Moncton, N.B., will host Canada’s best men’s and women’s 50-and-over curling teams for the first time next year, it was announced today by Curling Canada.
Curl Moncton will be home to the 2024 Everest Funeral Concierge Canadian Curling Senior Championships from Dec. 2-7, 2024.
“Moncton is home to some remarkable moments in curling’s history. The community and host committee always create an exciting environment for our national championships to thrive. This will mark the first time the Everest Canadian Seniors are in Moncton, and we can’t wait to see what the host committee has in store for the athletes and fans,” said Curling Canada interim CEO Danny Lamoureux.
While it is Moncton’s first time hosting the Everest Canadian Seniors, the city has proven experience hosting premier national and international curling events.
Curl Moncton hosted the inaugural Canadian Under-18 Curling Championships in 2017 and the Canadian Junior Curling Championships in 2000.
Northern Ontario’s Team Jacob Horgan and Team Kira Brunton won the boys and girls U-18 titles in 2017, while British Columbia’s Team Brad Kuhn and Saskatchewan’s Team Stefanie Lawton (n. Miller) captured the junior titles in 2000.
Curling Canada’s partnership with Everest – a funeral planning and concierge service rolled into a life insurance plan – as the title sponsor of the Canadian senior championships dates back to 2015.
“2024 marks Everest Funeral Concierge’s 10th consecutive year sponsoring the Canadian Senior Curling Championships,” said Mark Duffey, Everest’s Chief Executive Officer. “It’s an amazing milestone for this incredible sport and for our ongoing partnership with Curling Canada. Everest is committed to supporting lives well played and curling represents some of the best ones in the country. We love the curling community and we can’t wait for this year’s competition.”
“10 years of supporting curlers and the curling community is incredible,” said renowned Canadian curler and newly announced Canada’s Sports Hall of Famer Randy Ferbey. “My fellow Everest Curling Executive Committee members, Jennifer Jones and Cheryl Bernard, and I are all excited to promote the sport we love at the Everest Canadian Senior Curling Championships in Moncton, New Brunswick in December 2024!”
The City of Moncton has hosted some of the most iconic moments in curling history.
“We at Curl Moncton are excited that we will be hosting the 2024 Everest Canadian Seniors Championships. People have been curling in Moncton for more than 140 years. Curling has always been important to our city and over the past 70 years, Moncton has hosted men’s and women’s Canadian championships, a couple of world championships, the inaugural Canadian U-18 championships along with a number of other events. In 2024, we are looking forward to having the best senior curlers in the country come to town,” said host committee chairperson Jacques Robichaud.
In 2009, Curling Canada’s newly appointed Director of High Performance David Murdoch – who represented Scotland – secured an infamous come-from-behind 10th-end victory against Canada’s Team Kevin Martin at the World Men’s Curling Championship, which was hosted in Moncton.
Moncton was also the host city where Northern Ontario’s Al Hackner executed the eponymous ‘Hackner Double’ at the 1985 Brier en route to winning his second Canadian men’s championship title.
The city has also hosted the 1980 World Men’s Curling Championship (won by Canada’s Team Rick Folk), the 1956 Brier (won by Manitoba’s Team Billy Walsh), the 1975 Canadian Women’s Curling Championship (won by Quebec’s Team Lee Tobin) and the 1952 and 1973 Canadian Juniors Men’s Curling Championships (won by Saskatchewan’s Team Gary Thode and Ontario’s Team Mark McDonald, respectively).
“Moncton has a long history as a curling city and we can’t wait to host the 2024 Everest Canadian Senior Championships!” said Moncton Mayor Dawn Arnold. “Our region has developed an impressive reputation for successfully holding local, national, and international sporting events and we look forward to ensuring this event’s athletes and visitors have the same outstanding experience people have come to expect from us. We also appreciate what this will mean for local curlers, who will be inspired and motivated by seeing these top-ranking teams play in our community.”
It will be the third time the Everest Canadian Seniors have been staged in New Brunswick since the men’s and women’s events were combined in 1985.
Most recently, Alberta’s Wade White and Saskatchewan’s Sherry Anderson won the titles in 2017 at Fredericton.
In 1995, Ontario’s Team Bill Dickie and Northern Ontario’s Team Sheila Ross won the men’s and women’s titles at Saint John.
Both the men’s and women’s senior championships were hosted in New Brunswick in 1980, albeit in different cities. Team Terry McGeary of Saskatchewan won the men’s title in Saint John, while British Columbia’s Team Flora Martin captured the women’s crown in Fredericton.
The first Canadian senior championship hosted in New Brunswick was the men’s event in 1974 at Saint John and won by British Columbia’s Team George Beaudry.
“We’re pleased to see this high-calibre curling championship making its way to New Brunswick for the first time in seven years. Moncton is sure to present all competitors and fans with a memorable visit, full of competitive action on the ice and a taste of our East Coast hospitality off of it,” said Curling New Brunswick Association President Gail Samaan.
In addition to winning a coveted Canadian championship, the winning men’s and women’s teams in Moncton will represent Canada at the 2024 World Senior Curling Championships (location, date TBA by the World Curling Federation).
New Brunswick has won four Canadian senior championships. The three men’s championships were won by Team Wayne Tallon in 2013 at Summerside, P.E.I., Team David Sullivan in 1994 at Moose Jaw, Sask., and in 1987 by Team Jim Murphy in Montreal.
The New Brunswick senior women have captured one national title, courtesy of Team Heidi Hanlon at Digby, N.S. in 2011.
Ontario’s Team Howard Rajala and Saskatchewan’s Team Sherry Anderson won the most recent Canadian senior championships in 2022. The teams represented Canada at the 2023 World Senior Curling Championships in Gangneung, South Korea where both teams earned gold medals.
Ontario leads all Member Associations with 13 Canadian senior men’s championships since the event’s origin in 1965. Saskatchewan leads the way with 11 senior women’s championship victories.
The Canadian senior men’s championship first occurred in 1965, with the first event played at Port Arthur, Ont. The Canadian senior women’s championship began in 1973 at Ottawa.
The 2023 Everest Canadian Senior Curling Championships will be staged later this year in Vernon, B.C., from Dec. 3-9, 2023.
Source: Curling Canada