City, business and curling officials were on hand for the announcement that Vernon will host the 2023 Everest Canadian Senior Curling Championships in December, 2023. (Vernon Matters photo)

By Pete McIntyre

puts Vernon on 'world stage'

Vernon to host national curling event

Sep 8, 2022 | 4:00 PM

Some of Canada’s best curlers will be coming to Vernon for a national championship event next year.

The Vernon Curling Club will host the 2023 Everest Canadian Senior Championships from Dec. 4-10, 2023.

Twenty-eight men’s and women’s teams, one from each of the provinces and territories with players 50-and-over, will compete for berths into the 2024 World Senior Curling Championships.

Curling Canada, the Sport and Culture Society of the North Okanagan and Tourism Vernon partnered in securing the bid.

Josh Welter, executive director of the sport and culture society, said the event will put Vernon “on a world stage” and will benefit the local economy.

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“The economic impact, as reported by previous host cities, is between one-and 1.5-million dollars. Hotel rooms booked by Curling Canada will be in excess of 600 rooms,” Welter told a news conference at the club.

It will be Vernon’s third time hosting the Canadian Senior Women’s Championship and second time hosting the senior men’s event, and will be the biggest curling event in Vernon since the 2008 World Women’s Championship won by Canada’s Jennifer Jones.

That event was held at Kal Tire Place (KTP), but this event will be at the curling club, due to cost issues with renting KTP. Bleachers will be added at the club to accomodate spectators.

Dave Merklinger, manager of the Vernon Curling Club since 2007 and a co-chair of the championships, said there is a lot to do even though the event is 15 months away.

“We have to secure sponsorships, get committees together and volunteers, and plan this thing properly,” said Merklinger, a legendary ice maker in the curling world.

The manager said he’s looking forward to working with the City of Vernon and residents.

“This is not just the Vernon Curling Club. This is going to require some help from outside the curling club.”

The event will be live streamed.

“It’s going to be all over the world,” said Merklinger.

Co-chair Mark Longworth said the event showcases Vernon as a great community for curling and other winter sports.

“And that helps our club. The spin offs for our membership, drawing attention, getting new curlers in, getting the seniors who move here — the North Okanagan is a destination for a lot of people who are in that 50 to 70 age bracket — and getting them back into the sport of curling,” Longworth, who skips a competitive men’s seniors team, told Vernon Matters.

The title sponsor, Everest, is a funeral planning and concierge service.

“It suits the seniors. It’s a perfect match, a match made in heaven,” quipped Merklinger.

Merklinger is extending his plans for retirement to help organize the week-long event.

“This will be my last year of doing international and national events for Curling Canada and the World Curling Federation, but I will still be here to help out with the ice for the Canadian Senior Championships in 2023.”