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.) 

Email: rickconradqccr@gmail.com

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Privateer Days parade. Photo Ed Halverson

The 2023 edition of Liverpool’s Privateer Days will have a noticeably family feel compared to previous years.

Visitors will still find an historic encampment, a spooky graveyard tour, and the Kings Orange Rangers performing an historical re-enactment.

The shift began last year when organizers decided to replace the waterfront beer gardens with an all-ages entertainment tent.

The Privateer Days committee didn’t want to compete with local businesses already offering beverage service.

Anyone making their way to the waterfront tent can enjoy local entertainers all weekend, an open mic Friday evening, a magician and face painting for the kids.

Treasurer of the Privateer Days organizing committee Min Thiele says along with the requisite pirates and period costumes, people will still find their favourite parts of the weekend.

The event begins Friday evening with the festival closing part of Main Street.

“We’re going to have live music with the Merchants Market downtown, shutting it down,” said Thiele. “Hopefully coordinating with Dixie Lee to have a French Fry eating contest for the kids, some fire spinners, which is a new addition as well, and then just kind of leading off into the evening.”

Last year Thiele and her husband marched in the parade ahead of being married in the official colonial wedding service.

Organizers tried but couldn’t find another couple to tie the knot in the service this year but may have a couple willing to renew their vows.

The wedding is an example of the melding of history and community in the annual event.

Another is the selection of a Parade Marshall.

Organizers are looking for someone who exemplifies Queens County to lead the floats through town on Saturday June 24.

The list of potential names includes Special Olympians, former doctors, businesspeople, and community activists and continues to grow.

Submissions are being accepted until June 11 and the Marshall will be announced June 12.

The carnival rides were unavailable this year, but Thiele says the inflatables coming in from Halifax Inflatables and Yarmouth Big Bounce will attract attention from young and old alike.

“I would love to get into an inflatable hamster ball in a pool and go one on one with somebody else. There’s going to be a lot of things. I don’t think they’re just going to be for kids.”

Thiele says the event will be bigger than last year and organizers are still looking for volunteers willing to staff the visitor information booth and help tend to the barricades for the parade.

Anyone willing to lend a hand can contact organizers through the Privateer Days Facebook page.

Privateer Days runs June 23 – 25 in Liverpool.

E-mail: edhalversonnews@gmail.com

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