Team Nova Scotia third Jill Brothers in the Page 3 vs 4 game at the 2025 Scotties Tournament of Hearts on the weekend. (Curling Canada/Andrew Klaver Photography)

It was an intense, emotional week of curling at the Scotties Tournament of Hearts for Liverpool native Jill Brothers and Team Nova Scotia.

But they topped it off with a spot on the podium on Sunday.

Brothers is the third on the team skipped by Christina Black. They made it to the semi-final against Manitoba’s Kerri Einarson, losing 9-8, forcing Einarson to make her last shot for the win.

Brothers told QCCR from Thunder Bay on Monday that they were happy with how they battled back during the game. 

“We almost got the steal in the end, so we just kept believing in ourselves that we could make it a really close game and make her throw her last rock.”

It’s their first year together as a team, and Brothers says getting on the podium at the national championship was a big win for them.

“We were having a lot of fun and we just wanted to keep the game really exciting and close. … It’s a long, long week of a lot of focus and concentration and so we were just really happy with our performance.

“At the Scotties, you get a ring if you make it on the podium. So that’s always been a lifelong goal: I want to be on the podium, I want to get a ring.”

But the team also fought through some adversity to get there. Teammate Jenn Baxter’s father died suddenly on Saturday, the day before the semi-final.

“It was a mixture of letting out some tears in between the games and then parking the situation a little bit and just knowing that Jenn and her dad would want us to be out there giving our all. We found the energy to regruop and lean on each other a little bit.”

Rachel Homan’s team repeated as national champions, after their win over Einarson on Sunday.

“They were super kind to us. After they won, they came over to us and just acknowledged the situation we had been in the last couple of days. It was super special that they were so kind and congratulated us and just commended our play in the last couple of games knowing what we had been through.”

Team Nova Scotia entered the tournament in Thunder Bay ranked fourth in the country. And with the bronze medal win on Sunday, they believe they have a chance to be one of the seven teams with an automatic berth in the Olympic trials in Halifax in November.

All team members live in the Halifax area and train together at least four times a week. Some other elite Canadian teams have members scattered in different cities or provinces. Brothers said being in the same city has been a big part of their success so far. 

“There’s no way we’d be where we are without being together this much. … It’s invaluable. And we heard it a lot at the Scotties this year. I don’t know if we have any inspiration for teams to maybe get back to doing it (that way), I guess it feels like an old school way. Like Colleen Jones (and her team), they just all lived in the Halifax area and they were together all the time, just practise, practise practise and that’s how they got their results.”

The 41-year-old has been to the Scotties eight times in her career, as a skip and in other positions. But this is the first time the 2004 Canadian women’s junior champion made it to a senior semi-final.

“I had success at such a young age as skip and you do it for so long that the pressure can kind of wear on you after a while. I’ve skipped for a long time. It’s a position I’m comfortable in, but I like to chat, to communicate, I like to use my strength and sweep. I was so happy to play third for someone who loves to play skip.”

Brothers says she’s keen to get back to work as the technical director for the Nova Scotia Curling Association. But she’s really looking forward to getting home to Bedford and spending time with her husband Paul and their two kids.

Her family was in Thunder Bay for the Scotties, but the kids got sick early in the week, so they missed a lot of it.

“I just really want to spend some time with my kids. I just want to watch my kids plays soccer and go curling and go to dance. That’s my next goal is just to do some work and hang out with the kids.”

Brothers says she’s grateful for all the support from her family and friends and from her hometown of Liverpool.

“My sister lives there, my mom lives there. I’d choose to be there every second weekend if we could. It’s just great to have a special place that I still call home and they’re so supportive.

“A huge shoutout to my husband, Mom that lives in Brooklyn, my mother-in-law that lives in Cole Harbour. They all do so much.

“To have them supporting me to do this is incredible. They’ve always got my back. Even my neighbour, he had to take the kids to school when I flew out to the Scotties. We’ve got so many great people helping us out, so that’s super important.”

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Cheryl Innes is the co-chair of the mixed doubles curling provincial championships at the Liverpool Curling Club, starting Jan. 30. (Rick Conrad)

Queens County curling fans will have another chance to take in some fast-paced mixed doubles action with the provincial championships set for Liverpool this week.

Eight teams will be competing at the Liverpool Curling Club for the chance to represent Nova Scotia at the 2025 Canadian Mixed Doubles Curling Championship in Summerside.

The provincials begin Thurs., Jan. 30 and run to Sun., Feb. 2.

Cheryl Innes is the co-chair of the event with Tyler Dorey.

“The public is welcome,” Innes said. “We are not charging admission, we’re just going to be asking for some donations for the club. There will be lots of good food and beverages and great entertainment, the province’s best mixed doubles will be here competing for the provincial title.”

One of the teams competing will be a Liverpool pair — Megan Trimm and Matt Sheffield, who also happen to be coaches in the junior curling program at the club.

“Hoping we get lots of support from our club members to cheer them on. I’m really hoping that all of our juniors come out to cheer on Megan and Matt.”

A curling icon will also be in the house. Two-time world champion Colleen Jones will be there as a coach for her son Luke Saunders and his partner Marlee Powers.

Powers and Saunders are the defending Nova Scotia champions.

“We’re excited to have her here again. She’s great.”

Innes says she hopes that the success of the recent Canadian mixed doubles curling trials held in Liverpool will get people back out for the provincial championships.

“I think a lot of people that aren’t involved in curling came out to watch mixed doubles for the first time and really enjoyed it so hopefully that will engage some of our community to come out to this event as well. It will be very exciting.”

Innes says it’s a much different kind of curling action compared to the traditional four-to-a-team curling.

“It’s a very fast game. There’s only two players, so players are either throwing or they’re skipping. There’s a lot of action, a lot of rocks stay in the rings …  It’s a really interesting, strategic game, lots of freezes, lots of rocks in the rings and then lots of takeouts, so it’s a really quick, exciting game.”

Three draws are scheduled for each day, with the first draw kicking off Thursday afternoon at 12:30. The final is on Sunday at 10 a.m.

More information will be available on the Liverpool Curling Club’s Facebook page.

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Albie Randall with the curling broom he received from curlers Jaelyn and Jim Cotter at the 2025 Canadian Mixed Doubles Curling Trials in Liverpool. (Rick Conrad)

The 16 teams at the Canadian mixed doubles curling trials in Liverpool treated fans to a week of impressive curling.

