Canada’s best young curlers will gather in Fort McMurray Wood Buffalo, Alta., for the 2024 New Holland Canadian Junior Curling Championships, it was announced today by Curling Canada.

The Under-21 Nationals will take place March 24-31 at the Suncor Community Leisure Centre and the Fort McMurray Oilsands Curling Club, which are located at beautiful MacDonald Island Park.

Fort McMurray Wood Buffalo hosted this event in 2013, and also was named to host the 2021 New Holland Canadian Juniors, but that event was cancelled due to the pandemic.

“It took us longer than we’d hoped to come back to this beautiful part of Canada, but we know it will be worth the wait,” said Katherine Henderson, Chief Executive Officer of Curling Canada. “Fort McMurray Wood Buffalo put on a memorable and very well-run event in 2013 in an ideal facility, and I know this new generation of young athletes is going to be blown away by this experience in 2024.”

A total of 36 teams (18 in each gender) are expected to compete at the 2024 New Holland Canadian Juniors.

“I am pleased to welcome the 2024 New Holland Junior Curling Championships to Fort McMurray Wood Buffalo, the traditional territory of the Cree and Déne people,” said Chief Allan Adam, President of the Athabasca Tribal Council. “Let us honour the unity this sport brings to the communities it brings together. Together, may we embrace the sportsmanship and kinship that will make this tournament a truly unforgettable experience for all. May your spirit of competition be matched only by the strength of our northern ice.”

“Our region is always an incredible host, and we know the 2024 New Holland Canadian Junior Men’s and Women’s Curling Championships will be no exception,” added Sandy Bowman, Mayor of the Regional Municipality of Wood Buffalo. “We look forward to welcoming the curling stars of tomorrow in 2024 as

we again showcase what is special about our region, our facilities and the people that live here.”

New Holland, a global leader in the manufacturing and selling of agricultural and construction equipment, continues its support of junior curling as the title sponsor for the most prestigious national junior curling championship events in the world.

“We are proud to be part of the New Holland Canadian Junior Curling Championships and play a role in the development of future curling stars,” said Sally Johnson, Vice President for New Holland Agriculture North America. “New Holland, and our network of dealers throughout Canada, are privileged to support this event, the athletes, and their coaches, and we know that Fort McMurray Wood Buffalo will be an outstanding host of these championships.”

While it will be the second edition of the New Holland Canadian Juniors to be played in Fort McMurray, it will be the sixth time the combined men’s and women’s event has been played in Alberta — in 2013 at Fort McMurray, 2011 and 1998 at Calgary, 1996 at Edmonton and 1991 at Leduc.

Prior to that, three editions of the Canadian Junior Men’s Championship (1986 at Red Deer, 1975 at Edmonton and 1959 at Calgary) and two Canadian Junior Women’s Championships (1983 at Calgary, 1974 at Edmonton) were played in Alberta.

In 2013, Manitoba’s Matt Dunstone and B.C.’s Corryn Brown won the men’s and women’s gold medals respectively.

“We’re excited that Fort McMurray Wood Buffalo will finally get the chance to host the New Holland Canadian Juniors after the disappointment of 2021,” said Jill Richard, Executive Director of Curling Alberta. “There is an enthusiastic curling community in Fort McMurray Wood Buffalo that is already working hard to get ready to put on a superb show next year and give Canada’s best young curlers a lifetime of memories.”

The Canadian Junior Men’s Championship has been contested annually since its inception in 1950 in Quebec City. The first Canadian Junior Women’s Championship was played in 1971 at Vancouver. The events were combined in 1987 at Prince Albert, Sask.

Teams from Alberta have won a leading 17 junior men’s titles while Saskatchewan is second with 14. In women’s, Alberta and Saskatchewan boast a leading 11 victories, followed by Manitoba with 10.

“We are excited to host the New Holland Canadian Junior Men’s and Women’s Curling Championships at MacDonald Island Park in 2024,” said Tyler Spitzer, Host Committee Co-Chair. “We look forward to welcoming the athletes, officials and enthusiastic curling fans from across the country to Fort McMurray Wood Buffalo for this prestigious curling event.”

The winners of the 2024 New Holland Canadian Juniors will have the opportunity to represent Canada at the 2025 World Junior Championships (dates, location, TBA by World Curling Federation).

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For further information:

Al Cameron
Director, Communication & Media Relations
Curling Canada
Tel: (403) 463-5500
acameron@curling.ca

Kyle Jahns
Manager, Communication and Media Relations
Curling Canada
Tel: (204) 803-8221
kyle.jahns@curling.ca

Theresa Wells
Marketing and Communications Lead
2024 New Holland Canadian Juniors Host Committee
Theresa.wells@rrcwb.ca
Tel: (780) 972-3832

We recognize that our work takes place on traditional Indigenous territories across Canada. We value the contributions that Inuit, Métis and other Indigenous Peoples have made, in shaping and strengthening our community, our province and our country. The recognition of the contribution and historic importance of Indigenous peoples is our commitment to make Truth and Reconciliation real in our community. We also wish to acknowledge that Curling Canada’s head office is located on the traditional unceded territory of the Algonquin Anishnaabeg people.