Top Female Curlers Gather in Mississauga for National Championship

Some of Canada’s finest female curlers have come together in Mississauga for the 2026 Scotties Tournament of Hearts.

This marks the first time the Canadian national women’s curling championship has taken place in the Greater Toronto Area, as stated by Curling Canada. The event is hosted at the Paramount Fine Foods Centre, with the opening draw happening Friday night.

Leading teams from across provinces and territories are vying for the national title.

“It is a thrill to be able to compete in the Scotties Tournament of Hearts,” said Danielle Inglis, an ambassador for Curling Canada.

“You’ve got the top teams in Canada competing here and they’re on the ice, and to be able to compete in that as an athlete is a dream,” Inglis said.

Inglis was introduced to curling by her parents when she was seven years old. She mentioned developing a passion for it right from her first visit to the rink.

She expressed that curling has “such a beautiful community around it.” It connects people of all ages and backgrounds, according to her.

“I have not met one person who has tried curling and been in this environment and not said, ‘I need to do more of this.’ It is such a special group of people.”

Ontario skip Danielle Inglis delivers a stone during Scotties Tournament of Hearts action against Manitoba’s Kaitlyn Lawes in Thunder Bay, Ont., on Monday, Feb. 17, 2025. (Frank Gunn/The Canadian Press)

Inglis noted that there’s a vibrant curling community within the GTA.

“The rinks that we have around here, their memberships are bustling,” she explained. “They’ve got so much programming.”

However, five-time champion Rachel Homan isn’t participating in this championship due to her preparation for the Olympics. Homan will miss out on a chance at a three-peat as she’s focusing on getting ready for the upcoming Milan-Cortina Winter Games in Italy.

18 teams competing for national title

The tournament showcases 18 teams split into two groups of nine, with each team playing eight round-robin matches.

The top three teams from each pool after round-robin play will move on to the playoffs. The winning team will represent Canada at the world women’s curling championship taking place March 14-22 in Calgary.

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