Saskatoon to host 2027 Brier as event celebrates 100th anniversary

Saskatoon will be celebrating 100 years of curling history in 2027 as the city hosts the Brier.

The men’s national curling championship will run from Feb. 26 to March 7 at SaskTel Centre, Curling Canada announced on Monday. The 2027 Brier will be a special one, as it will mark the event’s 100th anniversary.

Read more:

• Canadian Mixed Curling Championship starts on Sunday in Assiniboia, Sask.
• Saskatchewan to host 114th Grey Cup in 2027
• Foo Fighters, Queens of the Stone Age set to rock Mosaic Stadium in September

According to Curling Canada, the first Brier was held in Toronto in 1927, featuring eight teams from across the country. Nova Scotia’s Team Murray MacNeill won the inaugural event. The 2027 event will feature special events and displays to mark the Brier’s centennial anniversary.

Tickets will go on sale in the spring.

“The Montana’s Brier is the epitome of Canadiana. What started as a modest event of goodwill and celebration of the sport of curling has evolved into one of the most recognizable properties in Canadian sport,” said Nolan Thiessen, Curling Canada’s CEO and a three-time champion of the Brier.

“It reflects our values of teamwork and camaraderie without sacrificing the tension of competition at the highest level and the remarkable feats of the athletes.”

The 2027 Brier will mark the seventh time Saskatoon has hosted the event. Teams from Saskatchewan have emerged victorious at the Brier seven times, with the most recent win coming in 1980, when Rick Folk, Ron Mills, Tim Wilson and Jim Wilson claimed the championship. The team later went on to win the world championship in 1980.

“Curling is Saskatchewan’s official sport, and our province has a proud legacy of producing champions,” said Alana Ross, the provincial minister responsible for Tourism Saskatchewan. “This milestone event will showcase Saskatchewan’s unique hospitality through vibrant visitor experiences that strengthen our economy.” (Brittany Caffet/650 CKOM)

“There is nothing like this event anywhere else in the world,” Jim Wilson said in a statement.

“Hosting this milestone event in my hometown makes it even more special. I am incredibly proud that Saskatoon and Saskatchewan get to welcome curling fans from across the country, and I look forward to celebrating 100 years of our sport’s remarkable history right here next year.”

The winner of the 2027 Brier will go on to represent Canada at the 2027 World Men’s Curling Championship, which will also be held in Canada.

“Saskatoon is thrilled to host the 100th anniversary of the Montana’s Brier — a landmark moment in one of Canada’s most beloved sporting traditions,” Saskatoon Mayor Cynthia Block said in a statement.

“Curling has always been about more than competition; it’s about community, connection, and pride. Here in Saskatoon, those values run deep. We can’t wait to welcome fans and athletes from every corner of the country to experience our legendary hospitality, our spirited crowds, and our shared love for the roaring game.”

Saskatchewan will be in the spotlight in 2027 for CFL football as well as curling, as the 2027 Grey Cup is set to be played in Regina.

Brier could boost local economy

CEO of Discover Saskatoon Stephanie Pocha said the Brier could bring in more than $10 million for the city.

“It’s going to fill restaurants, taxis will be busy (and) our airplanes will be full,” she said.

“An event like this means that we are not only boosting the visitor economy, but the overall sense of pride of place in our city during that time.”

Pocha also said this event could help bring national recognition to the Bridge City.

“Not everybody knows about Saskatoon,” Pocha said. “They may have an idea of who we are and what we do here, but this is an opportunity for us to truly tell the nation who we are in Saskatoon.”

In April, Saskatoon City Council conditionally approved $350,000 worth of funding to help support Discover Saskatoon’s bid, which wasn’t named at the time, to host the sporting event. Discover Saskatoon also requested $600,000 from the province.

“It was really exciting to see the province (and) the city come together right away,” Pocha said.