By SHERI BLOCK
When Canada’s top curling teams take the ice to compete at the 2026 Milano Cortina Olympic and Paralympic Winter Games, the rest of the country will be proudly cheering them on.
The Olympics and Paralympics will create plenty of buzz for the sport and Curling Canada is hoping to capitalize on this Olympic and Paralympic fever and national pride with a new campaign to introduce more people to the game.
Grow the Game encourages curling associations, curling clubs and individual curlers to Take the Pledge to expand the sport. A pledge could be anything from starting a new league, inviting new friends to the curling rink or sharing a love for the game on social media.
“This is a huge opportunity for us. I think we can add a lot more new people to the sport,” says Nolan Thiessen, the CEO of Curling Canada.
“Encouraging people (to grow the game) and giving them the platform to say, ‘Can you just do one small thing, and I’ll do one small thing, and they’ll do one small thing?’ It’s just a really cool idea.”
Grow the Game comes on the heels of a very successful 2024-2025 season, which had the highest number of individual curling registrations in Canadian curling clubs in the past decade.
With so many people expected to follow the Olympics and Paralympics, Bobby Ray, Curling Canada’s Director of Club Development and Member Services, says it’s a perfect time to continue this momentum and inspire new curlers.
“Millions of people will be watching. They’ll be curious about this sport that they’re seeing on TV and want to try it. We want their curiosity to be met with open doors,” says Ray.
It’s typically been challenging to recruit new members at the end of the season (when the Olympics and Paralympics take place) but Ray says there are several things clubs can do from hosting open houses to organizing a Learn to Curl program or beginner league in February or March that is designed with continuity in mind for when the ice returns in Fall 2026. Social events like a watch party during the Olympics and Paralympics or a barbeque during the off-season to keep new curlers connected can also be effective.
“We know from our research that people are attracted to curling because it is equal parts sport and social, they’re looking to connect with a new community, so engaging with prospective new curlers can and should take different forms in the spring and summer,” says Ray.
As clubs gear up for the Olympics and Paralympics, Canada’s top curling teams are also gearing up for a chance to represent the country at the 2025 Montana’s Canadian Curling Trials, presented by Connect Hearing, in Halifax, N.S., this November.
Atina Ford Johnston knows all about how special it is to compete at the Olympics and the pride of wearing the Maple Leaf. She won a Gold medal at the 1998 Olympic Winter Games in Nagano, Japan, as an alternate for Sandra Schmirler, who sadly passed away in 2000, and her team.
“It made such a large impact in my life so I’m making sure that I give back to the sport of curling that has given me so much,” says Ford Johnston, Director of Curling Club Development for Curling Alberta.
Through Grow the Game, Ford Johnston plans to work with clubs across the province to build inclusive and sustainable community hubs, as well as continuing to support the Women in Curling Summit.
Her colleague Cori Morris, who is taking on the newly created role of Relationship Manager, Club Development for Curling Alberta, is also an Olympic medallist – winning a silver medal with Cheryl Bernard’s team at the 2010 Olympic Winter Games on home soil in Vancouver.
“It’s had such a monumental impact on everything that I’ve done since and to have that piece of hardware that you can take and hopefully inspire others to pursue sports. I’ve got so many great friendships that have come out of curling. It’s just a really wonderful community to be a part of,” says Morris, who is actively involved with the Women in Curling and Girls Rock programs.
As well as the Olympics and Paralympics, Curling Alberta also plans to take advantage of the momentum from the BKT Tires World Women’s Championship in Calgary next March with several activities aimed at introducing curling to new people. There will also be plenty of youth programs throughout the year including U-15 Rockfest, Try Curling events, Hit Draw Tap and an event for Indigenous youth.
Growing the game of curling is always a priority for Johnston and Morris but being part of a campaign that is tied to the Olympics and Paralympics is even more meaningful.
“Every time the Olympics comes around it’s just a very emotional event because for me it brings back all the wonderful experiences I had, and the opportunity and privilege I had to represent Canada,” says Ford Johnston.
“I’m really looking forward to seeing what people pledge and if there are ways Cori and I can help support making their pledges come true during this campaign. We’d love to see an increase in membership in our curling community.”
Curling clubs across the country are also making a commitment to Grow the Game.
The Vancouver Curling Club, the largest club in Canada with around 1,800 members, has been focused on creating an accessible pathway into curling with a Try Curling program they launched in 2022. Averaging about 1,100 participants annually, the club is aiming for 2,000 participants in this Olympic year by working with 12 local clubs across the region to standardize the experience and support the growth.
The club also has five-week Learn to Curl programs and Novice Leagues that give people an easy, low barrier way to move from a first-time curler to a full participant. The club operates the Marpole Curling Club and together they plan to engage nearly 2,500 curlers across the city in Grow the Game initiatives.
The Vancouver Curling Club also plans to capitalize on their Olympic history. The club’s current home – the eight-sheet rink inside Hillcrest Recreation Centre – is itself a 2010 Olympics and Paralympics legacy facility.
“That connection to the Vancouver Games is a cornerstone of our identity and gives us a powerful story to tell when engaging both the public and partners,” says the club’s executive director Patrick Prade.
“With our Olympic facility, strong membership base, and the collaborative regional campaign across 12 clubs, we’re well-positioned to convert Olympic excitement into lasting growth for curling in British Columbia and across Canada.”
The Fort Saskatchewan Golf and Curling Club in Fort Saskatchewan, Alta., is a smaller club with about 215 members but still plans to make a big impact for Grow the Game. The club has moved their open house to coincide with the Olympic window and are offering a Family One-Day Bonspiel for the first time to give families a fun, low-pressure way to experience the sport together.
“Our club has already made a lot of strides in introducing new curlers over the past year, and the Grow the Game campaign gives us a chance to build on that momentum by offering new curlers a fun, welcoming entry point into the sport,” says Nevin deMilliano, a member of the Curling Committee at the Fort Saskatchewan Golf & Curling Club.
It’s also an opportunity to reach people who might not have thought curling was for them.
“By making the sport more accessible and welcoming, we’re not only inviting new members in but also creating an environment where they want to stay and keep playing.”
Learn more about how you can Take the Pledge and Grow the Game of curling in 2026