The trials wrapped up on Saturday at Queens Place Emera Centre. 

And one young Queens County curler left his own impression on the father-daughter team of Jaelyn and Jim Cotter from Vernon, B.C.

Seven-year-old Albie Randall of Brooklyn led the Cotters on to the ice during the opening ceremonies last Sunday evening. He was one of the young curlers chosen to escort teams.

The Cotters remembered Albie later in the week after their last game, and gave him one of their curling brooms as a souvenir.

The Cotters with Albie Randall at the mixed doubles curling trials. (Liverpool Championship Host Society Facebook page)

Albie’s father Darren Randall explains.

“The moment from the week that stuck with me is the Cotters, when they went out of the tournament, my son walked down and they gave him their broom from the game, which is super emotional.

“Ironically, we used to live near Vernon and it’s where they’re from also, and then it just kept going and going further in the tournament. We did not know. It was just randomly that he was leading them out. We followed them every game they played, and yeah, it was wonderful.”

As for Albie, he summed it up in one word.

“Awesome.”

That was just one of the special moments from the week of curling at Queens Place Emera Centre, as some of Canada’s top curlers competed for a chance to represent Canada at the 2026 Winter Olympics in Italy.

Jocelyn Peterman and Brett Gallant capped their perfect record during the week by winning the final on Saturday over Rachel Homan and Brendan Bottcher.

After a year and a half of work bringing it all together, organizers were happy with how the week went.

Kim Thorbourne-Whalen is the vice-chair of the Liverpool Championship Host Society, which has brought four major curling events to Liverpool. She said it’s their biggest and most successful one yet.

“It surpassed our expectations. We had a budget for what we were looking for ticket sales and we more than doubled it. So for the final weekend, it’s been pretty well sold out and the final draw today has been sold out completely. So we’re pretty ecstatic about that. It’s been over 1,000 seats sold just for the final draw today.”

Some longtime curling fans, like Rose Anthony of Milton, took in every moment.

“I thought it was super. It was fantastic. I had the whole package and I never missed a draw.”

The curling trials also created some new fans in Liverpool, like Albie’s Dad Darren. 

“Learned so much. (I’m) still learning the rules, but it’s so skillful and I’m into it and I’m like a soccer football guy myself. And I love this.”

Winners Peterman and Gallant will next compete at the World Mixed Doubles Curling Championships in Fredericton in April. That event will determine the countries that qualify for the 2026 Winter Olympics. 

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Jocelyn Peterman and Brett Gallant with their gold medals and Team Canada jackets after winning the 2025 Canadian Mixed Doubles Curling Trials on Saturday in Liverpool. (Rick Conrad)

Jocelyn Peterman and Brett Gallant will represent Canada at the 2025 World Mixed Doubles Curling Championship in Fredericton after winning the Canadian mixed doubles curling trials in Liverpool on Saturday.

Their next challenge will be at the world championships to try to secure qualification for Canada and themselves for the 2026 Winter Olympics in Italy.

Peterman and Gallant continued their perfect record into the final on Saturday, beating Rachel Homan and Brendan Bottcher 8-7.

The game wasn’t as close as the final score suggested, with Peterman and Gallant taking control of the game early, going up 4-0 after the first two ends on the strength of some great shotmaking by Peterman. They were up 6-1 after four ends.

“We’ve dreamt of this for a long time,” Peterman said afterward. “In a sense, it feels like it’s kind of the first step. We know we stll have to earn that spot in a few months, but it’s amazing.”

Gallant said he had to “check himself a few times” during the game to make sure he didn’t lose focus on the end goal.

“You’re just never comfortable even with the lead that we had. We knew it was going to come down to the last shot either way. And just thankful we had a strong game and we battled all the way. Lots of different emotions and just proud of how we played.”

Peterman and Gallant, who are based in Calgary, went 10-0 for the whole tournament, including the final.

“We had some really, really close games early and we were really determined this week,” Peterman said. “It was a grind and we’re really proud of it.”

Gallant, who was born in Charlottetown and curled for many years with Brad Gushue’s championship team out of Newfoundland, said he

“The community was just really welcoming for us, the volunteers were amazing, I thought the venue was second to none and we just enjoyed every minute here. And we’re pleased that the world championships are going to be on the East Coast again in Fredericton so it’s great for us. And we had just an amazing time in Liverpool.”

Peterman said now that the trials are over, they’re excited to get home and see their son.

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Rachel Homan delivers a shot in the semi-final of the 2025 Canadian Mixed Doubles Curling Trials on Saturday in Liverpool. (Curling Canada YouTube)

The finals are set at the Canadian mixed doubles curling trials in Liverpool.

Rachel Homan and Brendan Bottcher won the semi-final Saturday morning, beating Lisa Weagle and John Epping 8-6 in a match that came down the last few shots.

Homan and Bottcher now go on to the final against undefeated team Jocelyn Peterman and Brett Gallant. The winner will go on to represent Canada at the World Mixed Doubles Curling Championships in Fredericton in April. That serves as a qualifying event for the 2026 Winter Olympics in Italy. As long as teams finish high enough at the world championships, their country is qualified to go to the Olympics.

Saturday’s semi-final was pretty close right up to the seventh end, when Homan and Bottcher scored four to go up 8-4.

Homan and Bottcher are curling veterans, but are a new mixed doubles curling this year.

They meet Peterman and Gallant in the 2 p.m. final at Queens Place Emera Centre.

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Sandra Porter-Lowe, Terri Longmire and Meredith Innes are three of the more than 100 volunteers at the Canadian Mixed Doubles Curling Trials in Liverpool this week. (Rick Conrad)

To put on a big event like the Canadian Mixed Doubles Curling Trials in a small community like Liverpool takes a lot of volunteers.

Organizers have recruited more than 100 people from Queens County and elsewhere to help put on the week-long event, which wrap up with the final draw on Saturday at 2 p.m. 

QCCR spoke to some of the people making sure the curling trials at Queens Place Emera Centre run smoothly.

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Jocelyn Peterman and Brett Gallant during Page playoff 1vs2 qualifying against Rachel Homan and Brendan Bottcher. (Curling Canada/ Michael Burns Photo)

Two teams made a big step toward the finals of the 2025 Canadian Mixed Doubles Curling Trials on Thursday night.

