OTTAWA — The Tim Hortons Brier will return to Ottawa for the first time in 15 years when TD Place hosts the annual men’s curling championship in 2016.
"Ottawa has a great tradition of hosting major championships, including three Briers, and the curling fans in this city are extremely enthusiastic and knowledgeable," Canadian Curling Association CEO Greg Stremlaw said Thursday in a release. "We know it will be a great event."
Alberta’s Randy Ferbey won the 2001 Brier in the same building, then known as the Ottawa Civic Centre. The 2016 event will be staged March 5-13 and feature 11 provincial/territorial champions along with the 2015 Brier winner.
TD Place seats approximately 10,000 fans and is home to the Ontario Hockey League’s Ottawa 67’s. The multi-sport facility is also home to the CFL’s Ottawa Redblacks.
Ottawa also staged the Brier in 1979 and 1993.
The 2015 Brier will be held Feb. 28-Mar. 8 at the Scotiabank Saddledome in Calgary. The women’s national curling championship — the Scotties Tournament of Hearts — will be held Feb. 14-22 in Moose Jaw, Sask.