Winter competitions coming to Canada in 2019-20
‘Tis the season… of winter sports!
It’s that time of year again: school’s back in session, the sun’s setting earlier, and most importantly, the slopes are soon open! It’s no secret that Canada knows a thing or two when it comes to winter sports, so come cheer on Team Canada at these home soil events!
READ: Team Canada’s who and what to watch in winter sport in 2019-20
October
Piper Gilles and Paul Poirier of Canada compete in the free dance during the ISU figure skating France’s Trophy, in Grenoble, French Alps, Saturday, Nov. 24, 2018. (AP Photo/Francois Mori)
October 25-27 – ISU Grand Prix of Figure Skating – Prospera Place – Kelowna, British Columbia
- This is the second of six Grand Prix events. Skaters compete in a maximum of two events and the top six ranked skaters/teams in each discipline (men, women, pairs, ice dance) at the end of the series will qualify for the ISU Grand Prix of Figure Skating Final which will be held in Italy this December.
READ: Songs to include on your Team Canada figure skating playlist
November
Canada’s Charles Hamelin skates during the men’s 5000m relay finals at the ISU World Cup short track speed skating event in Calgary, Sunday, Nov. 4, 2018. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Jeff McIntosh
November 8-10 – ISU World Cup Short Track – Maurice Richard Arena – Montreal, Quebec
- This is the second of six World Cup stops (and the only one in Canada) during the 2019-20 ISU World Cup Short Track Speed Skating Series. Headliners on the Canadian team include five-time Olympic medallist Charles Hamelin and three-time Olympic medallist Kim Boutin.
November 27 – December 1 – FIS Alpine Skiing World Cup – Lake Louise Resort, Alberta
- This is the traditional opener for the men’s speed events (downhill, super-G) on the FIS World Cup circuit and the only chance Canadian male alpine skiers will get to race a World Cup on home snow.
December
Kimberley McRae, of Canada, competes in the women’s luge World Cup event on Sunday, Dec. 16, 2018, in Lake Placid, N.Y. (AP Photo/Hans Pennink)
December 3-8 – FIS Alpine Skiing World Cup – Lake Louise Resort, Alberta
- This is the first women’s speed event of the FIS World Cup season and the only stop for the Canadian women to compete in a World Cup at home.
December 13-14 – FIL Luge World Cup – Whistler Sliding Centre, British Columbia
- This is the third of nine stops on the luge World Cup circuit and it will host over 100 athletes.
January
Canada’s Mikael Kingsbury competes during the men’s World Cup freestyle moguls event in Calgary, Alta., Saturday, Jan. 12, 2019.THE CANADIAN PRESS/Jeff McIntosh
January 10-12 – ISU Four Continents Short Track Speed Skating Championships – Montréal, Québec
- This is the first time the ISU is holding these championships.
January 10-12 – FIE Fencing Grand Prix – Stade IGA – Montréal, Québec
- This is the first time Canada is hosting a Fencing Grand Prix.
January 13-19 – Canadian Tire National Skating Championships – Paramount Fine Foods Centre – Mississauga, Ontario
- This competition will play a big part in deciding who will represent Canada at the world championships to be held in Montreal in March.
January 17-18 – FIS Freestyle Skiing World Cup (ski cross) – Nakiska Ski Resort, Alberta
- Canada’s ski cross team – expected to be headlined by Olympic medallists Marielle Thompson, Brady Leman and Brittany Phelan – will take to the course at one of Canada’s favourite skiing destinations.
January 24-26 – FIS Snowboard World Cup (snowboard cross) – Big White Ski Resort, British Columbia
- This will be the first World Cup snowboard cross event in Canada since 2013. Fun fact: in 2020, Canada will host a World Cup event for every snowboard discipline!
January 25 – FIS Freestyle Skiing World Cup (moguls) – Mont-Tremblant, Québec
- This one-day event is a chance to cheer on Canadian stars such as Mikaël Kingsbury and Justine and Chloé Dufour-Lapointe.
February
Canada’s Ted-Jan Bloemen skates during the men’s 5000-metre competition at the ISU World Allround Championships speed skating event in Calgary, Saturday, March 2, 2019. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Jeff McIntosh
February 1 – FIS Freestyle Skiing World Cup (moguls) – Canada Olympic Park – Calgary, Alberta
- The world’s best moguls skiers will travel cross country from Tremblant to continue the Canadian stretch of the World Cup circuit.
February 7-8 – ISU World Cup Speed Skating – Olympic Oval – Calgary, Alberta
- The penultimate stop of the six-stop World Cup circuit for long track speed skating will follow events in Europe and Asia.
February 12-16 – FIS Freestyle Skiing and Snowboard World Cups (halfpipe/slopestyle) – Canada Olympic Park – Calgary, Alberta
- Over the course of just a few days, you can see ski and snowboard athletes compete in slopestyle and halfpipe.
February 15-23 – Tournaments of Hearts (curling) – Mosaic Place – Moose Jaw, Saskatchewan
- The Canadian women’s curling championship is returning to Moose Jaw after five years. The last time the event was held in Moose Jaw, 70,047 fans came out!
February 29-March 1 – FIS Snowboard World Cup (PGS) – Blue Mountain Resort – Collingwood, Ontario
- Snowboarders race head to head on parallel courses, trying to be the fastest to the bottom in one of the oldest Olympic snowboard events.
February 29-March 8 – The Brier (curling) – Leon’s Centre – Kingston, Ontario
- Canada’s annual men’s curling championship. The winner will go on to represent Canada in Glasgow, Scotland at the 2020 World Men’s Curling Championship.
March
Canada’s Kirsten Moore-Towers and Michael Marinaro perform their free program in the pairs competition at Skate Canada International in Laval, Que. on Saturday, October 27, 2018. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Paul Chiasson
March 14-15 – FIS Cross-Country Skiing World Cup – The Plains of Abraham – Quebec City, Quebec
- For the second straight year, the World Cup season will conclude in Canada. Athletes will first race in Quebec City before heading over to Canmore, Alberta for the World Cup Finals.
March 14-22 – World Women’s Curling Championship – CN Centre – Prince George, British Columbia
- The world’s best women’s curling teams will compete in Prince George – a first-time host for the tournament. Team Canada will aim to claim their 18th women’s world title since 1979, the most women’s titles held by any country!
March 16-22 – ISU World Figure Skating Championships – Bell Centre – Montreal, Quebec
- Canada will be represented by one man, two women, two pairs and three ice dance teams at the biggest figure skating competition of the season. This will be Canada’s 11th time hosting the world championships but a first for Montreal’s since 1932.
March 20-22 – FIS Cross-Country Skiing World Cup – Canmore Nordic Centre, Alberta
- This will be Canmore’s sixth time hosting a World Cup stop. This time the World Cup Final will showcase the first-ever mixed relay race.
March 31-April 10 – IIHF Women’s World Championship – Scotiabank Centre & Rath Eastlink Community Centre – Halifax & Truro, Nova Scotia
- Canada last hosted the women’s world hockey championship in 2016 and is seeking its first gold medal at the global event since 2012.
April
Brett Gallant, right, sweep as Jocelyn Peterman releases a rock against Tyrel Griffith and Nancy Faye Martin in the gold medal game at the Canadian mixed doubles curling championships at Willie O’Ree Place in Fredericton, N.B. on Sunday, March 24, 2019. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Andrew Vaughan
April 18-25 – World Mixed Doubles Curling Championship – Kelowna Curling Club – Kelowna, British Columbia
- Teams made up of one man and one woman have the chance to gain qualification points for the Beijing 2022 Olympic Winter Games.
