THUNDER BAY – SPORTS – The Scotties Tournament of Hearts will go forward in Thunder Bay. The event will go forward under a “Bubble” meaning that no spectators will be allowed.
The event is scheduled at Fort William Gardens in Thunder Bay, Ont., from Jan. 28-Feb. 6.
“Curling has a time-honoured tradition of teams playing their way into events such as national and world championships. Unfortunately, over the past two years, that’s fallen to the wayside due to the ongoing pandemic,” said Curling Canada CEO Katherine Henderson. “Like last season, some playdown events were played, and others were cancelled leading up to the Scotties and Tim Hortons Brier, and the only thing we can do to ensure equity across the playing field is expanding the field once again.”
The top three teams on the Canadian Team Ranking System (CTRS) that did not qualify for the Scotties Tournament of Hearts and Tim Hortons Brier through a provincial/territorial playdown event or selection will receive invitations to the national championships.
For the Scotties, the 18-team field now includes Team Hollie Duncan representing Ontario, Team Tracy Fleury as Wild Card 1, Team Chelsea Carey as Wild Card 2 and Team Rachel Homan as Wild Card 3.
“Our government has ensured the Scotties Tournament organizers have the support they needed to move this important event forward. This past October, we made a strategic investment through the Northern Ontario Heritage Fund Corporation so the City of Thunder Bay could make critical upgrades to the Gardens so the venue could host the Scotties Tournament,” said Greg Rickford, Minister of Northern Development, Mines, Natural Resources and Forestry, and Minister of Indigenous Affairs.
This is a wonderful opportunity for Canadian teams from coast to coast to coast to come together and compete for the opportunity to represent our great nation at the 2022 World Women’s Curling Championship in March.”
“I am excited to see the Scotties Tournament of Hearts move forward with a cautious and safe return to play. Thanks to Minister Rickford, who has always been a strong advocate for Northern Ontario, the region continues to flourish as a destination for world class events like the Scotties,” stated Lisa MacLeod, Minister Heritage, Sport, Tourism and Culture Industries.