Canada Winter Games

Organization

Nova Scotia Curling (NSC) is responsible for delivering a program to manage the selection and development of NSC CWG Curling Representatives. NSC will select one boy’s team, one girls team, and new in 2023, one mixed doubles team.

The 2023 Nova Scotia Curling CWG Selection Committee will be comprised of High Performance Coach (Bruce Lohnes) and Executive Director (Virginia Jackson). 

The mission of this committee is two-fold: Firstly, encourage and facilitate the growth and development of curling within the province of Nova Scotia. This will be accomplished by providing CWG aged curlers various training opportunities through on and off-ice training sessions or spiels and encourage participation in as many selected spiels as possible. The objective is to prepare a high level, dedicated, unified team viable of medaling at the 2023 CWG in PEI. Secondly, facilitate the selection process, ensuring the selection of the most competitive teams to represent NS. Teams will be selected through an open qualifying process.

2019 Canada Winter Games Teams

Objectives

The objectives of the CWG Selection Committee are not only the selection of teams but also to ensure that there is a development program in place that will increase the potential of Team NS being on the podium.  It is also intended that teams and athletes other than the eventual CWG teams will benefit from this process, further enhancing the NS Junior Development Program for the long-term benefit of the sport.

Selection Process

Four boys and four girl’s teams will qualify from two Pre-Trials events (tentatively scheduled for November 2021 and January 2022) who will move on to the final Trials (tentatively scheduled for March 2022). Teams must retain at least three of the original team line-up to compete in the final Trials event.

The Mixed Doubles Selection Event will be an open event with no limitations of the number of entries.  This event is tentatively scheduled for November 2022.

Eligibility

Under-18 for both Men’s and Women’s Four-Person same gender team disciplines (LTAD Learn to Compete Stage). Competitors shall be a maximum of 17 years of age on June 30th, 2022. Born on or after July 1st, 2004. Four (4) athletes and one (1) coach per team. The coach must be a Certified Competition Development Coach OR Certified Competition (Competition Introduction) Coach with specialized Canada Winter Games Professional Development Module.  The coach must be at least 21 years of age.

As well, it has been formally announced that the 2023 CWG will see the debut of the Mixed Doubles discipline.

Under-20 for the Mixed Doubles team discipline (LTAD Train to Compete Stage)

Competitors shall be a maximum of 19 years of age on June 30th, 2022. Born on or after July 1st, 2002. One (1) female athlete, one (1) male athlete and one (1) coach per team. The coach must be a Certified Competition Development Coach OR Certified Competition (Competition Introduction) Coach with specialized Canada Winter Games Professional Development Module. Minimum age 21.

NOTE: The winning athletes in male four-person team play cannot compete in both disciplines at the 2023 CWG (schedule overlap). A female athlete can compete in both the women’s team event and the mixed doubles event, if she is eligible and qualifies for both events.

There are no alternate athletes allowed for either the Four-Person Teams or Mixed Doubles Teams. A pool of age eligible spares from the local community will be available. Each team will have one curling coach and the Provincial Canada Games Chef de Mission who will ensure there is a plan for teams from their province to adhere to the Rule of 2 for the safety of their athletes throughout the Games. 

Excluded from the Canada Games are:

  • Senior National Team members defined as athletes who have held an SR, SR1, SR2 or C1 card at any time; and/or athletes who are part of (on the roster of) a standing Senior National Team (i.e. recognized as a senior National Team member regardless of event participation)
  • Athletes who have previously competed at any of the following events: Olympic Games, World Men’s or Women’s Curling Championships, World Mixed Doubles Curling Championships, FISU Games.

CWG 2023 Event Schedule

Week 1 (Feb 16-24, 2023) Women’s Teams in Summerside

Week 2 (Feb 25-March 4, 2023) Men’s Teams in Summerside

Week 2 (Feb 25-March 4, 2023) Mixed Doubles in Montague

The schedules will overlap in the second week so males will not be able to participate in both events during the Games. A female athlete can compete in both the Women’s Team event and the Mixed Doubles event if she is age eligible and qualifies for both events. 

Athletes and coaches will stay at UPEI in Charlottetown and be bussed to the venues. Curling games in Summerside will be held at the Silverfox Entertainment Complex and curling games in Montague will be held at the Montague Curling Club. Formats and schedules have not yet been determined.

About the Canada Winter Games

The Canada Winter Games (CWG) were first held in 1967 in Quebec City as part of Canada’s Centennial celebrations. The CWG are held every four years. Athletes from ages 12 to 20 qualify through a provincial selection process conducted by the Provincial Sport Organizations (PSOs).

For many athletes, the CWG are the initial high point of their curling career and are often a stepping stone towards participating in the Junior Nationals, the Brier and STOH, and Olympic Games.

The province of Prince Edward Island has been officially named host of the 2023 CWG. Having hosted the 1991 CWG, 2023 will mark the second time the CWG are hosted in the province of Prince Edward Island.

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