Jocelyn Peterman and Brett Gallant and Lisa Weagle and John Epping won their crucial qualifiers to advance to the next round of the playoffs at Queens Place Emera Centre in Liverpool.

They’re fighting for a chance to represent Canada at the 2026 Winter Olympics in Italy.

It was a battle between the top teams in each pool.

Peterman and Gallant continued their unbeaten streak with a convincing 8-4 win in seven ends over Rachel Homan and Brendan Bottcher.

Weagle and Epping got past Brittany Tran and Rylan Kleiter 10-5 in their game.

Peterman and Gallant took control early with a score of three in the first and third ends. And they never looked back.

“It’s fun playing those shots where we know where to hit it and we just get to go for it and you’re all in on every shot,” Peterman said.

“We play a lot together. We know what our roles are on the ice,” Gallant said.

“Jocelyn needs to make those big last ones and she did a tremendous job of that tonight. She made a couple of pistols that kind of turned the game for us. We’ve played lots of games before. The communication is there, the trust is there, we’ve got a great team dynamic out on the ice. So just keep leaning into that and keep positive things going forward.”

Weagle and Epping had a closer contest with Tran and Kleiter over the first six ends before scoring two points in ends seven and eight to close it out.

Epping said he’s savouring the win.

“It’s pretty exciting,” he sad. “I’ve never been in this position. My trials record so far (over my career) hasn’t been very good. So it’s nice to have this opportunity especially with Lisa. We’re playing really well right now and looking forward to good things to come.”

Weagle said she loves the challenge of big games like Thursday night.

“I love these moments. This is why I curl. It’s for big games and big moments, and to test ourselves in competition. And to get to do it with John, … this is probably one of our best team games ever, in one of these big moments. but we’re really happy with how we played and how we supported each other.” 

Both teams will now get a bit of a rest. They’ll face each other Friday evening at 7 in the 1-2 playoff game. The winner of that game goes directly to the final on Saturday afternoon at 2. The loser will play in the semifinal on Saturday at 10 a.m.

Homan and Bottcher will play Jim and Jaelyn Cotter in Friday afternoon’s playoff qualifier. And Tran and Kleiter will take on Jennifer Jones and Brent Laing in the other afternoon qualifier.

The winners of those games will play in the 3-4 playoff on Friday at 7 p.m. for a spot in Saturday’s semifinal.

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Rachel Homan and Brendan Bottcher shake hands after their win over Jennifer Jones and Brent Laing on Thursday afternoon. (Curling Canada/ Michael Burns Photo)

The playoffs are set at the 2025 Canadian Mixed Doubles Curling Trials in Liverpool.

Jocelyn Peterman and Brett Gallant survived a close one on Thursday morning to hang on to their undefeated record and go 7-0 heading into the playoffs.

And Brittany Tran and Rylan Kleiter finished with a win to claim top spot in Pool A, just ahead of Rachel Homan and Brendan Bottcher.

Homan and Bottcher triumphed over Jennifer Jones and Brent Laing 6-4 Thursday afternoon.

Earlier Thursday, Lisa Weagle and John Epping snagged second place in Pool B with a 9-5 win over Jennifer Armstrong and Tyrel Griffith.

That sets up a 1-2 playoff with Homan and Bottcher meeting undefeated Peterman and Gallant, and Tran and Kleiter taking on Weagle and Epping. Those games begin at 6 p.m. Thursday at Queens Place Emera Centre.

Gallant said it’s nice to finish the round robin with a perfect record.

“You never know when it might be a benefit for hammer in the playoffs so it’s a big win and we just want to keep the momentum going.”

Bottcher said he and Homan played a good game against Jones and Laing and are looking forward to Thursday’s matchup with Peterman and Gallant.

“They’re playing well, I think we’re playing well. The way the format’s worked this week, I haven’t really seen them on the ice at all. So I’m anticipating a good game tonight. We’re going to have to play well.”

The winners of Thursday’s playoff games go directly to the 1 versus 2 game Friday evening. Then the winners of that game go directly to the final. 

The losers of each game play third-place finishers Jones and Laing and Jaelyn and Jim Cotter on Friday afternoon. The winners of those games will determine the 3 versus 4 game Friday evening.

Jones quickly shook off the loss to Homan and Bottcher. She said the important thing is making the playoffs.

“I don’t care how it ended as long as we got in. That’s how you started the week off, and we got in. So we just have to play a little bit better than we just did; we didn’t play our very best game. But we’re pretty happy to be in the playoffs.”

Jones said the fans in Liverpool have been great all week.

“The Nova Scotia crowd has been amazing. Atlantic Canada is an amazing place to curl and so we’re very grateful to be here and the fans have been awesome and the hospitality’s been great, so it was nice to see a packed arena so hopefully that will continue throughout the playoffs.”

Gallant, who was born in Charlottetown and curled on championship teams with Newfoundland skip Brad Gushue, said it’s nice to be back on the East Coast for the mixed doubles trials.

“I just love Liverpool. It’s got that East Coast feeling that I’ve grown up with and I kind of feel at home here. And it’s nice to see the fans in the stands cheering us on.”

Up-to-date standings and results are available on the Curling Canada website.

There are still some tickets left for the playoff rounds, but they’re selling fast. There are only a few seats available for the final on Saturday afternoon. Tickets are available at Queens Place or through Ticketpro.

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Jennifer Jones and Brent Laing during Draw 12 action Wednesday against Laura Walker and Kirk Muyres. (Curling Canada/ Michael Burns Photo)

The playoff picture at the 2025 Canadian Mixed Doubles Curling Trials in Liverpool is a lot clearer after draws on New Year’s Day.

Three teams secured playoff spots on Wednesday: Jocelyn Peterman and Brett Gallant clinched the top spot on Pool B with their undefeated record of 6-0, Rachel Homan and Brendan Bottcher and Brittany Tran and Rylan Kleiter are tied at the top of Pool A with records of 5-1.

MORE COVERAGE: 2025 Canadian Mixed Doubles Curling Trials

Playoff action begins Thursday evening. The top two teams from each pool cross over to compete for a spot in  the Page 1 versus 2 game, in Curling Canada’s Page Playoff system. The winners of each of those games advance directly to the Page 1 versus 2 game. The losers of each of those first games then have a second chance to advance by playing a third-place team.

