Port Elgin will host one of the biggest curling events in Canadian history next fall as Olympic champions Rachel Homan and Brad Jacobs square off in "The Battle."
The three-day showcase will run September 25-27, 2026, at The Plex in Port Elgin. The Municipality of Saugeen Shores is providing the arena free of charge for the event.
The format will feature a mix of competitions. Friday begins with doubles action, as Homan and Jacobs each select a teammate, while the remaining curlers match up in a second game. Saturday will see the men’s and women’s teams face off in a skins event. The showcase wraps up Sunday with an eight-end head-to-head match to determine the Grand Champion.
Alongside the competition, organizers are calling "The Camp" the largest curling camp ever held in Canada. Open to adults 19 and older, participants will pay $799 for two-and-a-half days of Olympic-level instruction from members of both teams, plus six elite coaches. On the final day, campers will take part in "The Great Shootout," a Ryder Cup-style sweeping and draw contest featuring both squads.
Executive committee member and veteran coach Maurice Wilson says the camp will be unlike anything curlers have experienced. "You think about it, you’ve got the number one women’s team in the world, a dominant team, and you’ve got Brad Jacobs, unquestionably the best men’s team in Canada right now," said Wilson. "Hopefully both of them are going to the Olympics, and we may be lucky enough to have them here working at that camp."
Wilson added that what sets this camp apart is the professional environment. "They usually go in curling clubs. So here they get to go on this championship-level ice, and we’ve also hired a team of four outstanding world-class ice makers to come and make ice here for that week."
Saugeen Shores Mayor Luke Charbonneau says hosting Homan and Jacobs is a major win for the community. "That’s a huge event, right? I mean, you’re talking Jacobs and Homan, there are no bigger curlers on Earth than those two," said Charbonneau. "To have them come to Saugeen Shores, come to The Plex, and be here for a few days… it’s going to be such a huge draw, not just here, but for the whole region."
Charbonneau credits the Port Elgin Curling Club for its proven ability to stage top-tier events, citing the Ontario Tankard and other major showcases. "The track record of the Port Elgin Curling Club is really unparalleled," he said. "They have the capacity as a committee, but also the ability to attract volunteers, sponsors, and partners. They can bring together a huge event and pull it off with flying colors. People always say, ‘This is the best Tankard we’ve been to, this is the best Ryder Cup we’ve been to.’ They’re second to none." Tickets go on sale September 25, 2025, with 1,100 three-day passes available at $129 each. Proceeds will support 16 area curling clubs, which can sell sponsorships and tickets to raise funds directly for their organizations.
