The 43rd edition of the Scotties Tournament of Hearts is set to rock the ice at the WinSport Event Centre with an impressive lineup of Canada's top women’s curling teams. It’s estimated the national championship will inject up to $15 million into Calgary's economy as spectators converge from across the country to support local businesses and hotels. Alberta will captivate audiences nationwide, drawing in an estimated six million viewers throughout the 10-day competition.
“Alberta’s government is proud to welcome athletes and spectators from across Canada to witness one of the nation’s most prestigious sporting events. The Scotties tournament is the pinnacle of our nation's curling heritage. As seasoned hosts of this premier event, we are ready to deliver an unforgettable experience for visitors and participants.”
The tournament will sweep into the hearts of Alberta's next generation of curlers, inspiring them to push their careers to the next level. The province's next generation of curlers has a track record of success at the national level, with Alberta winning six under-21 national championships in the women's divisions since 2010.
Alberta’s government is providing the competition with $137,500 in funding. The event, organized by Curling Canada, will feature 18 teams – Team Canada, 13 provincial/territorial champions and four Canadian team ranking system (CTRS) qualifiers – split into two pools of nine. The winner will represent Canada at the World Women’s Curling Championship in Sydney, N.S., in March.
“We've had a positive and productive working relationship with the Government of Alberta that has resulted in numerous world-class curling competitions being staged here, including the Scotties Tournament of Hearts in Calgary. We're thankful that the Government of Alberta shares our vision for what sports events can do for a host city, and in particular that women's sports events have the opportunity to be showcased in this way.”
Five Alberta athletes will have the home-ice advantage. Val Sweeting, a seven-time veteran of the Scotties Tournament of Hearts, is vice-skip for Team Canada. Further, under the guidance of coach Ted Appelman, Team Alberta will be led by skip Selena Sturmay, accompanied by vice-skip Danielle Schmiemann, second Dezaray Hawes and lead Paige Papley. All four team members have emerged from the University of Alberta curling program, with Hawes previously attending the Scotties.