field at the Okotoks Classic in… you guessed it, Okotoks, Alberta.

Boomer’s choice for game of the week:

There were a few good games to choose from this week.  

The MacMillan/Skrlik match was a fun one, but the angles of the cameras are pretty rough, so it’s not the greatest viewing experience [we still watched it though].  

There were a couple of nail-biters featuring Reese-Hansen against Sluchinski and Gray-Withers, but we featured them last week, so Boomer has picked this fun little match between Team Harris and Team Nihira. 

Check it out here: Miku Nihira vs. Mahra Harris – Draw 3 – Saville Grand Prix [8] – YouTube 

Boomer

That does it for Last Week in BC Curling. We’ll be back next week with a quick recap and a look ahead to the Vernon Prestige Curling Classic, which is pulling double duty as the first BC Tour event (non-Junior division) and a satellite event for the Slams.  

I’ll be heading out to Vernon to take in all the action live and in-person. Be forewarned, BC teams; I have been given a camera and microphone—and rudimentary instructions on how to use it! I am probably going to pester at least a few of you for some quick interviews or other shenanigans. 

Thanks for reading! 

Written by Curl BC Correspondent Craig Coyne

Craig is a devoted curling fan and third-rate player who loves watching, talking about, and now writing about the BC Curling community and all the amazing athletes in it. He also has the world’s greatest dog. Just ask him! 

The post Last Week in BC Curling: 2nd Week of 26/27 appeared first on Curl BC.

The event marked three significant moments for BC curling: four British Columbians were inducted into the Governor General’s Curling Club, Warren Hansen became the first BC member to serve as President, and Victoria hosted the club’s AGM and Golf Safari for the first time on the West Coast since 2008.

Approximately 75 members and guests attended the event, including 25 representatives from British Columbia.

Four BC Curlers Inducted

The Governor General’s Curling Club welcomed four new BC members this year: Keith Dagg, Paul Addison, Terri Palynchuk and Jock Tyre.

Hansen said all four were highly deserving of the honour.

Paul Addison has been a longtime contributor to the successful operation of the Victoria Curling Club. Keith Dagg played a key role in major events including the 2005 World Men’s Curling Championship in Victoria, the 2009 Scotties Tournament of Hearts and the return of the World Men’s Championship to Victoria in 2013.

Terri Palynchuk is a longtime Nanaimo-based volunteer and currently serves as Chair of Curling Canada, while Jock Tyre has been a longtime general manager and contributor to the Kelowna Curling Club.

With the four new inductees, there are now 20 members from British Columbia in the Governor General’s Curling Club.

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First BC President

The event also marked a milestone for Hansen, who began his one-year term as President of the Governor General’s Curling Club in September.

“It is an extreme honour to be elected as President, by the membership of the Governor General’s Curling Club,” said Hansen. “I’m the first member from BC to become President of the Club.”

Hansen was inducted into the club in 2001, when there were only three members from BC.

Victoria Hosts Historic West Coast Gathering

This year’s event was the first time the Governor General’s Curling Club AGM and Golf Safari had been held on the West Coast since 2008, when Vancouver hosted the gathering.

“This year’s event in Victoria was very successful,” said Hansen. “Roughly 75 people attended, which included members and guests.”

Founded in 1874, the Governor General’s Curling Club traces its history to Rideau Hall, where Lord Dufferin established a curling facility. The club is an honorary curling organization that recognizes individuals who have made significant contributions to curling at the local, provincial, national or international level — as curlers, builders and administrators of the sport.

For the BC curling community, the Victoria gathering provided an opportunity to celebrate four new inductees, welcome the organization’s first BC President and showcase the province as host to members and guests from across Canada.

The post BC Curlers Celebrated at Governor General’s Curling Club Annual Dinner appeared first on Curl BC.

A bit of a cheat to start the 2026-27 season as we’ll be recapping the first two weeks of September in our first column.

Curling season seems to start earlier and earlier every year, and this season was no exception. The calendar was barely showing September (the first month anyone is allowed to call Fall and be at least partially correct) and several of the teams hoping to represent BC started their seasons in Ontario and Alberta.

Women’s Recap

The Hogged Rock KW Classic, Sep 4-7

A new team to the BC landscape, Team Daniels (made up of Sarah Daniels, Abby Ackland, Calissa Daly and Dayna Demmans) were first out of the gate, competing the very first weekend of September.

