Canadian men's curling championship returns to Kelowna, B.C., for 1st time in decades

It was already busy at the local curling club on Monday, as curlers from across the country arrived in Kelowna, B.C., for this year's Brier tournament.

"It's crazy down here," Kelowna Curling Club general manager Jock Tyre told CBC's Radio West host Sarah Penton Monday afternoon. 

"I'm very excited."

The Brier, Canada's annual men's curling championship, will be held at Kelowna's Prospera Place downtown, but teams from the East Coast arrived early, adjusting to the time zone and practising for their first draw. 

The tournament kicks off Friday, with draws [or games] at 6:30 p.m. Teams from 10 provinces and three territories, along with a few additional teams, will compete for the title of Canada's best men's curling team. The winning team will also go on to represent Canada at the World Curling Championships, which will be played on home ice this year in Moose Jaw, Sask.

Tyre, who worked on the bid to bring the tournament to B.C.'s Interior, said the local curling community has been buzzing with anticipation. 

"The community has been starving for it since 1968," he said, noting the last time the tournament was played in Kelowna. 

Not only does the Brier draw local fans and teams from across Canada, but it also brings a crowd of curling fans from far and wide. 

"You get people that have been coming for, it feels like, 100 years," Tyre said.  

"People make a habit of coming to the Brier or the Scotties every single year. It's amazing to see those people, and they collect pins, and they wear T-shirts, and they've got banners and flags and costumes."

As part of the festivities, a fan space called the Original 16 Patch is set up at the Delta Grand Hotel near Prospera Place, with live entertainment and food and drink options. B.C. band 54-40 will be performing Friday night to kick things off.

"The curlers come in, and they do a little thing called Up Close & Personal [where they] go up on the stage and have some interviews," Tyre said. "It's just an incredible feeling. It's people that truly love the game of curling and are willing to travel across the country for it."

For those heading to the tournament in the coming days, Tyre is reminding people the downtown core is going to be busy and advises locals to consider taking the bus into town. 

According to Curling Canada's website, regularly scheduled transit services are free for anyone who shows their tickets or event ID to bus drivers throughout the week, as long as there's space on the bus.  

Cawston Avenue will be closed to vehicle traffic between Water Street and Cannery Lane starting at 6 a.m. PT today, until 6 a.m. PT on Monday, March 10, according to the City of Kelowna. 

The tournament runs from now until March 9. Some tickets are still available.