Tournament favorites Rachel Homan and Kerri Einarson secured dominant victories on Saturday as they kicked off the 2025 Montana’s Canadian Curling Trials in Halifax. Homan, hailing from Ottawa and a two-time Canadian and world women’s champion, claimed a 16-5 win over Kate Cameron of St. Adolphe, Man., after scoring three in the third end and stealing four in the fourth. Homan credited her team’s strong start to their familiarity with the ice conditions during practice, leading to precise shots and an early advantage. Einarson, representing Gimli, Man., also started strong with steals of two and four in the first two ends, ultimately defeating local favorite Christina Black 12-5.
In other Saturday matches, Kaitlyn Lawes of Winnipeg triumphed 7-4 over Corryn Brown of Kamloops, B.C., and Selena Sturmay of Edmonton secured an 8-2 win against Kayla Skrlik of Calgary by stealing two ends.
The men’s draw saw Mike McEwen’s rink from Saskatoon narrowly defeat Jordon McDonald from Winnipeg 6-5. McEwen clinched the win with a game-winning draw to the eight-foot in the 10th end, acknowledging missed opportunities earlier in the game. Brad Gushue of St. John’s, N.L., started with an 11-5 victory over Rylan Kleiter from Saskatoon, while Matt Dunstone of Winnipeg and Kevin Koe of Calgary also secured wins in the opening matches.
The champions of the men’s and women’s competitions will earn the opportunity to represent Canada at the 2026 Winter Olympics in Milan and Cortina, Italy.
