N.S. curlers grapple for the chance to represent the province in national tournaments

The Nova Scotia provincial curling championships are underway.

The Nova Scotia Provincial Curling Championships have kicked off in Halifax with athletes from across the province working for a chance to compete on the national level.

“We’ve got eight women’s teams and eight men’s teams from around the province from as far as Sydney and there’s several teams based out of Halifax and Truro,” says Dan Baldwin, executive director at Curling Nova Scotia.

The tournament is a qualifier for the national championships. The top female team will get to represent Nova Scotia at the Scotties Tournament of Hearts while the top male team will represent Nova Scotia at the Montana’s Brier.

“We have a really competitive junior program and it’s good to see some of these teams come in for the big event to get that experience because they’re going to be here sooner or later,” says Baldwin.

Baldwin adds he’s glad to see an increase in interest, especially from younger players.

“This year we actually have a lot younger field than we’ve had in previous years, I’d say there a lot of young teams that have signed up this year for the event which is a good sign,” he said.

“I think the sport is growing really quick. It was a tough battle through COVID given the intimacy of the sport, but coming back after COVID our membership numbers are strong, and this year’s look like we’re trending for a significant increase in curlers in the province.”

MacKenzie Feindel is competing in the tournament on Team Tanya Hilliard. Feindel has been with the team for eight seasons and said she’s excited to see the younger generations interested in the sport.

“I believe we have three junior teams. It’s really exciting to see some up-and-coming junior curlers in Nova Scotia,” she said.

The 2026 Nova Scotia Curling Championships are taking place at the Halifax Curling Club until Sunday. Entry to watch the tournament is free.

With files from CTV Atlantic’s Mike Lamb.

For more Nova Scotia news, visit our dedicated provincial page