The City of Brandon’s Community Services Department and the Valleyview Community Centre Board of Directors are pleased to announce that the new Valleyview Community Centre ice rink and warm-up building will officially open for public use as of 6 p.m. today. The construction of a new ice rink and four-season comfort building was part of the City of Brandon’s larger Valleyview Recreation Hub project, an overall investment of approximately $980,000 into the community. The new ice rink measures 53 metres by 23 metres and the warm-up building is fully accessible and connected to the Centre’s washroom facilities. The provision of Hydro poles and flood lighting for the ice surface was salvaged from the centre’s previous rink facility. The City of Brandon would like to take this opportunity to express its thanks to all the Valleyview Community Centre volunteers who have spent countless hours preparing the ice surface over the past month, including the addition of all paint markings. Meanwhile, a grand opening for the overall Valleyview Recreation Hub project, which includes an 18-feature spray park and various greenspace enhancements, will be held in the spring.

A quartet of Canadian curling championships will be on the line in Portage la Prairie, Man., over a nine-day stretch of March 2020, it was announced today by Curling Canada. The 2020 Canadian Senior Men’s and Women’s Championships, the Canad Inns Canadian Mixed Doubles Championships, the U SPORTS/Curling Canada Curling Championships, and the Canadian Collegiate Athletic Association (CCAA)/Curling Canada Championships will take place between March 13 and March 22. The two varsity events will run March 13-17; the Canadian Seniors will be played March 17-22 and the Canad Inns Canadian Mixed Doubles Championship will be staged March 18-22. “This is a wonderful opportunity for the dedicated curling fans of Manitoba to be able to watch a wide array of talent in one community,” said Maureen Miller, Chair of Curling Canada’s Board of Governors. “Portage la Prairie has shown in the past that it has a superb group of volunteers, and I know they’re ready to get to work to make sure curlers, fans and officials are welcomed with open arms.” The four events will be staged at both Stride Place and the Portage Curling Club. Stride Place, which opened in 2010, has 1,675 seats in its main arena, and is home to the Manitoba Junior Hockey League’s Portage Terriers. It also played host to the 2018 Canad Inns Canadian Mixed Doubles Trials, where Kaitlyn Lawes and John Morris captured gold, and then went on to win Olympic gold in Pyeongchang. “The City of Portage la Prairie is excited to host some of Canada’s best and brightest curlers in March 2020 and showcase what we have to offer to a national audience once again,” said Portage la Prairie Mayor Irvine Ferris. The U SPORTS and CCAA championships are being staged jointly in conjunction with Curling Canada for the third time. Last April in Leduc, Alta., where the host University of Alberta Golden Bears and Pandas squads swept the men’s and women’s U SPORTS titles to earn the right to represent Canada at the 2019 FISU Winter Universiade from March 2-12 in Krasnoyarsk, Russia. The winners of the 2020 U SPORTS Championships will wear the Maple Leaf at the 2021 FISU Winter Universiade in Lucerne, Switzerland. In the CCAA, Ontario’s Fanshawe College and B.C.’s Douglas College won the women’s and men’s CCAA titles respectively. The 2019 U SPORTS and CCAA Championships will take place in March in Fredericton, N.B. It will be the first time the U SPORTS championships have been staged in Manitoba, while the CCAA Championships were last played in the province in 1987 at Brandon — an event notable for the presence of a young Kevin Martin, who skipped the Northern Alberta Institute of Technology Ooks men’s team to a silver medal. “This will be the first time the U SPORTS Curling Championships will be held in the province of Manitoba,” said Lisette Johnson-Stapley, Chief Sport Officer at U SPORTS. “We couldn’t be more excited to offer this top tier tournament in the prairies for our student-athletes, while continuing our partnership with Curling Canada to develop and