The Scotties Tournament of Hearts is headed to the Tournament Capital of Canada, Kamloops, B.C. The 2023 Scotties Tournament of Hearts Canadian women’s curling championship will be played Feb. 17 to 26 at the Sandman Centre.
“Hosting the Scotties Tournament of Hearts is a huge opportunity for a host city to promote itself and generate economic activity for local business, and it’s why it’s such a competitive process for bidding cities,” says Katherine Henderson, Curling Canada CEO. “Kamloops came in with a bid that was superb in every way; the Tournament Capital of Canada knows how to host major events, as we’ve seen in the past, and I know it’s going to be an amazing Scotties in 2023.”
“Kamloops has a well-earned reputation for hosting first-class championships in all sports, and its history with major curling events is well-known,” says Scott Braley, executive director of Curl BC. “I have every confidence that the 2023 Scotties will be a huge success, on and off the ice.”
It will be the 42nd edition of the Scotties Tournament of Hearts, extending a partnership with Kruger Products that goes back to 1982 when the first Tournament of Hearts was played in 1982 at Regina.
“As a proudly Canadian company, we are thrilled to continue this long-standing sponsorship for over four decades,” says marketing officer Susan Irving. “All of us at Kruger Products are so pleased to support the exceptional women competing in the Scotties Tournament of Hearts and to return to British Columbia, which enthusiastically embraces this wonderful sport.”
The Sandman Centre, which opened in 1992, has a capacity of 5,464 seats, and is the home of the Western Hockey League’s Kamloops Blazers. It’s located near the confluence of the North and South Thompson Rivers, a short walk north of the city’s downtown core.
“I am so pleased on behalf of my Council and membership to be extending a warm welcome to the Scotties Tournament of Hearts that will be held here in Kamloops, which is located on the direct unceded ancestral lands of the Tk’emlúps te Secwepemc,” says Kukpi7 Rosanne Casimir. “We are proud to be one of 17 First Nation campfires within Secwepemcúlecw (Shuswap Nation). We are honoured and hope that you enjoy your event, and that participants and guests will have the opportunity to experience the beauty of these ancestral lands.”
While it will be the first time the Scotties has been played in Kamloops, it certainly won’t be the first major curling event in the city in B.C.’s Interior region. Most recently, Kamloops hosted the 2014 Tim Hortons Brier, won by Alberta’s Team Kevin Koe. It also hosted the Tim Hortons Brier in 1996, with Manitoba’s Jeff Stoughton coming out on top. Additionally, Kamloops hosted the World Men’s and Women’s Curling Championships in 1998, with Canada’s Team Wayne Middaugh claiming the men’s gold medal and Sweden’s Team Elisabet Gustaffson taking the women’s gold.
“Kamloops has had a rich tradition with curling events, and we know that this one will be no exception,” says Mayor Ken Christian of the City of Kamloops. “We are beyond thrilled with the opportunity to again showcase our City and to have been selected to host this prestigious championship.”
[top photo by Yvonne Turgeon] It will be the ninth time the Canadian women’s curling championship has been played in B.C. The most recent edition was the 2018 Scotties in Penticton, where Manitoba’s Team Jennifer Jones prevailed.