The team went 1-3 during pool play in a pool that also featured Xenia Schwaller and Carly Howard and did not qualify for the playoffs.

Stu Sells Oakville Tankard, Sep 11-14

Back-to-back weekends for the Daniels rink as they try and find a groove together and the new look Team MacMillan (Kayla MacMillan, Val Sweeting, Lindsay Dubue and Lauren Lenentine) made their season debut at this triple knockout competition.

A rough weekend for the Daniels team as they went 0-3. They did play some tough competition, going up against a revamped Team Skrlik (featuring the former long-time Team Brown front end of Sarah Koltun and Samantha Fisher), Team Miyu Ueno from Japan and bowing out in a close game against MacMillan.

Kayla’s team fared a little better going 2-3 and losing some close games against Ueno and the Swiss Team Huerlimann along the way.

Saville Shootout, Sep 11-14

Team Reese-Hansen (Taylor Reese-Hansen, Megan McGillivray, Kim Bonneau and Julianna Mackenzie) were the lone BC entry on the women’s side of the draw and picked up where they left off last year with a semi-final finish.

The team went 4-0 in pool play with a nice win against Eun ji Gim from Korea who is currently ranked #3 in the world. In the playoffs they went on to defeat Team Skylar Ackerman from Saskatchewan in the quarterfinals before losing to the Serena Gray-Withers rink (playing with Kaitlyn Lawes at second for the weekend) in the semis.

That’s a lot for the first two weeks of the season! So, what were the men’s teams up to? Glad you asked!

Men’s Recap

Four men’s teams opened their season this past weekend in Edmonton. All four sporting different lineups than last year and trying to build some momentum for the season ahead.

Saville Shootout, Sep 11-14

Team Hall (Matthew Hall, Sterling Middleton, Alex Horvath and Thomas Thierbach) finished 1-3 in pool play and DNQ for the playoffs.

Team Blandford (Matthew Blandford, Cam de Jong, Sebastien Robillard and Cody Johnston) finished 2-2 in pool play and DNQ for the playoffs.

Team Kopytko (Mitchell Kopytko, Cam Weir, Calder Fadden and Coburn Fadden) finished 3-1 in pool play, with a win over Team Hall included and made the playoffs.

They scored a win over Kevin Koe (6-4) in the quarterfinals and then were eliminated in the semis against our next team:

Team Cotter (Jim Cotter, Jared Kolomaya, Connor Deane and Erik Colwell). Few things in life are certain but as the saying goes, death, taxes and Jim Cotter in a final. Jim and the gang went 3-1 in pool play, beating fellow BC competitors Team Blandford along the way and made the playoffs.

In the playoffs the Cotter team beat the Jaxson Hiebert [6-5] team in the quarters, eliminated another BC rival by sending Team Kopytko home with a 4-1 score and then lost a very close final to Germany’s Benny Kapp 5-4. Not bad for a first event.

Coming Attractions

This upcoming weekend sees a few more teams get their season started. Team MacMillan is staying in Ontario to compete in the AMJ Shorty Jenkins. Team Reese-Hansen will get some company in Edmonton as the new look Team Hafeli and Team Prokopowich make their debuts at the Saville Grand Prix.

Speaking of the Saville Grand Prix, the Kopytko rink is competing there, and Team Miki is starting their season as a three-person squad.

On the junior side of things, the Anita Cochrane is running this weekend at Royal City Curling Club. So, we’ll have even more to recap next week. Luckily mixed doubles don’t have an event until October, and we get a chance to get back into the swing of things at Last Week in BC Curling.

Craig’s Choice for Game of the Week

Anytime you beat the number 3 ranked team in the world, that’s a pretty cool start to your season. My pick this week is Team Reese-Hansen against Team Gim.

Check it out here: FEATURE: Eun ji Gim vs. Taylor Reese-Hansen – Draw 8 – Saville Shootout [4]

That does it for Last Week in BC Curling (two weeks, but who’s counting?). We’ll be back earlier next week to recap all of action. Thanks for reading!

Written by Curl BC Correspondent Craig Coyne

Craig is a devoted curling fan and third-rate player who loves watching, talking about, and now writing about the BC Curling community and all the amazing athletes in it. He also has the world’s greatest dog. Just ask him! 

