Darren Zary
Saskatoon StarPhoenix
Saskatoon will be hosting a big 100th birthday party.
Yes, the Brier is coming back to Saskatchewan in 2027.
Get your cow-bells ready,” said Steve Turner, executive director for Curl Sask, during a media conference Monday morning.
Turner says he’s “incredibly proud” that Saskatchewan is selected to celebrate 100 years of Briers.
This means the world,” said Turner. “To have it here, it’s the right spot to have this event. We couldn’t be more proud. For myself personally, being a resident of Saskatoon, it just means that much more.”
The inaugural Brier, won by Nova Scotia’s Murray MacNeill, was hosted in Toronto in 1927.
It was a three-day event that featured eight teams.
The 2027 event will run over a 10-day period and feature 18 teams.
The prairies — Saskatchewan in particular — are the heart-beat of curling, right?” said Nolan Thiessen, CEO of Curling Canada. “We feel the whole province will be in it, so we love to come back here. We’ve had really successful events. The Brier is our tent-pole event of curling here.”
This marks the seventh time the event is to be held in Saskatoon. Only Toronto (14 times) and Calgary (eight times) have hosted more Briers.
“I think it’s a big deal to have the 100th anniversary Brier here in Saskatoon, being the official sport of Saskatchewan, a sport that everyone here really, really likes,” said Michael Leier, host co-chair and CurlSask vice-president.
Leier, who remains an active curler, has attended many Brier events in the past. He’s witnessed the calibre of curling first-hand.
“It’s the men’s national championship, so everyone comes to see some of the best curlers in the country to be crowned the victor and go on to worlds,” said Leier. “I think it’s just some of the best curling in the country, (and) arguably some of the best curling in the world. People love to watch in person.
“Ideally, we’ll have a couple of teams (from Saskatchewan). It’d be really nice.”
Saskatoon last hosted the Brier in 2012. It also hosted the 75th anniversary event in 2004, along with national men’s championships in 2000, 1989, 1965 and its very first one in 1946.
“This is where the 100th anniversary Brier belongs,” says Saskatoon Mayor Cynthia Block, who used to be a rink rat, along with her dad, while growing up in Dundurn.
“Curling runs deep.”
Leier hopes for a sell-out.
“We did have the 2021 Olympic curling trials here,” recalled Leier. “Unfortunately with the pandemic, it didn’t obviously sell out (but) it was very busy for a pandemic sporting event. I’m hoping we can repeat 2000, 2004, 2012 attendance records again.”
Tickets are scheduled to go on sale in March of 2026.
“It’s not the first time that all the eyes of the curling world will be on us,” said Turner. “We enjoy that. We love that opportunity to tell our story and help promote this game in the province, because this is curling in Saskatchewan.
“The more that I go throughout the country, that’s the sentiment — that curling is Saskatchewan, and Saskatchewan is curling, so it is the official sport.”
Among those in attendance Monday were former Brier champion Pat Simmons and Jim Wilson, a member of the 1980 Saskatoon team that won both the Brier and world championship. It’s the last time a Saskatchewan-based men’s team has captured either of those two titles.
With the Brier coming back in 2027, could Saskatoon someday shoot for a world’s men’s championship?
Turner thinks so.
“Absolutely we would,” he said. “Obviously the Brier is really that pinnacle of the events, but to have the world championship here, I think any curling (event is good). I think any time we can showcase the sport, at this level in this province, is a win.
“We’ll continue to make that push because it is so successful. It’s so meaningful to be here.”
Added Thiessen: “I love having any curling event in Saskatchewan … It never hurts to bring a curling event to Saskatchewan. I’m open to any idea.”
In the meantime … get ready, curling fans, for the 2027 Brier.
“This,” promised Leier, “is not going to be your average Montana’s Brier.”
