Canada’s future curling stars will be heading to the Lakehead to play for a national championship, it was announced today by Curling Canada.
The 2028 Canadian Under-18 Curling Championships are scheduled for April 2-8 at the Thunder Bay Tournament Centre.
“Thunder Bay’s curling community has stepped up repeatedly in the past to put on superb championship events, and we’re confident this will again be the case in 2028 at the Canadian Under-18 Championships,” said Nolan Thiessen, Chief Executive Officer of Curling Canada. “This is an important event in the early stages of our podium pathway program, and gives these young athletes an amazing opportunity to realize the value of their hard work on and off the ice. The 2028 Canadian Under-18 Championships will show them, and the fans in attendance, that hard work, development and growth.”
A total of 42 teams (21 of each gender) will be on the ice in Thunder Bay. The provincial and territorial male and female Under-18 champions from Curling Canada’s Member Associations (10 provinces, three territories, Northern Ontario) will receive invitations. As well, Northern Ontario will get a second berth in each gender as the host. Lastly, the top-six ranked Member Associations based on the standings of the previous two Canadian Under-18 Championships, will receive invitations (rankings exclude the host).
“Thunder Bay is honoured to host the 2028 Canadian Under-18 Curling Championships,” said Mayor Ken Boshcoff. “As a community with deep roots in the sport of curling, we are excited to welcome Canada’s top young athletes, coaches, officials, and fans. This championship is a wonderful opportunity to celebrate the next generation of Canadian curlers, showcase Thunder Bay’s hospitality, and welcome visitors from every province and territory to our community.”
“Tourism Thunder Bay, a department of the Thunder Bay Community Economic Development Commission, is thrilled to support the U-18 Canadian Curling Championships, welcoming Canada’s top young curlers and their families to our community. This event is an outstanding opportunity to showcase Thunder Bay as a premier winter and sport tourism destination, while sharing our trademark northern hospitality,” added Paul Pepe, Tourism Thunder Bay Manager. “With an estimated economic impact of $2 million, the championships contribute significantly to the local economy and provide the opportunity for local youth curlers to see themselves reflected in this national level of competition.”
The Canadian Under-18 Curling Championships debuted in Moncton, N.B., in 2017. Since then, teams from Northern Ontario, Nova Scotia and Alberta have won two gold medals apiece in female competition, while Saskatchewan and Manitoba have one title apiece.
Nova Scotia leads with two male competition gold medals, while Northern Ontario, Ontario, Alberta, Saskatchewan, Quebec and Newfoundland/Labrador all have won once apiece.
“Seeing Canada’s rising curling stars under one roof will be an amazing experience for Thunder Bay and Curling Ontario, and we’re grateful to have this opportunity to host the 2028 Canadian Under-18 Championships,” said Matt Allen, Chief Executive Officer of Curling Ontario. “I know this host committee has already put in some long hours just to get to today’s announcement, and I know they will be continuing to work hard over the next year and a half to ensure that this event will send everyone home with smiles on their faces.”
The 2027 Canadian Under-18 Championships are scheduled for April 18-24 in Okotoks, Alta.
“On behalf of our host committee, we are thrilled to welcome the U-18 Canadian Curling Championships to Thunder Bay in 2028,” said Andrew Sinclair, Host Committee Chair. “This is a tremendous vote of confidence in what our curling community — and our volunteers — can deliver. We’re committed to giving these young athletes a championship experience they’ll remember, while leaving a lasting legacy for curling in Northern Ontario.”
Thunder Bay has a rich history of hosting major curling events, including most recently the 2025 Scotties Tournament of Hearts and the 2022 Scotties.
It will be the first national or world championship event hosted at the Thunder Bay Tournament Centre since the 1998 World Junior Championships, when Canadian teams skipped by Melissa Adams and John Morris swept the gold medals.
