The World Curling Tour has cancelled the 2022 Meridian Open in Camrose, Alberta because of coronavirus according to Jonathan Brazeau of Rogers Sportsnet. The cancellation comes on the same day the International Ice Hockey Federation pulled the plug on the World Junior Men’s Hockey Championship in Edmonton and Red Deer.
The Meridian Open was set to take place from January 11-16, 2022 at the Encana Arena. It was to be the third grand slam event on the World Curling Tour. In the first two events, Tracy Fleury of East St. Paul, Manitoba won the women’s Masters in Oakville, Ontario on October 24, and then Canadian Olympic gold medalist Brad Gushue of St. John’s, Newfoundland won the men’s National event in Chestermere, Alberta on November 7. Gushue, who won the gold medal for Canada at the 2006 Olympic Winter Games in Turin, is set to represent Canada again at the 2022 Olympic Winter Games in Beijing.
Meanwhile, three more curling events are cancelled. The 2022 Prince Edward Island Scotties Tournament of Hearts in Montague, the 2022 Northern Ontario Regional Women’s Championship in Kenora, and the 2022 Quebec Scotties in Alma, will no longer take place in January as initially scheduled. This means the curling organizations for those particular regions will choose a representative for the 2022 Scotties Tournament of Hearts in Thunder Bay, Ontario.
