(Image Credit: Curtis Galbraith)

By Curtis Galbraith

Curling

Qualifiers for curling provincials underway in Grande Prairie

Jan 22, 2026 | 3:01 PM

UPDATE:   It will be the Lowell Peterman rink from Red Deer and the Kurt Balderston rink from the Grande Prairie Curling Centre advancing to Master Men provincials after the qualifier in Grande Prairie played Thursday and Friday.

Peterman beat Grande Prairie’s Colin Griffith 8-6 in the first qualifier game. Balderston then beat Griffith 9-5 in the second qualifier game.

Provincials are set for March 4 to 8 in Grande Prairie. Nationals will also be held in Grande Prairie from April 6 to 11.

The first of three qualifiers for provincial championships is underway at the Grande Prairie Curling Centre.

Colin Griffith beat Doug Small 7-5 while Red Deer’s Lowell Peterman defeated Kelly Ollenberger 11-5 Thursday morning in the opening draw of the Master Men qualifier.

Griffith is playing Kurt Balderston, while Small is playing Ollenberger in the Thursday afternoon draw. Updated scores can be found here.

The qualifier games will be played at 9 a.m. and 2 p.m. on Friday. The winners of those games will play in provincials Mar. 4 to 8 in Grande Prairie. Nationals will also be held in Grande Prairie in Apr.

Two other qualifiers will take place on Saturday and Sunday.

Three teams, one girls’ and two boys’ rinks, are entered in the U15 qualifier. Games will be played at 2 and 6 p.m. Saturday and 10 a.m. on Sunday. All three teams are from Grande Prairie. Provincials will run from Feb. 24 to Mar. 1 in Red Deer.

Three teams, two from Edmonton and one from Airdrie, will be playing in the Senior Men’s qualifier. Those games take place at the same times as the U15 games.

Provincials will be held in Edmonton Mar. 18 to 22.