grow curling across the country.” “The Canadian Collegiate Athletic Association is looking forward to bringing the top collegiate teams to Manitoba, which is a hotbed for curling in Canada,” said Sandra Murray-MacDonell, Chief Executive Officer of the CCAA. “There is no doubt that Portage la Prairie will offer a unique experience to the student-athletes and spectators that will be attending.” Both scholastic championships will feature eight men’s and eight women’s teams. The eighth edition of the Canad Inns Canadian Mixed Doubles Championship will be played in Manitoba for the first time. The winner of the 2019 Canadian Mixed Doubles will represent Canada at the 2020 World Mixed Doubles Championship; dates and location for the 2020 Worlds will be announced later by the World Curling Federation. “As a Manitoba-owned, Manitoba-grown and Manitoba-proud company, Canad Inns is thrilled to continue our partnership with Curling Canada and bring the Canad Inns Mixed Doubles Championship to the province of Manitoba for the first time,” said Cindy Carswell, Vice President of Community Relations. “The City of Portage la Prairie is no stranger to major sporting events having hosted countless throughout the years, including last year’s Canad Inns Mixed Doubles Trials. The dedication of volunteers is what contributes to the success of these large-scale events and Portage la Prairie has no shortage of generous people eager to help. With the backing of a strong community and a passion for curling, Canad Inns looks forward to hosting the Canad Inns Mixed Doubles Championships in Portage la Prairie next year.” The Canadian Seniors will be played in Portage la Prairie for the third time; it previously was played there in 1986 (men’s champ Earle Hushagen, Ontario; women’s champ Ev Krahn, Saskatchewan) and 2000 (men’s champ Bob Turcotte, Ontario; women’s champ Agnès Charrette, Quebec). The winner of the 2020 Canadian Seniors will represent Canada at the 2021 World Senior Men’s and Women’s Curling Championships (dates, location TBD). The Canadian Senior Men’s Championship began in 1965 in Port Arthur, Ont. Since then, Ontario and Manitoba each have won a leading 12 titles (Manitoba’s most recent winner is Randy Neufeld in 2015 at Edmonton). The Canadian Senior Women’s Championship began in 1973 in Ottawa. Ontario has won a leading 10 crowns (Manitoba’s most recent winner is Lois Fowler in 2014 at Yellowknife). The men’s and women’s seniors were combined into a single event in 1985. “The combination of terrific facilities and enthusiastic fans and volunteers makes Portage la Prairie an ideal host for events such as these,” said Craig Baker, Executive Director of CurlManitoba. “I know the past events in Portage la Prairie have been highly successful, and I have no doubt that will be the case again in 2020.” Selected games from the four Portage championships will be streamed live by CBC Sports. You can watch at cbcsports.ca or via the CBC Sports app for iOS and Android. “The Portage Regional Recreation Authority, the Portage Curling Club and Stride Place are proud to host these national championships and showcase not only our beautiful facility but also the future stars of curling next spring,” said David Sattler, General Manager, Portage Regional Recreation Authority.

Source: Brandon University Athletics BRANDON  - Brandon University Athletics is proud to be hosting the second annual Bobcat BIRT Cup on Friday, July 5 at the Wheat City Golf Course. Last summer, the Bobcat BIRT Cup raised $29,000 for local causes. The tournament supported the Boyd Stadium football fields, the Ashley Neufeld Memorial Softball Complex and the Brandon Boxing Club. Proceeds also helped establish a scholarship award to support Brandon University student-athletes. Profits from the 2019 tournament will support Special Olympics Manitoba Westman, the Deloraine-Winchester Community Complex, along with the Bobcat BIRT Cup Athletic Scholarship Endowment Fund. Team registrations are being accepted at $600 per-foursome or $150 per-golfer. The entry fee includes supper and a post tournament reception that will be held at the Healthy Living Centre. Team registration forms can be found here.

