The top 12 men’s and women’s curling teams in the province are competing in Elmira, Ont. this week for the 2026 Curling Ontario Championship. The winner from each division will go on to play for a national title. For the men, the title is the Montana’s Brier and for the women, the Scotties Tournament of Hearts. “It’s one of the great events in curling … everyone who’s come through Ontario before and just even being able to participate in this event is super special,” said Jordan McNamara, the skip of Team McNamara representing the Rideau Curling Club in Ottawa. For all but one member of Team McNamara - it’s their first Ontario Championship. “Being here finally, it feels right, and it feels great to be here, so we’re super excited,” said McNamara. The most represented club at the tournament is the K-W Granite Club, with three teams from there. One of them is Team McTavish who is also the youngest team at the tournament. “It’s cool to play against these players because they were still playing before I was born,” said Skip Tyler Mactavish, who’s team typically competes in the U20 division. A young team ranked 11th out of the 12 teams in the men’s draw, Mactavish said they are playing stress free. “We’re just super happy for the opportunity to be here, and we’re taking advantage of this event as an event where we have nothing to lose but a lot to gain, so I think we’re playing with at least pressure out of all the teams out here and that might be to our advantage,” said Mactavish. The competition started on Sunday and goes until Jan. 11.