The winner of the Page 1 vs 2 game goes on to the final, while the loser has yet another chance in the semi-final as they go against the winner of the Page 3 vs 4 game. 

The team of Jennifer Jones and Brent Laing are still in the playoff picture, tied for third in Pool A. They have a must-win game at 1 p.m. Thursday against Homan and Bottcher.

Reigning Canadian champions Kadriana Lott and Colton Lott also have to win their game this morning against Peterman and Gallant to have a chance at the playoffs.

The semi-final is set for Saturday at 10 a.m., with the final getting underway at 2 p.m.

All games are at Queens Place Emera Centre. 

Full results and standings can be found on the Curling Canada website.

Curling Canada is also livestreaming some games on their YouTube channel here.

Brett Gallant raises his broom after a shot by partner Jocelyn Peterman in the sixth end of their game on Wednesday morning at the 2025 Canadian Mixed Doubles Curling Trials in Liverpool. (Rick Conrad)

Jocelyn Peterman and Brett Gallant rang in the new year with a convincing win on Wednesday morning at the 2025 Canadian Mixed Doubles Curling Trials in Liverpool.

Peterman and Gallant improved their record to 5-0 with the 8-1 victory after six ends over Jim Cotter and Jaelyn Cotter.

Gallant said after the game that they’re happy with their start to the tournament.

“We’re where we want ot be and we’ve been tested most games so it’s been a really good start,” Gallant told QCCR.

“We’re just feeling more comfortable with the ice conditions and with how we’re playing, so just try to keep it going forward. Jocelyn made a really nice shot for two in the first end and it got us off to a really nice start and we made a lot of nice draws after that and we were able to take control.”

They’re at the top of their pool and are one of only two undefeated teams so far as the playoff picture starts to take shape.

Peterman said they haven’t let themselves think yet about the playoffs.

“I think our heads are still on the round robin. We have two big matchups still in our pool so we’re focused on that right now.”

MORE COVERAGE: 2025 Canadian Mixed Doubles Curling Trials

Other winners in the morning draw were Lisa Weagle and John Epping, Kadriana Lott and Colton Lott, and Jennifer Armstrong and Tyrel Griffith.

Rachel Homan and Brendan Bottcher are the other undefeated team at the top of their pool, with a record of 4-0.

Homan and Bottcher’s perfect record will be challenged in the 1:30 draw on Wednesday as they take on Brittany Tran and Rylan Kleiter, who are right behind the leaders in second.

The top three teams in each of the two eight-team pools go on to the playoffs, which begin on Thursday evening.

All teams are on the ice on New Year’s Day for the last full slate of draws in the round robin.

Draws take place Wednesday at 1:30 p.m., 5 p.m. and 8:30 p.m. at Queens Place Emera Centre.

Full results and standings are available on the Curling Canada website.

And live streaming for afternoon and evening games is on the Curling Canada YouTube channel.

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Rachel Homan and Brendan Bottcher are one of two undefeated teams at the 2025 Canadian Mixed Doubles Curling Trials in Liverpool. (Curling Canada/ Michael Burns Photo)

Two teams remain undefeated going into Wednesday’s draws at the 2025 Canadian Mixed Doubles Curling Trials at Queens Place Emera Centre in Liverpool.

Rachel Homan and Brendan Bottcher, and Jocelyn Peterman and Brett Gallant are at the top of their respective pools with a record of 4-0.

MORE COVERAGE: 2025 Canadian Mixed Doubles Curling Trials

Homan and Bottcher curled to two convincing wins on Tuesday, while Peterman and Gallant capitalized in an extra end over Melissa Adams and Alex Robichaud in an afternoon draw before beating Lisa Weagle and John Epping in the evening draw.

The top three teams in each of the two eight-team pools go on to the playoffs, which begin on Thursday evening.

All teams are on the ice on New Year’s Day for the last full slate of draws in the round robin.

Draws take place Wednesday at 10 a.m., 1:30 p.m., 5 p.m. and 8:30 p.m. at Queens Place.

Full results and standings are available on the Curling Canada website.

And live streaming for afternoon and evening games is on the Curling Canada YouTube channel.

Email: rickconradqccr@gmail.com

Scott Pfeifer, a former world and Canadian curling champion, gives a rundown of what makes mixed doubles curling unique. (Rick Conrad)

As 32 curlers compete this week in Liverpool for a chance to represent Canada at the 2026 Winter Olympics in Italy, how much do you know about mixed doubles curling?

The 2025 Canadian Mixed Doubles Curling Trials began on Monday and finish up on Saturday at Queens Place Emera Centre.

While you may be familiar with the rules of traditional four-person-to-a-team curling, there are some differences in the mixed doubles game.

FULL COVERAGE: 2025 Canadian Mixed Doubles Curling Trials

So we asked one of the people uniquely qualified to give us a primer on the basics of the mixed doubles game versus traditional curling.

Scott Pfeifer is in Liverpool this week for the trials. He is the national team coach and program manager for mixed doubles with Curling Canada. Pfeifer is also a four-time world champion and a five-time Brier champion.

First of all, some of the fundamentals are the same in both disciplines. Teams play on the same size ice surface, with the same rings and the same basic rules. 

“The real basic ones would be if you’re throwing a draw, that means you’re basically throwing the rock so that it’ll stop in the rings,” Pfeifer says.

“If you’re throwing a takeout, you’re actually taking out another stone. 
So you’re throwing it hard enough to remove the other stone from the rings. … The button is basically the centre, almost like the bull’s-eye, whoever is closest to the button at the end of the end scores points.

“Where someone’s aiming at the beginning, the shot is not where the rock ends up. So the rock, depending on whether you turn the handle left or right will travel in that direction.”

Unlike in the traditional game, in mixed doubles, there are two placement stones, one for each team, marked with an X.

“The biggest thing that you would notice is at the start of every end, there’s two placement stones. One is a guard right on the centre line and the other one is placed back four-foot. 
So the team that has a hammer, typically places their rock in the back four foot (ring), and basically those rocks are part of the the entire end and can be counted as scoring rocks as well.