It’s an exciting time to be a curling fan in Brandon with the 2019 Tim Hortons Brier, presented by AGI, just over six weeks away, and that excitement level will be ramped up even further this week! Wednesday will be Countdown to the Tim Hortons Brier Day in Brandon, a day in advance of all single-draw tickets, including tickets for the closing weekend playoff draws, going on sale. Brandon-born Mike McEwen, who will be attempting to represent Manitoba at the 2019 Tim Hortons Brier, March 2-10 at Westoba Place, will be in town on Wednesday to interact with fans and media alike at the Keystone Centre. From 10 a.m. to noon on Wednesday, McEwen will be at the Keystone Centre Box Office, where fans can take photos with him or get autographs, and they can also participate in a pre-sale for single-draw tickets, including playoffs, or pick up previously purchased ticket packages. The Brier Tankard will be on display for photos, and fans can enjoy some Tim Hortons coffee and treats, and get some Tim Hortons Brier swag. Later on Wednesday, from 1-2 p.m., the action will shift to the Skating Oval, located adjacent to the City of Brandon’s Community Services Complex (2020 McGregor Ave.), where media members are invited to participate in an outdoor curling event. Media folks can go head to head with McEwen, as well as Brandon Mayor Rick Chrest, Wheat Kings mascot Willie, local Tim Hortons store owners and members of the Tim Hortons Brier Host Committee. Thursday at 10 a.m. CT, fans will have their chance to purchase all remaining single-draw tickets for the 2019 Tim Hortons Brier, including playoff tickets. Tickets for games on the closing Friday games are priced at $35 apiece. Saturday Page Playoff games and Sunday’s semifinal are $39.50 each, while tickets for the Championship Final on Sunday are $49.50 each. The new ticket offers are in addition to other single-draw tickets that went on sale back in November: Weekday Mornings (Monday to Wednesday): $22.50 Weekday Afternoons (Monday to Wednesday) $27.50 Sunday and Weekday Evenings (Monday to Wednesday): $32.25 Championship Pool Afternoon (Thursday): $32.25 Premium Opening Day (Saturday) and Championship Pool Evening (Thursday): $35 Other options include day packages starting at $59, the opening weekend package for $119, and the championship weekend package at $229. Full event packages are also still available. All prices are per ticket, are subject to standard facility and ticket service fees, and are available at the Westoba Place Box Office, online at curling.ca/tickets or by calling 204-726-3555. Brad Gushue’s powerhouse team from St. John’s will be in Brandon in pursuit of its third straight Tim Hortons Brier championship; only Randy Ferbey has ever pulled off a Brier three-peat. Manitoba’s reps won’t be decided until the conclusion of the provincial men’s championship, Feb. 10 in Virden. But we already know Team Manitoba’s early round-robin schedule, as the home-province team will play in the opening draw on Saturday, March 2, and also will be featured in Draws 3 and 5 (both on Sunday), 7 (on Monday), 9 and 11 (both on Tuesday) and 13 (on Wednesday). Once the preliminary round is complete and the top four teams from each pool move into the Championship Pool, the remainder of the schedule will be set. After all of the provincial/territorial champions are set early next month, the seedings will be determined for the two eight-team pools — one of which will feature two-time defending champion Brad Gushue and his Team Canada foursome from St. John’s. The pool allocations, and remainder of the early round-robin draw, will be announced the week of Feb. 12. The Tim Hortons Brier Wild Card game will be played on Friday, March 1, at 7 p.m. Not only will you be a part of the world’s most famous curling competition inside Westoba Place, you’ll also get to enjoy the world’s most famous curling party, the Patch — just a short covered walk away from the arena at the adjacent Manitoba Room at the Keystone Centre, where you can check out live music, have a meal and mingle with players and fellow fans from all over Canada. Keep checking  www.curling.ca/2019brier for all event updates, ticket information, team announcements and the event schedule when it is set. TSN/RDS2 will provide complete coverage of every draw at the 2019 Tim Hortons Brier.

Brandon minor hockey products Asher Gingras and Luke Krieser have been named to the Team MB Brick roster for the upcoming 2019 Brick Invitational Hockey Tournament.  Now in it's 30th season the Brick Invitational Tournament is among the most prestigious super novice hockey tournaments in North America.   The tournament showcases the top 10-year old (2009 born) hockey players in North America including teams from Chicago, Boston, Quebec and Toronto. The best friends are obviously excited to represent the province at the tournament which takes place in the West Edmonton Mall July from 1-7, 2019.  Krieser, a forward, tells bdnmb.ca that he is "looking forward to represent Manitoba and the chance to play with and against the best kids his age".  He starting skating at the age of 2 and playing hockey at 4.  He currently laces them up with the Atom A1 Sky Blue Storm and lists Conner McDavid as his favorite hockey player and the Washington Capitals as his favorite team. Like Luke, Asher started playing hockey at the age of 4 and this winter he is a center with the same Atom A1 Sky Blue Storm.  His favorite player is William Karlsson and his favorite team is the Las Vegas Golden Knights.  He too is looking forward to the challenge of playing against the top players in his age bracket.  "Representing Manitoba in this elite tournament, making new friends, playing hockey in West Edmonton Mall" is what Asher said he most looking forward to in July.  Many players who have played in the tournament have gone on to NHL careers including the likes of Johnny Guadreau, Mark Stone, PK Subban, Jonathan Toews, and Dustin Byfuglien.