Canadian curling athletes will take to the world stage next year with new uniforms unveiled Tuesday in Thunder Bay, Ont.
Curling Canada says the uniforms, designed by an artist from the northwestern Ontario city, “evoke meaningful images rooted in nature, Canada’s indigenous peoples and the iconic maple leaf.”
Nolan Thiessen, executive director of Curling Canada, hopes the design representing indigenous people will “open some doors” for more people to get involved in curling.
“You always want to provide those platforms for people to see themselves in your sport,” Thiessen told CBC Thunder Bay.
“There are a lot of different ways to do it and this is just one of them, but hopefully it shows that we are open and welcoming.”
The uniforms come in red, white and black versions. They will only be used in 2026, at the Olympic and Paralympic Winter Games in Milan Cortina, the World Women’s Curling Championship in Calgary, the World Men’s Curling Championship in Ogden, Utah, and the World Mixed Doubles Championship in Geneva.
Artist excited to show off uniform designs
The predominant theme of the uniforms is the image of a hummingbird, which Curling Canada says has a four-year life cycle, coinciding with the quadrennial Olympic and Paralympic cycle around which Canada’s high-performance athletes plan.
Thiessen said it’s “exciting to finally be able to show this to all of Canada and the world.”
Shelby Gagnon, a multidisciplinary 2-Spirit Anishinaabe/Cree artist originally from Aroland First Nation, collaborated with Regina designer Steph Schmidt on the final design. Schmidt has curled competitively and played in three editions of the Scotties Tournament of Hearts representing Saskatchewan.
Speaking about the collaboration, Gagnon said it has been “a beautiful experience that unites sport, culture and art, adding that it is especially meaningful to share the symbolism of Turtle Island’s birds and plant life through design.
“We created these beautiful works of art and people could use them, and I think that’s really special,” Gagnon told CBC News.
“I’ll definitely be watching curling this February. It’s going to be pretty surreal to see my design at the Olympics.”
Former world curling champion calls uniforms ‘inspiring’
Heather Houston, the 1989 world curling champion, was also at the team’s uniform presentation.
“I know the story of how they were created, the trust, the artistry and all the things that came together to make them so beautiful, and I can’t even imagine what it would feel like to wear them internationally at the Olympics,” Houston said.
“Wearing something so beautiful and inspiring will be fantastic for our athletes.”
Schmidt said that as a curler and designer, it has been “a dream come true” to collaborate on the design.
“This collaboration brought profound moments of wisdom and creativity. I am very excited to offer Canadians a maple leaf reimagined with depth and meaning, and a creature as small as the hummingbird and its relentless spirit despite its size,” said Schmidt.
“Sometimes I think these stories are waiting to be rediscovered and told at the right time, when the world needs to hear them. It has been the honor of my career to be part of this creative team.”
Commercial versions of the uniforms will go on sale on November 22, both in person at the Montana 2025 Canadian Curling Trials in Halifax and in online.