“It adds a little bit more excitement. 
There’s already rocks in play. They can’t be removed. and there’s only five rocks per team every end, not including the placement stones. So the ends go really quick, but they’re also very action-packed because there’s a lot of rocks in play. “

Those placement stones can be knocked out only after there are five rocks in play.

“Until that point, no rocks can be removed, whether they’re in front, in the free-guard zone or in the rings.”

There’s also a rule unique to mixed doubles curling called a “power play”.

“A team each game has one time where they can exercise their power play option,” Pfeifer says, “which means moving those stones from the centre line over to the edge of the eight-foot (ring). 
And essentially what that does is it creates a little more offensive ability for the team to maybe score a few more points.

“So at the beginning of every end, those stones are placed and whether they’re placed on the centre line or on the edge of the eight-foot is the decision of the team with the hammer. But you can only use the power play once a game.” 

In mixed doubles, teams can consist of only two players — one male, one female. No alternates are allowed. The games are shorter too, eight ends versus the 10 ends of traditional curling.

“There’s five rocks in an end, so one person throws either the first and the fifth rock of the end, the other teammate throws two, three and four of the end. 
And that can actually be switched every end if they want to.”

Scoring in mixed doubles is basically the same too, with the team with the most rocks closest to the button counting points in each end. In a regular curling match, teams can hold on to their last-shot advantage, otherwise known as the hammer, by blanking an end. Not so in mixed doubles.

“The only thing with mixed doubles curling as well that’s a little different is if you blank an end, you actually lose the hammer,” Pfeifer says. “So not very often in mixed doubles curling, do you see a blank end because then it’s to the advantage of the other team.

“In mixed doubles curling it’s one of those ones where if you miss your first shot of the end, it can get you in loads of trouble and you don’t have a whole lot of time to basically recoup that missed shot. 
So it can lead to a lot of crazy linescores and very entertaining games.”

Pfeifer says it’s one the reasons mixed doubles curling can be a faster, exciting game.

“I think it’s very unique dynamics when you only have two athletes on the ice. It’s very fast-paced and there’s lots of rocks in play. 
So I would just encourage people to go and give it a chance and try to understand the rules and I think you’ll fall in love with it just like most people have with the four-person game.”

The round robin at the 2025 Canadian Mixed Doubles Curling Trials are on at Queens Place Emera Centre continues until Thursday, with playoffs beginning Thursday evening.

Full results and standings can be found on the Curling Canada website.

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Brittany Tran and Rylan Kleiter during Draw 5 action on Tuesday at the 2025 Canadian Mixed Doubles Curling Trials in Liverpool. (Curling Canada/Michael Burns)

Two teams are at 3-0 after the first five draws at the 2025 Canadian Mixed Doubles Curling Trials in Liverpool.

Laura Walker and Kirk Muyres are on top of Pool A, along with Rachel Homan and Brendan Bottcher.

FULL COVERAGE: 2025 Canadian Mixed Doubles Curling Trials

In Pool B, three teams are undefeated at 2-0: Lisa Weagle and John Epping, father-daughter team Jim Cotter and Jaelyn Cotter and Jocelyn Peterman and Brett Gallant.

In Tuesday morning’s action, Walker and Muyres beat Brittany Tran and Rylan Kleiter 9-3 in six ends. Other morning winners were Jennifer Jones and Brent Laing, Paige Papley and Evan van Amsterdam and Homan and Bottcher.

A battle of the undefeateds is shaping up for the 4 p.m. draw, with Homan and Bottcher taking on Walker and Muyres. In the 12:30 draw, two of the top teams in Pool B will go head to head as the Cotters take on Weagle and Epping.

Tuesday’s final draw takes place at 7:30 p.m.

The round robin continues until Thursday, when the playoffs are set, with the top three teams from each pool competing for a spot in the final on Saturday.

All games are at Queens Place Emera Centre.

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Jennifer Jones and Brent Laing in first-draw action at the 2025 Canadian Mixed Doubles Curling Trials at Queens Place Emera Centre in Liverpool on Monday. (Rick Conrad)

UPDATED 3:45 p.m. MONDAY

Some of the favourites were early winners on Monday at the 2025 Canadian Mixed Doubles Curling Trials at Queens Place Emera Centre in Liverpool.

Sixteen teams are competing for a chance to represent Canada at the 2026 Winter Olympics in Italy.

The winning team here will represent Canada at the 2025 World Mixed Doubles Championship in April in Fredericton. That event also serves as a qualifier for the Olympics. If Canada qualifies there, it will be the winning team from Liverpool who will go on to the Olympics in Italy.

FULL COVERAGE: 2025 Canadian Mixed Doubles Curling Trials

Some of the biggest names in Canadian curling are at Queens Place Emera Centre this week. 

Teams are divided into two pools of eight during the round robin, which goes until Thursday. The top three teams from each pool then advance to a six-team playoff.

In the first draw Monday morning, Rachel Homan and Brendan Bottcher beat Paige Papley and Evan van Amsterdam 8-2 in six ends.

Bottcher and Homan said afterwards that they were happy with how they began the tournament.

“We played great,” Bottcher said. “I thought it was awesome to come out at the start of the week and have a real good game, but it’s going to be a long week so we’re going to have to keep playing well.”

“It was great to finally get on the ice and game mode,” Homan said, “just see how it felt for speeds and how the ice held up and it was great out there.”

Other winners on Monday morning were Jennifer Jones and Brent Laing, Laura Walker and Kirk Muyres, and Brittany Tran and Rylan Kleiter.

Local organizers were happy to get the first games under their belt. And they’re hoping curling fans will come out to some of the action.

“It’s coming along great,” said Kim Thorbourne-Whalen, vice-chair of the Liverpool Championship Host Society.

“It’s been a year, year and a half in the making and just to have to the opening cermeonies last night, it was a good crowd. It’s been great seeing all these big names … in Liverpool, on our ice, in our community, it’s amazing. For the final draw, there are only 60 seats available. We still have a lot of tickets (available) through the week.”

On Sunday evening, the Dartmouth and District Pipe Band kicked off the opening ceremonies at Queens Place. Mi’kmaw artist Melissa Labrador and her family performed a smudging ceremony. And Queens MLA Kim Masland, Region of Queens Mayor Scott Christian and Thorbourne-Whalen welcomed athletes and fans. Curling Canada’s Scott Pfeifer officially opened the trials.

