Curling Canada and CurlManitoba partner to launch first Regional Performance Hub & Development Centre in Winnipeg

CurlManitoba, in partnership with Curling Canada and key stakeholders, has unveiled the Regional Performance Hub & Development Centre at the Heather Curling Club in Winnipeg.

This new initiative provides Manitoba’s high-performance and emerging curlers with access to championship-quality training resources, marking a significant investment in the future of curling in the region. This project is the result of a partnership between Curling Canada, CurlManitoba, the Government of Manitoba, Sport Manitoba, and the Canadian Sport Centre Manitoba.

“This facility is transforming how Manitoba curlers train and prepare for competition,” said Craig Baker, Executive Director of CurlManitoba. “With dedicated championship-quality ice and all-day access to the facility, our athletes are better equipped to compete and win on the national and world stages.”

The Winnipeg hub features two dedicated sheets of world-class ice equipped with advanced tools, including video analysis, speed traps, smart brooms that provide performance data, and championship-calibre rocks. These resources are tailored to meet the training needs of Manitoba’s National Team Program (NTP) athletes, NextGen curlers, and other elite competitors from the area.

“We know Manitoba hosts some of the best curlers in the world, and we’re excited to be able to support this transformative project to continue to support our world-class athletes,” said Nellie Kennedy, Minister of Sport, Culture, Heritage and Tourism. “Curling isn’t just a sport in Manitoba, but a point of provincial pride. We look forward to how this new centre will help Manitobans celebrate their skills and allow them to reach new heights, and new records, in curling.” 

Designed for maximum accessibility, the two training sheets are available to high-performance curlers, while the club’s six additional sheets host recreational leagues. High-performance teams, including Team Chelsea Carey, Team Matt Dunstone,  Team Kerri Einarson, Team Kaitlyn Lawes, Mike McEwen of Team McEwen, Dennis Thiessen of the National Wheelchair Curling Program, and NextGen teams such as Team Arbuckle/Macdonell, Team Kate Cameron and Team Jordon McDonald are already benefitting from the facility.

The ice is maintained by a team led by chief ice technician Greg Ewasko.

“Having dedicated practice ice at the Heather is essential in improving all aspects of our game. The amazing ice conditions Greg and his team have created allow us to focus on consistent throws, which helps build the confidence needed to compete at the highest level. We’ve needed a facility like this in Manitoba for a long time, and I am so excited that we finally have it,” said Team Lawes vice-skip, Selena Njegovan.

Launching this centre is the first step in accomplishing one of the first major initiatives of Curling Canada’s Director of High Performance, David Murdoch, who joined the National Sports Organization at the end of the 2022-23 season.

With the trend of international curlers becoming full-time athletes noticeably increasing, so, too, does the need for Canadian high-performance and NextGen curlers to have access to high-quality ice conditions, stones, equipment, and coaching.

The development of high-performance Canadian curling teams is hindered by Canada’s vast geography, making centralized training challenging. This new regional training model serves as what Curling Canada expects to be a blueprint for similar facilities in other Member Association regions across Canada. With access to a dedicated sheet of ice, training to maintain it and some additional equipment, this blueprint can be implemented in facilities across the country.

“The demands of international competition now require athletes to train daily with high-quality ice, coaching and advanced technology. Canadian curlers are disadvantaged simply because of geography and access to training because they often require significant travel,” said Murdoch. “As these demands increase, we must find new and innovative ways to provide them with consistent access to the best training environments possible. I’m thankful for the collaboration of our partners to make this new training centre a reality and I’m optimistic about what it means for the development of our sport.”

The centres align with Curling Canada’s strategic vision to establish a nationwide network that maximizes the use of existing facilities while enhancing them to meet the daily training environment standards essential for success. Curling Canada also aims to support the development of curlers by fostering coaching expertise and creating clear pathways for young athletes to progress to the elite level. Curling Canada plans to expand the Regional Performance Hub network to establish similar centres nationwide in the coming years. This initiative is part of Curling Canada’s commitment to ensuring that Canada remains a leader in the sport while fostering the next generation of champions.