Curling rings. Photo Ed Halverson

The group bringing the Canadian mixed doubles curling trials to Liverpool is getting a little over $19,000 in funding from the Region of Queens.

Councillors unanimously approved the $19,140 in funding this week for the Liverpool Championship Host Society. District 2 Coun. Ralph Gidney declared a conflict of interest because he is a director of the society. He abstained from voting.

The funding comes from the municipality’s community investment fund. There was about $22,418 left over in the fund before councillors granted the society’s request. 

The host society originally asked for $25,000. Councillors agreed to the lower amount because staff said the society’s cash assets and budget surplus were above the threshold that would have allowed for full funding.

Total projected expenses for the event are just over $255,200. 

Mayor Darlene Norman reminded councillors that with this funding, the $175,000 community investment fund is essentially depleted for this year, with about $3,000 remaining. But it does have about a $200,000 accumulated surplus.

The Canadian mixed doubles curling trials are one of three major qualifying events in Nova Scotia for the 2026 Winter Olympics. Wolfville is hosting the Canadian pre-trials in October 2025, Halifax will host the Canadian curling trials in November 2025, and Liverpool will host the mixed doubles curling trials at Queens Place Emera Centre this Dec. 30 to Jan. 4.

Email: rickconradqccr@gmail.com

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.

Email: rickconradqccr@gmail.com

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