Canada Cup curling event postponed due to COVID-19; mixed, club events cancelled

OTTAWA — The 2020 Home Hardware Canada Cup curling competition has been postponed indefinitely due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

The Canada Cup was originally scheduled for Nov. 24-29 in Fredericton.

Curling Canada said in a statement Tuesday that it would attempt to reschedule the Canada Cup in the new year, as results at the tournament could help determine teams for the 2021 Tim Hortons Roar of the Rings Olympic qualifying tournament.

In addition to the Canada Cup postponement, Curling Canada announced the Canadian Mixed Curling Championship, scheduled for Nov. 7-15 in Canmore, Alta., and the Everest Canadian Curling Club Championships, scheduled for Nov. 22-28 in Ottawa, have been cancelled.

Curling Canada said it will continue to assess the status of the post-Christmas events in the 2020-21 season.

“We all know the reality of our situation, and it goes beyond sports,” Katherine Henderson, chief executive officer of Curling Canada, said in a statement. “Our primary goal and responsibility, always, is to keep athletes and volunteers safe and it was determined that without any kind of clarity about what the situation will look like in the late fall when these events were scheduled, we couldn’t responsibly go further in the planning process.”

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Aug. 11, 2020.

The Canadian Press