Curling plays major role in Year of Sport in Canada

The Canadian Curling Association will play a significant role in the Year of Sport in Canada, it was announced today. Lethbridge Ab.Mar18_2012.Ford Womans World Curling Championship.CCA/michael burns photo During a Parliament Hill ceremony in Ottawa today, His Excellency the Right Honourable David Johnston, Governor General of Canada, proclaimed 2015 the Year of Sport in Canada in a ceremony. The Honourable Bal Gosal, Minister of State (Sport), attended the event, which included the ceremonial torch lighting for the Prince George 2015 Canada Winter Games—one of the key events in the Year of Sport. Curling will be one of the sports contested at the Canada Winter Games, and there will be an abundance of national and international curling events staged across the country during the Year of Sport in Canada. On the world stage, Canada will play host to the 2015 Ford World Men’s Curling Championship, March 28 to April 5 in Halifax, along with the 2015 World Financial Group Continental Cup, presented by SecurTek Monitoring Solutions, Jan. 8-11 at Canada Olympic Park in Calgary. Nationally, the CCA Season of Champions series will feature: — The 2015 M&M Meat Shops Canadian Junior Curling Championships, Jan. 24 to Feb. 1 in Corner Brook, N.L.. — The 2015 Scotties Tournament of Hearts Canadian women’s championship, Feb. 14 to 22 in Moose Jaw, Sask. — The 2015 Tim Hortons Brier, presented by SecurTek Monitoring Solutions, Feb. 28 to March 8 in Calgary. — The 2015 Home Hardware Canada Cup, Dec. 2-6 (location TBA). “As the top-ranked curling nation in the world in all three disciplines (men’s, women’s, wheelchair) Canada will continue to showcase its curling influence by hosting the largest curling events in the world,” said Greg Stremlaw, Chief Executive Officer of the Canadian Curling Association. “As well, we will continue to build on our successes at the 2014 Winter Olympics and Paralympics to make 2015 a year to remember for our sport.” Those curling events will complement dozens of other national and international competitions that will be part of the Year of Sport in Canada, including the International Ice Hockey Federation World Junior Hockey Championship in Toronto and Montréal; the 25th edition of the Canada Games in Prince George, B.C.; the Fédération Internationale de Football Association (FIFA) Women’s World Cup Canada 2015; and the 2015 Pan and Parapan American Games, which will bring over 10,000 athletes and coaches from the Americas to Toronto and the Golden Horseshoe region. The Year of Sport in Canada is a proactive pan-Canadian initiative to celebrate the role that sport plays in our country and encourage Canadians to participate in and seek the benefits of sport. During the year, sport events and other celebratory activities will highlight how sport benefits Canadians. The Year of Sport will promote Canada’s position as a leading sport nation and highlight the power of sport to enhance the lives of all Canadians, and as the top-ranked curling nation in the world in all three disciplines. “In 2015, Canadians from across the country will have many opportunities to cheer on our remarkable athletes and celebrate their achievements,” said Minister Gosal With events such as the World Junior Hockey Championship, the Canada Winter Games, the FIFA Women’s World Cup Canada 2015, the Pan and Parapan American Games and many others, 2015 will be a memorable year for all Canadians—an opportunity not only to attend sport events, but also to be inspired to participate in sport activities throughout the year.”