Moose Jaw to host 2025 world men’s curling championship

Some of the world’s best curlers are coming to Moose Jaw.

World Curling and Curling Canada announced Friday the 2025 BKT Tires world men’s curling championship will be played at the Moose Jaw Events Centre from March 29 to April 6 of next year.

Moose Jaw Mayor Clive Tolley said the city is prepared for the event.

“Now the hard work begins to get some volunteers in place and do the rest of the organizing, but we’ve got a very capable group of people in Moose Jaw running Curl Moose Jaw and our Moose Jaw Events Centre, so it’s just exciting all around,” said Tolley.

Tolley said the event will be great for the city.

“The hotels are going to be full, the downtown streets are going to be full (and so are) the restaurants and bars, and it’s going to be a very exciting event for us to host,” said Tolley.

In addition to determining a world champion, the competition also will determine seven countries that will join host nation Italy in the 2026 Winter Olympics. The final two Olympic berths will be decided at the Olympic qualification event, which is set for December of 2025.

“We’re thrilled and thankful that World Curling has shown the faith and confidence in Curling Canada and the City of Moose Jaw to bring the 2025 BKT Tires world men’s curling championship to Moose Jaw next year,” Nolan Thiessen, Curling Canada’s chief executive officer, said in a release.

“Moose Jaw has proven time and time again that it is a superb host for major curling events, and we know they’ll be ready to welcome the world in 2025.”

It will be the first time Moose Jaw has hosted a world men’s championship, but not the first time a world championship has been contested in the city. The city was the site of the 1983 world women’s championship and the 1979 world junior men’s tournament.

Moose Jaw also has staged events like the 2020 Scotties Tournament of Hearts, the 2015 Scotties, the 2012 Canada Cup of Curling, and the 1994 Canadian senior men’s and women’s championships.

Tolley said that his city was built for events like this.

“One of the big things that we have going for us in the city of Moose Jaw is that you can drive to Moose Jaw, park your car, stay in a hotel, walk to the Events Centre, walk back to the hotel, go to the restaurant (and) go to the bar,” he said. “You don’t have to move your car after you get there.

“When we hosted music awards and sporting events in the past, that’s what I heard from many people: It’s a great place to have this kind of event, where you just park your car and spend the time in the city just moving around and enjoying the downtown.”

Canada has won 35 world men’s championships since the event’s inception in 1959.

Starting March 21, tickets will be available online and in person at the Moose Jaw Events Centre box office during regular business hours. Phone inquiries can be made by calling 306-624-2050.

Single-draw tickets will go on sale in late 2024.