Montana’s Brier to return to Red Deer in 2028

“The Red Deer Curling Centre and the local bid committee, they put in some long days and nights on the bid proposal, and that bid paid off because we just couldn’t say no,” she said. “I know how hard you worked and I know how rewarding today feels, but the work is just getting started.”

Meanwhile, Nolan Thiessen, Chief Executive Officer of Curling Canada, said it was a great day for curling and for Red Deer.

“I know Alberta curling fans will be eager to be a part of the 2028 Montana’s Brier in a city that loves and knows the sport and its athletes,” said Thiessen. “The Red Deer committee submitted a tremendous bid, and I know the organizing committee will be working extremely hard over the next 15 months in preparation to welcome one of the most iconic men’s championships in Canadian sport and show their city off at its best.”

The team that finishes on top at the 2028 Montana’s Brier in Red Deer will earn the right to wear the Maple Leaf a few weeks later at the 2028 World Men’s Championship. The winner will also return to the 2029 Montana’s Brier as the defending champion Team Canada.

The first entry into the 2028 Montana’s Brier will be determined on March 7 at the 2027 Montana’s Brier in Saskatoon. The winner will represent Team Canada in Red Deer.

Red Deer Mayor Cindy Jefferies said it’s extremely exciting for the community that the Brier is returning.

She said she got goosebumps when it was announced.

“When I think of Red Deer and central Alberta, I think of collaboration and all of us working together,” Jefferies said. “The curling club, the bid committee, and all of the partners have come together in such a real and energetic way to make this happen. I can’t thank you all enough.”

Red Deer County Mayor Brent Ramsay said it will be an important event for our region and important for the success of our region when we’re working together.

“We’re really excited to welcome this event. Obviously, curling is really popular in the rural community, so it’s going to be great for our region and support our businesses throughout the event,” Ramsay said. “The economic impact will be huge, so we are excited to partner in this and be a part of it.”

Joe Ireland, events chair for the 2028 championship, said everyone in the community has played a part in the premier tournament returning to Red Deer, including those who’ve requested its return.

“For me personally, this announcement is special. The last time Red Deer hosted this event was in 1994, and I was actually born here in Red Deer just a few days after that event. So quite literally, I have been waiting my entire life for this event,” he said.

Ireland, who was also a part of the bid committee, said he couldn’t say how many bids were submitted to host the tournament but explained that it was a competitive process.

He said knowing that, they pulled every string to ensure Red Deer’s bid was going to be one of the best.

“This has been something that’s been in the works for quite some time. Ever since we hosted the Scotties in 2012, we knew that this was the next step for Red Deer, and we couldn’t wait to bring it back,” Ireland said. “It took a lot of effort, and finally we got some community support. We had a good group of people within the city that wanted to make this happen. We know Red Deer can rock this event, so that’s why we wanted it back.”

Next up, they’re in the process of forming their tournament committee, and volunteer recruitment will begin in the spring. He explained they’ll need over 375 volunteers to put on the event.

He said what put Red Deer over the top compared to the other bidders was the quality of the Centrium area as well as the passion for the sport.

“Curling’s had such a long history in the city, I think they were ready to come back to a location where it is so prominent… We have great supporters in the city. The Red Deer Curling Centre, for example, has over 950 members, so this community wanted it,” Ireland said.

Tourism Red Deer CEO Jesse Smith said the championship could bring over 20,000 people to Red Deer, marking an economic benefit for Red Deer of approximately $15 million.

“That’s a huge economic impact,” Smith said. “We calculated that by looking at hotel data, restaurants, and all the visitor spending that happens in the community.”

Smith couldn’t disclose how much the city is paying to have the tournament here, as it was part of a confidential agreement between Tourism Red Deer and Curling Canada.

However, he said multiple partners came forward to support the event and believe the investment is well worth the economic benefit.

“You look over my shoulder at Westerner Park today, and Agri-Trade is moving in. We’re looking forward to hosting the World Juniors in just over 40 days, and so this is really a cherry on top of that,” Smith said. “We are well on our way to becoming a major event destination.”

by Ian Gustafson

Montana’s Brier to return to Red Deer in 2028

What's Trending