Draws continue at Queens Place Emera Centre on Monday at 4 p.m. and 7:30 p.m. Tuesday’s draws are set for 9 a.m., 12:30 p.m., 4 p.m. and 7:30 p.m. Up-to-date results and full schedule are available at the Curling Canada website. 

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Greg Ewasko is the head ice technician for Curling Canada. (Rick Conrad)

The 2025 Canadian Mixed Doubles Curling Trials are set to begin in Liverpool at Queens Place Emera Centre.

The competition runs from Dec. 30 to Jan. 4. It will see 16 teams vying to represent Canada at the 2026 Winter Olympics in Italy. Tickets are still available at Queens Place or through Ticketpro.

Practices, which are open to the public, began on Saturday. And the opening ceremonies are scheduled for 7 p.m. on Sunday at Queens Place.

But before all of that, specialized curling ice had to be installed at Queens Place, with help from some local volunteers. QCCR spoke to the man who made it happen, Curling Canada’s head ice technician Greg Ewasko.

Here’s part of that conversation below.

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The Liverpool junior curling program at the Liverpool Curling Club teaches youth from 5 to 19. (Rick Conrad)

The possible next generation of Brad Gushues or Colleen Joneses head to the Liverpool Curling Club twice a week to work on their throwing, sweeping and hurrying hard.

The Liverpool junior curling program counts about 26 Queens County youth from five to 19 years old. 

Instructors teach the kids various skills during the hour-long sessions twice a week. The youth work toward certain benchmarks and gaining badges before going on to the next level. 

QCCR dropped in on a session on a recent Saturday to see what it was all about. Here are some of the sounds and people involved in the Liverpool junior curling program.

You can listen below

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QCCR acknowledges the assistance of the Community Radio Fund of Canada’s Local Journalism Initiative

Greg Thorbourne is the chairman of the Liverpool Championship Host Society, which is organizing the 2025 Mixed Doubles Curling Trials in Liverpool. (Rick Conrad)

Some of Canada’s top curlers will be ringing in the new year in Liverpool as they compete to represent Canada at the 2026 Winter Olympics in Italy.

Local organizers are putting the final touches on the 2025 Canadian Mixed Doubles Curling Trials. It will be held at Queens Place Emera Centre from Dec. 30 to Jan. 4.

It’s the first of three major qualifying events in Nova Scotia for the 2026 Winter Olympics. Wolfville is hosting the full-team Canadian pre-trials in October 2025, and Halifax will host the Canadian curling trials in November 2025.

Canada won the first-ever mixed doubles curling Olympic gold medal in the sport’s debut at the 2018 games in South Korea.

Greg Thorbourne is the chairman of the Liverpool Championship Host Society. He says the 16 teams all have their plane tickets and hotel rooms booked, and they start arriving just after Christmas.

“There’s Olympic champions and there’s world champions coming,” Thorbourne told QCCR.

“The who’s who in curling will be here. Jennifer Jones, (Brent) Laing, Lisa Weagle, (Rachel) Homan. It boggles my mind to see this caliber coming to small-town Nova Scotia.”

In addition to Olympic gold medallist Jones, some of the other big-name Canadian curlers coming to Liverpool are reigning world curling champion Rachel Homan, former Canadian champ Brendan Bottcher, and a host of other Canadian, world and Olympic medallists.

“All the names that are on these big teams that play in the events, they’re all gonna be here. It’s super to see. Mixed doubles is probably the fastest curling game on ice.” 

Thorbourne said he expects the event to be a big boon to the local economy.

“This is worth probably over $1 million to the economy of Liverpool and area. You have 16 teams staying plus their coaches, every staff member from Curling Canada will be here and high-performance coaches and everybody else that I’ve talked to through Curling Canada in the last couple of weeks is going to be here in Liverpool. So the place will be humping with outside people between Christmas and New Year’s, a big boost to the economy.”

Four sheets of curling ice will be installed at Queens Place, with professional ice makers arriving on Dec. 22 and working through till the 27th. 

Practices begin on Dec. 28, with the opening ceremonies scheduled for Dec. 29 at 7 p.m.

Thorbourne says the practices and opening ceremony are all free. And that will be the best time to meet the players.

“Watch the teams practice, meet the teams, they’ll be floating around the facility those two days.

“And afterwards, the players will be hanging out, so if you want autographs or pictures with these players, most of them are very accommodating. They love to talk to people.”

Mixed doubles curling is a quicker game than traditional curling, usually taking less than an hour. Each team throws five stones per end. The scoring is the same as in traditional curling, but there are a few other differences which add to its appeal.

“(Fans) can’t see better curling anywhere, and it’s going to be live and you’re gonna be able to meet the players. Queens Place has good seating and there’s not a bad seat in the place.”

About 14 government and private sponsors are helping cover the costs of the $255,000 event, including Mersey Seafoods, ACOA, Province of Nova Scotia, Region of Queens, Best Western Plus, Source Atlantic/Len’s Plumbing & Heating, Belliveau/Veinotte, Liverpool Lions Club, Tim Hortons Liverpool, Sobeys, Culligan, Dixie Lee, Arby’s, and Home Hardware.

Organizers have also recruited more than 100 volunteers from the community.

Thorbourne says the host society is also selling tickets on a heat pump with installation. People can contact the organizers through the Liverpool Championship Host Society Facebook page to buy tickets.

Tickets for the event are available at Queens Place Emera Centre or through Ticketpro. The action will be livestreamed on the Curling Canada website. 

