Canada is recognized internationally as a curling power. What Canada is to the curling world, Alberta is to Canada. The province has won 23 of 77 Briers. Calgary has hosted the Brier a total of 5 times. As host city, Calgary crowned three Alberta Brier Champions: Hec Gervais in 1961, Kevin Martin in 1997 and Randy Ferby in 2002. The 1997 Brier established the attendance trends for a new era of “the Big Briers”. Rockin’ the Rockies” in 2002 continued this trend and built on the Brier’s social traditions by adding the first Purple Heart Lounge to compliment the already famous Keith’s Brier Patch.

Calgary is ready to host a great Brier. The 2009 Tim Hortons Brier - Rockin’ the Rockies II- The Reunion at the Pengrowth Saddledome will build on the Brier excitement and tradition.

The stage is set for a repeat of a great Alberta curler as the raining Tim Hortons Brier and Ford World Mens Champion, the Kevin Martin team, strives to repeat their success in 2009.

Get your tickets now to watch the drama unfold on the ice while experiencing Calgary’s exceptional western hospitality at Rockin’ the Rockies II- The Reunion.

Story of the Brier Tankard

First presented by the Macdonald Tobacco Company in 1927, the Macdonald Brier Trophy was awarded annually to the winner of the Macdonald Brier until 1979. Macdonald Tobacco withdrew its sponsorship that year after 50 years and the Macdonald Brier Tankard was retired.

When Labatt Breweries became the Brier sponsor in 1980, it introduced a gold Labatt Tankard, which became the icon of the Brier and was awarded 21 times. When Labatt decided to end its title sponsorship, the Labatt Tankard was retired.

When Nokia Products Ltd. became the Brier’s new sponsor, it decided in consultation with the Canadian Curling Association to reactivate the original trophy beginning with the 2001 Nokia Brier.

The trophy was restored and the base expanded by Clarkes Recognition Products of Vancouver.

For its first 27 years, the Tankard was presented with a sterling silver heart plaque attached to it on which the names of each team member had been hand-engraved. After 27 years no space was left, so a single plaque was attached to the back, where the names of all the winners from 1955 to 1979 were engraved.

Clarkes increased the size of the base so that a silver heart crest could be attached for every Brier-winning team.

The Brier Tankard now proudly displays a hand-engraved silver heart for each of the 78 Brier winners.

The original cup on the trophy was hand-tooled in Great Britain and is a work of art that could be re-created only in Europe. The replacement value of the original trophy has been estimated at $35,000. The CCA invested $10,000 to complete the restoration in 2001.