Canadian curling fans were in a foul mood during last month’s Pan Continental Curling Championships.

Folks seemed a bit cheerier during The National, the second Grand Slam event of the season, particularly upon seeing scenes of a packed arena in Pictou, Nova Scotia beamed into their living rooms.

“Why don’t we host more curling events out east?” some of them harrumphed.

Well, guess what?

Nova Scotia will host not one, not two, but three championships all leading to the 2026 Olympic Winter Games in Cortina, Italy.

As announced today by Curling Canada, all three major qualifying events that lead to the determination of Canada’s four-player and mixed doubles teams for Milano-Cortina 2026 will be played in the bluenose province:

• The Canadian Mixed Doubles Curling Trials, Dec. 30, 2024-Jan. 4, 2025, at Queens Place Emera Centre in Liverpool, N.S.

• The Canadian Pre-Trials, deciding the final qualifiers for the Canadian Curling Trials, Oct. 21-26, 2025 at the Andrew H. McCain Arena in Wolfville, N.S.

• The Canadian Curling Trials, which will decide Canada’s men’s and women’s four-player Olympic teams, Nov. 22-30, 2025 at the Scotiabank Centre in Halifax.

The news would seem to be a ringing endorsement of Atlantic Canada in the sphere of domestic curling event hosts.

“These three events are among the most important of any Olympic quadrennial in Canada, and Canadian curling athletes focus intensely on them,” said Danny Lamoureux, interim CEO of Curling Canada. “Nova Scotia is home to a curling community and a provincial government that made it extremely apparent that these events were important to them and I know the province will do an outstanding job to make these events memorable for everyone.”

Two-time Olympic medallist skip Brad Gushue was on hand for the announcement, and pointed out that his two victorious Olympic Trial events—2005 in Halifax and 2021 in Saskatoon—saw his team wearing the same colour assigned by Curling Canada.

“If we get a chance, we’ll wear orange again,” joked Gushue, looking straight at Curling Canada marketing chief Nolan Thiessen.

In addition to Halifax in 2005, Liverpool played host to the 2021 Pre-Trials qualifier leading to Saskatoon. The 1,000-seat Queens Place Emera Centre also hosted the 2014 Canadian U21 Championships and, five years later, welcomed the 2019 World Juniors.

It will be the first time Curling Canada has staged an event in Wolfville. The Andrew H. McCain Arena is home ice of the Acadia University Axemen, the two-time U SPORTS men’s hockey national champions.

“Acadia University is proud to host the 2025 Men’s and Women’s Canadian Pre-Trials,” said Scott Duguay, Vice-President of Student Experience at Acadia University. “We’re looking forward to welcoming some of Canada’s top curling athletes to our campus as they strive for a spot in the Winter Olympics.

“This event not only offers our Acadia community the opportunity to actively participate as fans, volunteers, or staff but also allows the entire Valley region to witness the dedication and hard work of these athletes firsthand. We are delighted to partner with the Town of Wolfville, Curling Nova Scotia, and the Valley curling community to bring the Canadian Pre-Trials to life in Wolfville.”

Halifax’s Scotiabank Centre seats more than 11,000 fans and also played host to three Briers—in 2010, 2003 and 1995—as well as the 1992 Scotties Tournament of Hearts and the 2015 world men’s championship.

“Halifax loves curling, and hosting curling competitions,” said Halifax Mayor Mike Savage. “Our city will be a warm, welcoming host for the Canadian Curling Trials and we look forward to cheering on teams from across the country.”

“The Nova Scotia Curling Association was thrilled to get this vote of confidence from Curling Canada to host these important and prestigious events, and I know all three host communities are eager to get to work and make the events memorable from every perspective,” said Rob Belliveau, president of the Nova Scotia Curling Association.

“We see this as not only a way to show off our province to the world, but also to raise the profile of curling and get more people involved in the sport, so we will eagerly embrace this opportunity.”

Ticket and volunteer information will be released in 2024.