When CurlManitoba’s Viterra Men’s Championship takes place at Stride Place Arena in Portage la Prairie, February 4-9, 2025, it will the 100th time that the top male curlers in the province have competed for the opportunity to represent Manitoba in inter-provincial competition. CurlManitoba and the Portage host committee are planning a celebration to mark the occasion.
While there had been bonspiels like the MCA bonspiel, which began in 1889, and other major provincial bonspiels across Canada, the 1925 competition won by Howard Wood and his Granite team became the first provincial championship event in Canada.
The championship has been played every year since with only four title sponsors (Macdonald Tobacco, Labatts, Safeway, Viterra) and with the only year missed being 2021, when Covid wiped out the curling season.
To celebrate this very significant occasion in Manitoba and Canadian curling history, CurlManitoba and the Portage host committee are inviting past Manitoba Men’s champions to a 100th anniversary “Reunion of Champions” at the Viterra Championship in February, 2025.
The celebration of 100 years will recognize the four primary sponsors along with the 99 previous champions. Of approximately 400 men (many of them multiple times, of course) who have won a Manitoba purple heart, symbolic of winning the men’s curling championship, it is estimated that about 120 champions, from the 1950’s to the present, are still alive.
Every past Manitoba Men’s champion is invited to attend the formal recognition at the Opening Banquet of the 2025 Viterra Championship. Invitations are being issued but, unfortunately, the association has lost touch with some past champions and all are invited to contact CurlManitoba ([email protected] OR 204-925-5723) to ensure they are on the invitation list.
THE MACDONALD BRIER TROPHY: The first Manitoba championship curling event, officially called the Macdonald Brier Trophy event in the MCA Bonspiel, took place in 1925. It has since been known as the British Consols, Labatt Tankard, Safeway Select, Safeway Championship, and Viterra Championship.
Even during the years of World War II, a Manitoba championship took place despite the fact the Macdonald Brier national championship was paused from 1943 to 1945.
That 1925 event is recognized as the first stepping stone toward establishment of the Brier. Howard Wood’s champion Granite team was hosted on a good-will tour of Eastern Canada, playing the best teams in Toronto, Ottawa, Montreal and Quebec. The idea was repeated in 1926 when George Sherwood’s St John’s CC team was taken east, this time to play in the annual Quebec bonspiel.
The interest in the games between the Manitobans and their eastern opponents led to the establishment of the first Macdonald Brier in 1927. It has been lost in the mists of time that the Manitobans competed for the Macdonald Brier Trophy and the winners advanced to play for the Macdonald Brier Tankard (the same national trophy being played for today). Manitoba’s championship became the British Consols in 1937.
During the Viterra Championship in Portage, a number of special events and historic displays will help celebrate the 100th championship.
QUALIFYING & TICKET SALES: Curlers are encouraged to try to qualify for what will be a special event in Portage. Berth winners will join defending champion Reid Carruthers and 2023-24 CTRS berth winner Jordon McDonald and their teams, who have pre-qualified.
Qualifying events will include the MCT Atkins Classic at Assiniboine Memorial (October 4-6), the Viterra Berth Bonspiel in Carman (November 8-10), Regional Qualifiers (December 6-8), two berths in the MCT Showdown in Stonewall (Nov. 29 – Dec. 1), and the MCT Shootout in Virden (December 13-15). The Brandon Bonspiel (January 10-12) will provide one more entry for Portage and the final three will come from the last-chance Manitoba Open (January 16-20). As in the past, season high point teams on MCT and CTRS will also qualify.
Tickets for curling fans who want to join the celebration and watch the best men’s teams compete for this year’s provincial title will go on sale December 1st.
