TIMMINS - The Mac is ready to rock another national championship.
Today, Curling Canada announced that Timmins is hosting the 2026 Canadian Under-18 Curling Championships at the McIntyre Curling Club. It comes on the heels of successfully hosting the nationals in 2023.
“Our curlers, coaches and officials couldn’t have been more positive about their experience in Timmins in 2023, so it was an easy decision when they submitted their hosting bid for 2026,” said Nolan Thiessen, Curling Canada CEO, in the news release.
“The Canadian Under-18 Championships are an important event in our podium pathway program as we provide these young athletes with, in many cases, their first exposure to national-level competition.”
The event is slated for Feb. 8-15, 2026. Games are played at the curling club and on the main ice surface in the arena, which will be transformed into curling rinks.
It will see 42 teams — 21 male and 21 female — compete.
Steve Meunier, who chaired the 2023 event, is back at the helm of the organizing committee.
"This event provides a fantastic opportunity to showcase the incredible talent of young curlers from across the nation while promoting the values of sportsmanship and community. I look forward to collaborating with an amazing team of volunteers, sponsors, and stakeholders to deliver a memorable championship that celebrates the passion and dedication of these athletes. It’s an honour to help create an experience that inspires the next generation of curling champions," he said.
Having the championship in town in 2023 has led more local youth hitting the ice.
There was one youth team at the historic club at that time. Today, there are two girls' teams and one boys' team, with all of them competing at the provincials last week, which was held in Timmins.
It was a wild week for the Timmins curlers last time.
Olympian and World Champion Brad Gushue was in town to cheer on his daughter and threw some rocks with Team Chilton. After a member of Team Northern Ontario got sick, Leanna Delich stepped in to make her national curling debut.
“As someone who grew up in Timmins and learned to play and love the sport of curling, I’m truly thrilled to see the Canadian Under-18 Championships returning so soon,” said Laura Forget, Northern Ontario Curling Association executive director.
“It’s so exciting to see these young athletes perform, and to see them start down the road that could some day lead them to representing Canada on the world stage, and Northern Ontario is ready to put them in the spotlight in 2026.”
The 2025 championships are Feb. 16-22 in Saskatoon.
