Canadian Pride Curling Championships start this Wednesday at East Toronto’s Royal Canadian Curling Club

By JESSICA SHACKLETON

The Royal Canadian Curling Club in East Toronto is hosting the 20th Canadian Pride Curling Championships (CPCC) beginning this Wednesday, March 4.

The CPCC is the only tournament of its kind in the world, and is part of a national Pride-curling network that has 20 leagues across every province in Canada.

The hosts of this year’s championships at the Royal (Queen Street East and Broadview Avenue) are the Riverdale Curling League and the Rotators Curling League, which is the largest and longest running 2SLGBTQIA+ curling league in the world .

The Canadian Pride championship is a best-of-the-best competition, and teams qualify based on rankings from the previous year, national points, and league playdowns.

Mark Field, president of the Riverdale Curling League, said it’s important to have a safe sporting space for queer folks.

“Queer participants in spaces not allocated to them experience homophobia and at higher levels of competition, there’s aggression. When the environment is too competitive, it’s detrimental to the enjoyment of the sport,” said Field. “At Riverdale, we’re able to be ourselves and provide a place with better understanding and enjoy it.”

The top 16 teams from Canada will be back in Toronto for first time since 2015, and this week’s CPCC will be the third time the city has hosted the event.

“It’s a privilege to host. It’s a great feeling to be able to welcome others into your home because the curling club in the winter feels like home,” said Field. “As more cities join the CPCC, we become closer and bring everyone together.”

Field has gone to nine championships across Canada and said it’s a fantastic experience to see the teams curl and watch both the recreational and competitive draws of the tournament. 

The 2026 “Gay Grand Slam” will be opened by Olympic bronze-medallist and three-time World Champion curler Emma Miskew. She will throw the ceremonial first rock on Thursday, March 5, at 1 p.m., along with pioneers of the event, to officially open the tourney.

Those wishing to watch the draws and the opening ceremony are welcome to do so from the curling club’s lounge. The Royal Canadian Curling Club is located at 131 Broadview Ave.

Pool play begins on Wednesday evening, and Championship Sunday is on March 8.

Along with the CPCC, the Riverdale and Rotators leagues’ recreational bonspiel Do It On The Ice will also be taking place this week at the Royal.

“It’s about getting people out and playing the game,” said Field.

Last year’s CPCC took place at the Granite Curling Club in Edmonton, and Apollo Curling from Calgary took home the title. The two Toronto teams that participated in the 2025 competition finished fifth and eighth. 

To learn more about Pride Curl and this week’s national championships, please visit https://toronto.pridecurl.ca/riverdale-do-it-on-the-ice/