A 114-year-old competition takes place at Peace Arch Curling Club Jan. 13.
The Strathcona Cup – the oldest international curling competition in the world, according to local curler Stan Turner, who had the privilege of competing with other Canadians in Scotland in 2018 – will feature three groups, each of 20 Scottish curlers, who will compete for the coveted trophy on tours in Western Canada, Central Canada, and Eastern Canada.
The last time a Canadian team toured Scotland was in 2018 when the Canadians were victorious in winning back the Cup, having relinquished it in 2013, when the Scots last came to Canada.
The third set of games of the Western Tour will be held at the Peace Arch Curling Club in White Rock on Friday, Jan. 13, with the grand welcome underway at 8:30 a.m. and the games scheduled to commence at 9:15 a.m.
There will be space for spectators at this event, but Turner recommends checking with the Peace Arch Curling Club.
Stemming from the winter of 1902-03, when a party of Scots from the Royal Caledonian Curling Club toured Canada, playing against Canadian and American rinks for the Royal Caledonian Tankard, that competition evolved to the Strathcona Cup when Sir Donald Smith, Lord Strathcona, commissioned a Cup to be made for the visit by Canadians to Scotland in 1909.
The Strathcona Cup epitomizes friendly competition and good fellowship and Canada and Scotland have held true to these principles for more than 100 years.
The Scottish touring teams to Canada for 2023 will generally compete once or twice daily and will be locally hosted at lunches, dinners, and special events.
After their weeks-long curling tour and series of games – some 400 in total – all three groups will convene in Ottawa where, on Feb. 2, the winner is declared.
The winner is determined by comparing the scores from all games between Scotland and Canada.
Canada has won the competition 12 times to Scotland’s 11 times.
@Canucklehedd
tricia.weel@peacearchnews.com
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