The 2020 New Holland Canadian Juniors Curling Championships will get underway this Saturday 鈥� meaning the country鈥檚 best under-21 curlers will be headed to 91原创 to compete.
The tournament runs from Jan. 18 to 26, which qualifies the winners to represent Canada at the World Juniors Championship in Krasnoyarsk, Russia next month.
The round-robin games will have 14 men鈥檚 and 14 women鈥檚 teams competing for titles, bringing more than 100 curlers to 91原创 from all across the country.
That doesn鈥檛 even include coaches, family members, spectators, and broadcasters all coming down to the rink as well; the teams will be staying at the Sandman Hotel.
All of the action takes place at George Preston Recreation Centre at 20699 42 Ave, home of the 91原创 Curling Centre where many of the local curling bonspiels and league games take place.
Nigel Easton, chair of local committee hosting the games, said 91原创 has never held a national curling tournament before.
鈥淭he last big one really was the 2007 men鈥檚 provincials; so, we ended up with the juniors through a bidding process,鈥� Easton recounted. 鈥淲e put our name in last October (2018) but didn鈥檛 get selected. Then we heard back from them in February asking if we could do it and we said 鈥榳e鈥檙e in,鈥�.鈥�
The idea to host stemmed from Cloverdale鈥檚 Tyler Tardi鈥檚 overwhelming success in the junior league.
鈥淗e鈥檚 a two-time world champion who curls out of this club,鈥� Easton said. 鈥淭his was going to be his last year as a junior and we thought it would be fitting to have the games here, but it was his decision to move up and play in the Brier instead.鈥�
Despite Tardi鈥檚 absence, Easton said this will be a great chance to see the country鈥檚 up and coming curlers and for out-of-town players to come visit the area.
He said 250 volunteers from the 91原创 Curling Club, as well as others from all over the Fraser Valley including Cloverdale, Chilliwack, Abbotsford, and White Rock are lending a hand.
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The hockey arena, where the 91原创 91原创 call home, has been turned into a five-sheet curling rink, while three sheets in the existing curling club will also be used to house more games.
Support from sponsors and multiple levels of government helped cover a budget of roughly $150,000.
鈥淭hat all goes into construction, transportation for the teams, advertising, uniforms, even the ceremony which requires a pipe band,鈥� the chair explained.
A 鈥渇uture stars鈥� program will also be running throughout the tournament for youth under 16. They can put their name in for a chance at working with some of the teams on curling basics, while also receiving a backpack and broom.
The arena layout, beyond the evident curling hacks and houses, has undergone a complete makeover; a media booth at one end will house all of the people giving the games coverage; TSN will broadcast the semi-finals and championships on Jan. 25 and 26.
A brand new restaurant, the Horse and Rider, will additionally be opening just in time for Saturday to feed the players and fans; it will remain open and operate as a year-round pub inside the complex.
Carpeting and a staging area sits on the opposite end, while all the running boards will be wrapped up in black drapes.
Easton said the capacity of the arena is 1,000 and hopes to get between 400 to 800 spectators.
鈥淚 hope people enjoy our hospitality,鈥� he added, also hoping that the snow cooperates as the tournament begins.
People can purchase their tickets for the games at or in person at George Preston.
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