SALMON ARM, November 15, 2007... The Canadian Curling Association (CCA) today announced that Salmon Arm, British Columbia will host the 2009 M&M Meat Shops Canadian junior men’s and women’s curling championships.

The M&M Meat Shops Canadian Juniors will be held January 31-February 8, 2009, with round robin games taking place at both the six-sheet Salmon Arm Curling Club and the adjacent Sunwave Centre, a twin-sheet ice arena. The men's and women's finals will be played at the Sunwave Centre, with both games televised for the first time by TSN, as part of its new exclusive television agreement with the Canadian Curling Association, beginning with the 2008-09 season.

Thirteen men's and 13 women's teams, representing the 10 provinces plus Northern Ontario, Northwest Territories and Yukon, will compete. At the conclusion of the round robin, the first place teams advance to their respective finals while the second and third place teams meet in semi-finals.

"It's my pleasure, on behalf of the Canadian Curling Association, to announce Salmon Arm as the site for the 2009 M&M Meat Shops Canadian Juniors," said CCA CEO Greg Stremlaw. "It's gratifying to know the Salmon Arm community is excited about staging one of our premier championships, which showcases the future stars of our sport and we wish the host committee all the best in its preparations."

Salmon Arm, with a population of 17,000, is located on picturesque Shuswap Lake, the houseboat capital of Canada. The event will be hosted by the Salmon Arm Curling Club and the Shuswap Recreation Society, which operates the Sunwave Centre.

"Salmon Arm is very pleased and excited to host the 2009 M&M Meat Shops Canadian Juniors," said host committee co-chairs Fred Puetz and Debbie Jones. "This is the first time we have hosted a national curling championship. The members of the curling club and the entire community have always supported previous curling events held here. We look forward to their support again and we thank the Canadian Curling Association for the opportunity to stage these prestigious championships."

The winners of the 2009 M&M Meat Shops Canadian Juniors will then represent Canada at the 2009 world junior curling championships, March 5-15, at the Hillcrest/Nat Bailey Stadium Park in Vancouver, also the site of the 2010 Winter Olympics curling competition. Canada has won a leading 16 junior men's titles since 1975, including nine of the last 10, and eight women’s crowns since 1988, the last in 2003.

M&M Meat Shops, Canada's largest retail chain of specialty frozen foods, will be celebrating its fourth year of title sponsorship of the Canadian Juniors in 2009.

The first M&M Meat Shops Canadian Juniors took place in Thunder Bay in 2006 at the Fort William and Port Arthur Curling Clubs, while the 2007 renewal was held in St. Catharines, at the Jack Gatecliff Arena and St. Catharines Golf & Country Club, after M&M Meat Shops announced a three-year title sponsorship extension through 2009. The 2008 edition is scheduled for Sault Ste. Marie, Ontario, February 3-10.

"We are very pleased, as a Canadian-owned company, to be involved with such a popular Canadian sport," said Mac Voisin, Chairman and Founder of M&M Meat Shops. "Several years ago, we made a commitment to support curling, specifically, as the title sponsor of the Canadian Juniors and we are thoroughly enjoying our involvement. I wish the Salmon Arm host committee good luck in staging the 2009 M&M Meat Shops Canadian Juniors."

The Canadian junior men's championship began in 1950 in Quebec City, while the Canadian junior women's event debuted in 1971 in Vancouver. They were conducted as separate championships until 1987 in Prince Albert, Saskatchewan, when they were combined.

This will mark a leading ninth time that British Columbia has hosted the Canadian junior men's event, but also a leading eighth time for the junior women’s. The last time the province staged the championships was in 2004 in Victoria.

British Columbia has won four Canadian junior men's titles, the last by Brad Kuhn in 2000 in Moncton, and three Canadian junior women's crowns, the last by Julie Sutton in 1987 in Prince Albert. Alberta leads all provinces with 15 junior men's titles, while Saskatchewan leads with 10 Canadian junior women’s crowns.

With today's announcement, the schedule confirmed to date for the 2008-09 Canadian and world championships season is as follows.

- 2009 M&M Meat Shops Canadian Juniors, January 31-February 8, Salmon Arm, BC
- 2009 Scotties Tournament of Hearts, February 21-March 1, Victoria, BC
- 2009 World Juniors, March 5-15, Vancouver, BC
- 2009 Tim Hortons Brier, March 7-15, Calgary, AB
- 2009 World Women's, March 21-29, Gangneung, Korea
- 2009 Ford World Men's, April 4-12, Moncton, NB

Warren Hansen
Manager of Event Operations and Media
Canadian Curling Association
whansen@curling.ca
604-329-9850

Debbie Jones and Fred Puetz
Host Committee Co-Chairs
2009 M&M Meat Shops Canadian Juniors
djjones@sunlite.ca or salmonarmcc@sunwave.net
250-832-3708 (H) 250-832-8700
250-833-8441 (Cell)