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Some of the best female curlers in Canada have converged in Mississauga for the 2026 Scotties Tournament of Hearts.
It’s the first time that the event, the Canadian national women’s curling championship, is being held in the Greater Toronto Area, according to Curling Canada. It’s being held at the Paramount Fine Foods Centre. The opening draw was held Friday night.
Top teams from the provinces and territories are competing 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 the sport by her parents when she was seven. She said she developed a love for curling from the moment she was brought to the rink.
She said curling has “such a beautiful community around it.” It brings together people from all ages and backgrounds, she said.
“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 said there is a thriving curling community in the GTA.
“The rinks that we have around here, their memberships are bustling,” she said. “They’ve got so much programming.”
Five-time champion Rachel Homan, however, is not playing at the championship due to Olympic preparation. Homan will miss a chance at a three-peat as she instead gets ready for the upcoming Milan-Cortina Winter Games in Italy.
18 teams competing for national title
The tournament features 18 teams. The teams are split into two groups of nine, with each team playing eight round-robin games.
The top three teams in each pool at the end of round-robin play will advance to the playoffs. And the winning team will represent Canada at the March 14-22 world women’s curling championship in Calgary.