The post Last Week in BC Curling: Start of the 26/27 Season appeared first on Curl BC.

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65+ Male

Mike Angrove / Quenton Lehmann / Stephen McKague / Darwin Tyacke

Stanley Boone / John Barlow / Randy Nelson / Harley Adams

Donald Hodgin / Doug McCrae / Don Eyers / Brad Snyder

55–64 Female

Leanne Andrew / Sally Kempston / Stacey Overby / Jenn Routliffer

Shirley Wong / Ann Fyfe / Glynis Davis / Louisa McClellan

Dianne Gauthier / Ruth VanVliet / Susan Allen / Marnie Jepsen

65+ Female

Penny Shantz / Janet Suter / Karen Ruus / Debbie Erdos

Julie Taylor / Brenda Piper / Sandra Novak / Stella Hamilton

Christine Ackerman / Enid Bailey / Janet Gladden / Vivian MacDonald

55–64 Mixed

Kevin Jeannotte / Donna Mychaluk / Norm Eberts / Rachelle Beaulieu

Warren Copeland / Kathie Simpson / Dave Reniero / Nancy Reniero

Diane Gushulak / Suzanne Malfair / Christopher Summers / Brian Fitzgibbon

65+ Mixed

Vern Chang / Cheryl Eason / Jim Cormier / Aase McMullin

Stephen Moss / Doug Buchanan / Donna Shultz / Kate Horne

Craig Lepine / Karen Lepine / Rick Reimer / Shannon Harvey-Renner

Thank you to the 55+ BC Games Society for the wonderful event and the fantastic photos! See the full album here: https://www.flickr.com/photos/bcsg/albums/72177720335467848/

The post It’s a Wrap! 2026 Kamloops 55+ BC Games appeared first on Curl BC.

National Coaches Week, an initiative of the Coaching Association of Canada (CAC), is an opportunity for athletes, parents, clubs, Provincial and Territorial Organizations, and communities across the country to recognize those contributions and say #ThanksCoach.

CAC Story Contest

During the Week, those sharing a public photo or video on social media can also enter the Coaching Association of Canada’s contest by using #ThanksCoach and #CoachesWeek and tagging the Coaching Association of Canada. Two participants will each receive a $100 digital gift card, while the coach featured in each winning post will receive a $150 digital gift card.

Visit the National Coaches Week webpage for complete contest rules and eligibility requirements.

Free NCCP eLearning Opportunities

As part of National Coaches Week, the Coaching Association of Canada is offering four National Coaching Certification Program (NCCP) eLearning modules at no cost on designated days.

Coaches can access the following modules through The Locker:

September 14 – NCCP Coach Initiation in Sport (Promo code: CI-58166-NCW)
September 15 – NCCP Creating a Positive Sport Environment (Promo code: CPSE-45439-NCW)
September 16 – NCCP Sport Nutrition (Promo code: Nutri-61827-NCW)
September 17 – NCCP Coaching Athletes with a Disability (Promo code: COACH-4825-NCW)
Each promotional code is valid only on the date listed.

Access the courses on the National Coaches Week webpage.

Share your stories with us!

Share your story or photo with your favorite coach and say #ThanksCoach! 🙌 We’ll feature your messages on Curl BC social media.

💙 Let’s celebrate the coaches who make a difference!

The post Celebrating Our Coaches! appeared first on Curl BC.

Following consultation with Curling Canada, Curl BC can confirm that all Curl BC competitions will be exempted from the new four-player requirement for the 2026–27 season.

Under the World Curling rule, four-player teams must start a game with four players, with limited exceptions during play. For the upcoming season, Curl BC will instead conduct a one-season pilot in which this requirement will not apply to Curl BC competitions.

Feedback will be collected following the season through surveys, as well as from the Competition Committee. This feedback will help Curl BC evaluate the approach and determine how the rule should be applied in future seasons.

Curl BC will circulate the 2026–27 Competition Guide shortly, which will provide further details on the rules and regulations that will apply to Curl BC competitions this season. Curl BC will share the updated Competition Guide with the curling community as soon as it is available.

The post Curl BC Provides Update on 2026–27 Competition Rules appeared first on Curl BC.