In less than a year Stride Place will have hosted two major curling competitions.

Curling Canada announced Tuesday that Stride Place and Portage la Prairie will be the first ever host of the Canadian Mixed Doubles Olympic Trials. The event is scheduled for Jan. 3-7, 2018. That's 11 months after the Viterra Championships were held in Portage la Prairie.

"It's another fantastic opportunity for not only our City, but for our region, and specifically Stride Place to just showcase the versatility of the facility," says Brent Budz, Deputy Mayor of Portage. "Manitoba has a proud history of hosting marquee curling events, and this will be another one. I've got all the confidence that the City and the region with showcase itself very proudly. Our volunteers will come and support the event, as will the fans for this, very unique curling format. I just can't wait until January because I know it's going to be another great success for our region."

Manitoba was the first ever host of Curling Canada's Olympic Trials back in 1997 when the event was held in Brandon. Vice chair of Curling Canada's board of directors Resby Coutts says Tuesday's announcement brought back a lot of great memories.

Curling Canada's Resby Coutts is excited to be a part of both the first ever Olympic Trials for curling in Brandon in 97', and now in Portage 21 years later. (Photo by Aaron Wilgosh)

"It's really neat. As a representative of the Canadian board it's a real pleasure for me to make the announcement, but as a Manitoban who was involved in the first Olympic trials in Brandon, for me to be able to make this announcement that the first mixed doubles Olympic trials are coming to Portage is really special."

Around 300 volunteers were needed for the Viterra Championships held in February, and this event will likely need around the same.

"I'm sure we'll have another great turnout for volunteers," says Hartley Vanstone, Portage Curling Club President. "We had a really good turnout of volunteers for the Viterras and I think there is a lot of people that are gung-ho to help out the curling community in general, whether they're curlers are not. I'm sure we'll fill what roles we need and obligations. It's super exciting to host another world-class event like this in Portage and showcase the community and everything we have to offer here."

Canada qualified for the 2018 Olympics last week when Reid Carruthers and Joanne Courtney won the silver medal at the World Mixed Doubles Curling Championship in Lethbridge, Alberta. Coutts lost to Mike McEwen at the Viterra Championships a couple of months earlier and is looking forward to returning.

Reid Carruthers speaking about the World Championships and the Olympic Trials here in Portage. (Photo by Aaron Wilgosh)

"I didn't know it was going to be taking place in Portage until mid-week at the World Championships and it was a little added incentive to get to come back to Portage and play in this beautiful arena in front of the fans. They supported the Viterra championship in the best way, and to get to play an Olympic trial in Portage is pretty cool."

He goes on to say the fans may take a little time to learn about the sport but once they do they'll be hooked by its fast pace.

Coutts adds Portage has played a huge role in bringing the sport of mixed doubles curling to Canada through the Canad Inns' Mixed Doubles Classic at the Portage Curling Club.

"With the support of Canad Inns and the Portage Curling Club and volunteers, that bonspiel has been a key part of establishing mixed doubles curling in Canada. It's not the only bonspiel but I think it was the first one in this two-year cycle of establishing mixed doubles in Canada. Portage has played a very important role getting us established in the sport, and now will be known forever as the host site for the first ever Olympic Trials."

Event Details

The Canadian Mixed Doubles Olympic Trials take place Jan. 3-7, 2018 at Stride Place. It will follow the 2017 Tim Hortons Roar of the Rings Canadian Curling Trials, where the four-player men's and women's teams for PyeongChang will be decided. It will feature 18 teams, split into two pools of nine, and eight teams will move into a modified double-knockout playoffs.

Seven teams have already qualified for the event including Carruthers and Courtney, Saskatchewan's Dustin Kalthoff and Marliese Kasner, Rachel Homan and John Morris (Ottawa/Calgary), Jennifer Jones and Brent Laing (Shanty Bay, Ont.), Chelsea Carey and Colin Hodgson (Calgary, Winnipeg), Kalynn Virtue and Charley Thomas (Lethbridge/Calgary) and Emma Miskew and Tyrel Griffith (Ottawa/BC).

The remaining 11 teams will be determined at a final regional bonspiel qualifier next fall.