Here’s a full list of teams competing in Liverpool:

• Kadriana Lott/Colton Lott (Gimli, Man.) – 2024 Canadian Mixed Doubles Championship gold medallists
• Laura Walker/Kirk Muyres (Edmonton/Humboldt, Sask.) – 2024 Canadian Mixed Doubles Championship silver medallists
• Jocelyn Peterman/Brett Gallant (Chestermere, Alta.) – 2024 Canadian Mixed Doubles Championship bronze medallists
• Nancy Martin/Steve Laycock (Wakaw, Sask./Saskatoon) 
• Jennifer Jones/Brent Laing (Barrie, Ont.) 
• Brittany Tran/Rylan Kleiter (Calgary/Saskatoon) 
• Rachel Homan/Brendan Bottcher (Beaumont, Alta./Spruce Grove, Alta.) 
• Jennifer Armstrong/Tyrel Griffith (Rothesay, N.B./Kelowna, B.C.) 
• Riley Sandham/Brendan Craig (Guelph, Ont.)
• Lisa Weagle/John Epping (Ottawa/Toronto) 
• Taylor Reese-Hansen/Corey Chester (Kitimat, B.C./Victoria) 
• Anne-Sophie Gionest/Robert Desjardins (Alma, Que./Saguenay, Que.) 
• Melissa Adams/Alex Robichaud (Fredericton, N.B.)
• Jessica Zheng/Victor Pietrangelo (Niagara Falls, Ont.) 
• Paige Papley/Evan Van Amsterdam (Edmonton)
• Jaelyn Cotter/Jim Cotter (Vernon, B.C.) 

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Organizers say Liverpool water conservation measures could add unexpected costs to the Canadian mixed doubles curling trials Dec. 30 to Jan. 4 at Queens Place Emera Centre. (Pixabay)

Water conservation measures in Liverpool may affect the Canadian mixed doubles curling trials being held in the area at the end of the year.

Event organizers may be on the hook for unexpected costs to replace the water they use during the event, which runs from Dec. 30 to Jan. 4 at Queens Place Emera Centre. 

The Region of Queens has been asking municipal water users to cut their consumption in half. Because of a lack of fall rainfall, water levels in the Town Lake Reservoir are uncharacteristically low.

RELATED: Buy tickets online through Ticketpro

Greg Thorbourne, chairman of the Liverpool Championship Host Society, said this week that if the area doesn’t get substantial amounts of rain soon, the group may have to truck in water to replace what they’ll use during the event.

“Everybody’s being asked to use 50 per cent less and they expect us to use 50 per cent less and/or replace the water we use. So we’re trying to implement plans now to make that happen.

“That’s going to be a big cost if we have to go that route. We’re doing everything we can, praying for rain, fingers crossed and toes crossed that it doesn’t happen. But if it does, we have to be ready for it and buy water from somewhere.”

The area got about 45 millimetres of rain on Thursday, according to Environment Canada. It’s unclear if that’s enough to help. Nobody from the region was available for an interview this week.

Even though the trials are being held at the municipally owned Queens Place, Thorbourne said the host society may have to truck in water from an approved source to replenish the reservoir.

Seven teams have qualified already for the event. Up to 16 teams are expected to compete in Liverpool for the chance to represent Canada in mixed doubles curling at the 2026 Winter Olympics in Italy.

It appeared earlier in the week that the event may have received an unexpected financial boost.

The J&W Murphy Foundation donated almost $149,927 to the Region of Queens. The foundation suggested the money be used to enhance curling infrastructure, programs and services in Liverpool.

In June, Mersey Seafoods also announced its sponsorship of the event.

Mersey Seafoods is owned by the Murphy family. But it is a separate entity from the foundation.

At their meeting on Monday, councillors voted to give $112,427 to the Liverpool Curling Club and $37,500 to the host society. 

Thorbourne said the funding from the foundation via the region was money they had expected. 

The foundation’s Lisa Murphy told QCCR that it can donate only to registered charities and other qualified organizations. The region is one of them.

“So we expressed a preference and that’s all we did and then after that, we step back,” she said. “As the donor, we can’t insist on it and we can’t get a refund if they don’t do it. The separation has to be there. It has to be entirely in the control of the region.”

There was some confusion at the council meeting on Monday about the Murphy Foundation donation.

Coun. Courtney Wentzell asked whether it was the foundation’s wish that the money go to both groups.

“So it’s not a coincidence that it’s the exact same money to a tee that Murphys gave us and the curling club wants,” he said.

CAO Cody Joudry said it’s up to the region to decide how the money is spent.

“I don’t think there’s any reason to hold onto any of it,” Joudry said.

Thorbourne said any donations are appreciated as the event draws closer.

“We’re just looking for support where we can get it,” he said.

“It’s a major event when you stop and think that the winner from here goes directly to the Olympics. For a small community like Liverpool, just to be involved in something of this magnitude, the community should be proud of putting it on.

“Anything you can do to help us out business-wise, if you can’t afford to put up dollars and cents, maybe they can donate some food for the volunteers. There’s all kinds of different ways you can help.”

About 100 volunteers have already signed up to help. Thorbourne said that if businesses or individuals want to contribute, they can contact him, Lorna MacPherson, Melissa Robinson, Ralph Gidney or Kim Whalen. They can also get in touch through the organizers’ Facebook page.

Full event packages and single tickets are available from Queens Place Emera Centre or through Ticketpro.

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QCCR acknowledges the support of the Community Radio Fund of Canada’s Local Journalism Initiative

Mike Murphy of Mersey Seafoods announces the company’s sponsorship of the Canadian mixed doubles curling trials, beginning Dec. 30 at Queens Place Emera Centre in Liverpool. (Rick Conrad)

As one of the people bringing the Canadian mixed doubles curling trials to Liverpool in December, you’d expect Greg Thorbourne to love the sport.

“I used to hate mixed doubles,” he told a crowd on Monday at the Liverpool Curling Club.

“I thought, ‘Who the hell would ever play that game?’”

But after working at the last two national mixed doubles curling events, the longtime booster of curling in Queens County was quickly converted.

“Watching the calibre of curling, the shots made, the number of rocks in play, I don’t think there’s a better game in this world than mixed doubles.”

Thorbourne, chairman of the Liverpool Championship Host Society, was speaking at an event at the curling club Monday to kick off the volunteer recruitment effort for the mixed doubles curling trials planned for Dec. 30 to Jan. 4 at Queens Place Emera Centre.

The host society has been working on securing the trials since last June.

It’s the first of three major qualifying events in Nova Scotia for the 2026 Winter Olympics. Wolfville is hosting the full-team Canadian pre-trials in October 2025, and Halifax will host the Canadian curling trials in November 2025.

Sixteen teams will compete in Liverpool for the chance to represent Canada in mixed doubles curling in Italy.

