One of the largest Canadian curling competitions is coming to Kelowna in 2021.
The Tim Hortons Brier will make its return to Kelowna for the first time in over 50 years. The Brier championships will bring the best Canadian mens’ teams to town as the top rinks battle for the national title. Brier winners also advance onward for a chance to represent Canada at the Olympics, which take place 15 months after the 2021 Brier.
Kelowna Curling Club general manager Jock Tyre said that the return of the Brier to Kelowna will not only be a huge event for curling lovers, but also for the entire sporting community.
“For me personally, it doesn’t get any more exciting,” said Tyre.
“But for the City of Kelowna and curling in general, the whole town is going to feel the impact of the Brier. The best part really is for us to share what we already know that Kelowna is the best community in Canada and let people know that it’s also one of the best curling markets in the world.”
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The Brier will be a 10-day curling extravaganza which will run day-long battles at Prospera Place and will be sure to draw fans from across B.C. to pack the stadium.
Curling Canada made the Brier announcement on Nov. 21 along side Tyre, Kelowna Mayor Colin Basran and Tourism Kelowna CEO Lisanne Ballantyne.
John Shea, Curling Canada chair, said that Kelowna team put together a successful and impressive bid to bring the Brier back to the Okanagan.
“The Okanagan region has hosted numerous top-calibre curling events in the past, and I know that the City of Kelowna is ready to step up and put on an amazing show for the world’s most famous national curling championship.”
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The Brier will be held from March 6 to 14 in 2021. It is expected that the curling championships will bring in more than 4300 guests and is expected to have an economic impact of around $10 million.
As for Tyre, who’s been a loud voice in advocating for the return of the Brier to Kelowna, he expects that the national event will add to the already strong curling community.
“It’s front and centre. It’s actually a piece of the fabric of Kelowna,” he said.
“We’re a community building and it’s going to bring that much more attention to the Kelowna Curling Club, but more importantly it will also bring more attention to the City of Kelowna.”
It will be the 92nd edition of the Tim Hortons Brier come 2021. Tickets are expected to go on sale early next year.
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