CurlManitoba Executive Director Craig Baker is pleased to announce a new three-year partnership with
Manitoba Blue Cross who will become the title sponsor of the provincial Curling Clubs Championships
beginning in 2027.
The announcement is being made as the 2026 edition of the Men’s and Women’s Curling Clubs
Championships is underway at the Beausejour Curling Club.
“Manitoba Blue Cross has a strong reputation of support for sport from the community amateur level to the
professional level in Manitoba,” says Baker. “We are delighted to have Manitoba Blue Cross become a part
of the CurlManitoba family of major event sponsors.”
Baker notes that the Curling Club Championships have grown significantly in stature in the minds of
Manitoba curlers since the first event was held in 2009. In particular, there is more province-wide
representation in the Clubs Championships than in most other championships.
Proof of the province-wide imprint of the Curling Club Championships lies in the list of the clubs
represented this week in the Beausejour event. Among the 24 Men’s and Women’s teams are rural teams
from Dauphin (3), Beausejour, Carberry and Portage (2 each), and Brandon, East St. Paul, Gimli, La Salle,
Minnedosa, The Pas and Thompson (1 each). Winnipeg clubs represented include Fort Rouge (2), and
Assiniboine Memorial, Charleswood, Deer Lodge, Fort Garry, Pembina and St. Vital (1 each).
“Curling is more than a sport in Manitoba – it’s a way to bring communities together, foster healthy, active
lifestyles and showcase the dedication and teamwork found in curling clubs province-wide. Manitoba Blue
Cross is excited to partner with CurlManitoba’s Club Championships and support an event that strengthens
and connects communities through a shared passion for curling,” says Benjamin Graham, President and
CEO of Manitoba Blue Cross.
Since the first CurlManitoba Curling Club Championships were played in 2009, the event has been won
exactly equally by curlers representing clubs from rural and Winnipeg curling clubs. The previous 32
championships (16 women, 16 men) have been won 16 times by rural Manitoba teams and 16 times by
Winnipeg teams.
Past rural winners have come from Brandon (6), LaSalle (4), Gimli (2), and Carberry, Petersfield,
Riverview, and Stonewall (1 each). The past Winnipeg winners have represented Fort Rouge (7),
Assiniboine Memorial, Granite, St Vital & Thistle (2 each), and Pembina (1).
“The men and women who compete in these championships have every bit the ability of the best curlers in
the country – the difference is that they can’t make the commitment of time and money to become full-time
curlers. These championships attract the curlers for whom the sport is still a mainly recreational activity but
one which provides a serious competitive outlet and a chance to play for a national championship. It is
definitely keeping curlers involved in the sport,” Baker says.
With the community-support orientation of Manitoba Blue Cross, Baker anticipates that interest in the
Curling Club Championships will continue to grow in the approximately 100 CurlManitoba member curling
clubs.