Queens MLA Kim Masland speaks at an event at the Liverpool Curling Club on Monday to kick off volunteer recruitment for the Canadian mixed doubles curling trials in December in Liverpool. (Rick Conrad)

About 50 people turned out for the event in Liverpool on Monday, including Queens MLA and Public Works Minister Kim Masland, Region of Queens Mayor Darlene Norman and Liverpool native Jill Brothers, who skipped Canada to a silver medal at the 2004 world junior championships.

Thorbourne said he’d like to have about 150 volunteers for the event. Liverpool hosted the 2021 pre-trial curling trials, where the volunteer numbers were lower because of Covid.

“Normally, we have between 135 and 150. With Covid the last time, we were down around 85 so this time we’re looking at getting back up so that people don’t have to spend as many hours on site as they did the last time.”

He said they’re already getting calls from across Canada from people who want to volunteer.

“Last week, I got two calls from B.C., three from Ontario, a couple from up North, a few from Alberta, the Prairies. This is the first of three Olympic trial events in Nova Scotia. So a lot of these people will come here and get trained, work here and move forward.”

Mike Murphy, chief financial and chief operating officer of Mersey Seafoods, also announced the Liverpool company’s sponsorship of the $255,000 event.

“We want to be part of the community and we want to give back to the community when we can,” he said in an interview. “And we think events like this are really good to showcase Liverpool, the South Shore, Queens County. It puts us on the world stage. People show up from all over Nova Scotia, Canada, all over the world and we think it’s great to showcase our community.”

The value of the sponsorship was not disclosed, but Thorbourne said later that it is “substantial”. The Region of Queens has also committed $19,140 to the event. Thorbourne said they are working on other sponsorships too.

Many people at Monday’s kickoff were signing up to volunteer. Valerie Lantz of Liverpool was one of them.

This will be her third curling event in Liverpool. She volunteered at the 2021 pre-trials and the 2019 World Junior Curling Championships.

“I was a curler, … so that’s what brings me to this. Now that I’m retired i can spend the time doing this sort of thing and i thoroughly enjoy it.”

She said the event will bring much-needed business to the community at a slow time of year.

“This will put people in rooms in hotels and in restaurants. And mixed curling, it’s such a high-energy fast sport, I think it will create new patrons to the event.”

Lantz said that volunteering at the curling trials in December will be worth your time.

“You’ll meet people not only from Liverpool volunteering but people from probably around the province. It’s just so much fun. And you get to see some great curling.”

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Lorna MacPherson, vice-president of the Liverpool Curling Club. (Rick Conrad photo)

By Rick Conrad

The Liverpool Curling Club will be hosting some of the best curlers in Nova Scotia starting on Thursday.

The provincial mixed doubles championship will be held from Feb. 1 to 4 at the club in downtown Liverpool. Twelve teams will be competing to represent Nova Scotia at the Canadian championships in Fredericton from March 17 to 22.

Club vice-president Lorna MacPherson says it’s a great chance to see some high-level curling.

“The games are approximately an hour and a half in length and they’re fun to watch because it’s fast curling. It makes it really fun for spectators to watch the games.”

Canada won the first ever mixed doubles curling Olympic gold medal in the sport’s debut at the 2018 games in South Korea.

“It has created quite a following and it’s becoming more and more popular.”

MacPherson, who is co-chairing the event with Cheryl Innes, says they hosted it last year with nine teams competing. This year’s 12 teams also include hometown duo Matt Sheffield and Megan Trimm, who will be representing the Liverpool Curling Club.

The mixed doubles championship is free. People can just drop in for any of the games or practices beginning Thursday morning at 9:30. 

“So our kitchen will be open for breakfast and for lunches and we welcome anybody from the community to come in and join us,” MacPherson says. “It’s certainly going to be fun curling to watch but we also are going to have great food to enjoy and I think they’ll find that it will be very warm hospitality at the curling club.”

All four of the rink’s ice sheets will be in play. There will be two draws on Thursday at 2 p.m. and 7 p.m.. And three on Friday, Saturday and Sunday. 

“We welcome the community. We want people to come in, and feel free to ask questions if they don’t understand what’s happening. It’s an opportunity for people in our community to see some fun curling, but also these are competitors, they’re athletes, they want to win and so there’s the combination of the competitiveness but in an environment that everybody can enjoy.”

Full details, including a schedule, will be posted on the Liverpool Curling Club’s Facebook page, and updated through the event.

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Curling rings. Photo Ed Halverson

Queens County will play host to another high profile sporting event this fall.

Curling Canada has announced the Home Hardware Curling Pre-Trials will be held at Queens Place in Liverpool October 26-31.

Winners of the tournament will advance to the Tim Horton Curling Trials in Saskatoon where teams will compete to represent Canada at the 2022 Winter Olympics in Beijing.

Liverpool Championship Host Society chair Greg Thorbourne says their record for hosting successful major events paired with a large pool of dedicated volunteers made Liverpool an easy choice to host the event.

“When you have a good group of volunteers that are willing to step forward then events become easier to put on and reputations travel fast in the community of hosting and they don’t hesitate a lot to give us these events,” said Thorbourne.

A championship of this size normally requires 150 to 180 volunteers.

Region of Queens mayor Darlene Norman says she’s excited to see the region and Queens Place once again being featured on the national stage.

“It’s been two years since we’ve really had any large event in there,” said Norman. “So we’re looking forward to welcome curlers across Canada back to our home again.”

Thorbourne hopes this event will help bring more business to the local economy.

He’s concerned if the province doesn’t get to the fifth phase of its reopening plan organizers may not be able to open ticket sales to the public.

“So that’s what we’re looking at now is trying to get to Phase 5, hopefully, so that we can sell tickets,” said Thorbourne. “If we can’t then we will be having an event without any ticket sales.”

So long as Nova Scotia can reach Phase 5 reopening, Thorbourne is optimistic tickets will sell out even if it doesn’t happen until the end of September.

Thorbourne says due to the condensed timeline and COVID restrictions the upcoming event is one of the more difficult this group has organized.

“Most of this stuff should’ve been done six to eight months ago and we’re still in the process of doing it. But we’ll catch up and when it’s all said and done it will be another great event,” said Thorbourne.

Games will be live streamed throughout the event and the finals will be broadcast on TSN.

Anyone looking to volunteer can do so through the Liverpool Championship Host Society Facebook page.

E-mail: edhalversonnews@gmail.com
Twitter: @edwardhalverson

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