The show is organized by volunteers from the Haliburton Curling Club, which uses the proceeds to finance things like its ‘learn to curl’ and youth training programs.
“We focus on development as much as possible. We invest heavily in our youth curling program. Kids are bused in every week for sessions,” home show spokesperson Andy Glecoff said. “We’ve developed many reputable Canadian curlers over the years, including Jacob Dobson, Liam Little, Jessica Byers, Owen Nicholls and Connor Duhaime.”
Dobson and Nicholls are national college and university champions who have also had a taste of the pro game – Dobson in 2024, when he competed at the Pointsbet Invitational against Brad Gushue and Nicholls in 2026, appearing at the Ontario Tankard.
Duhaime has also played at the Tankard and in 2021 competed for a spot on Team Canada’s Olympic roster. Little and Byers performed well on the collegiate circuit, with Byers now representing the Philippines’ national team.
“It’s a tremendous program that gives kids a great education on the sport. Curling is growing leaps and bounds in Canada, so this is one of our most important programs,” Glecoff said.
Through ‘learn to curl’, adults can get six weeks of play for a nominal fee. Glecoff said most of the people who sign up go on to become full-fledged members. Money is also used to offset annual fees for curlers, making it more affordable for people to play, and for hosting seminars on various curling skills and tactics, including game strategy, sweeping and throwing.
“We have a pretty dynamic club. There’s always lots going on – there’s curling every day, pretty much. We run a full schedule Monday to Friday, morning, afternoon and evening,” Glecoff said. (Mike Baker)
