After losing the 2020 World Women’s Curling Championship, Prince George is once again set to host the best curlers in the world.
Curling Canada and the World Curling Federation announced the 2022 championship will be hosted in Prince George.
“The ice was in, the stage was set, the cameras were in place,” hosting committee vice-chair Jen Rubadeau said. We were mere hours away from the opening ceremony, when the pandemic brought the event and the world to a halt… We are thrilled with the announcement Prince George will have the opportunity to finish what it started.”
READ MORE: World Women’s Curling Championship in Prince George cancelled due to COVID-19
Athletes had to figure out how to travel back to their homes in the middle of a pandemic.
“Last year was just so disappointing for everyone,” president of the World Curling Federation, Cate Caithness said. “Prince George did an outstanding job to make sure our athletes, our staff, everyone got back home safely, with the awful announcement that was made on such short notice.”
Organizers are planning for fans to be in the building, noting tickets will be on sale in the next few weeks.
“These are certainly happy days,” Curl BC CEO Scott Braley said. “We’ve turned the corner on COVID-19. Almost all the province has been vaccinated. And at long last, Prince George will host the World Women’s Curling Championship.”
READ MORE: B.C. reaches 80% of adult COVID-19 vaccinations
Curling Canada CEO Katherine Henderson said the City Prince George didn’t want to bide their time for another event after losing the 2020 worlds, lobbying for the next available hosting spot.
“We were deeply saddened in 2020 when we had to cancel” acting mayor Frank Everitt said. “We were the first (event) in the province that got the order to cancel, so we followed through with that, but it was a disappointment to all the fans and people that set up to be the driving force on the ground.”
The 2021 Women’s and Men’s world championships were held in a bubble in Calgary without fans. Manitoba’s Kerri Einarson represented Canada at the event.
Prince George will also host the BC Summer Games in 2022.
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