A new champion has been crowned in Ontario women's curling. Team Hailey Armstrong from the Whitby Curling Club secured the women's title at the 2026 Farm & Food Care Ontario curling championships this past Sunday in Elmira, Ont.
A Decisive Victory in the Final
Armstrong's rink delivered a commanding performance in the championship match, defeating the defending champion, Danielle Inglis of the Ottawa Hunt & Golf Club, by a score of 10-3. The turning point came in the middle of the game. With the score tied 1-1, Armstrong engineered critical steals of two points in the fourth end and a massive five points in the fifth end, building an insurmountable 8-1 lead. Inglis conceded the match after the eighth end.
The victory was especially sweet for Armstrong's team, which includes vice Grace Lloyd, second Michaela Robert, lead Rachel Steele, and alternate Lori Eddy. They had previously lost to the Inglis rink in both the A Event and B Event of the triple-knockout competition that determined the playoff qualifiers.
Road to the National Stage
With this win, Team Armstrong earns a berth at the Scotties Tournament of Hearts, Canada's national women's curling championship. The event is scheduled for January 23 to February 1 at the Paramount Fine Foods Centre in Mississauga. This will mark Armstrong's third appearance at the Scotties; she previously played as vice for Quebec's Laurie St-Georges in 2021 and 2022. For alternate Lori Eddy, it will be a fourth trip to the national championship, her first dating back to 1997 with the Alison Goring rink.
King Secures Men's Title and Brier Spot
In the men's final, Jayden King of the Tillsonburg Curling Club claimed the provincial championship and a ticket to the Tim Hortons Brier. King's team, consisting of vice Dylan Niepage, second Owen Henry, and lead Victor Pietrangelo, defeated defending champion Sam Mooibroek of the Whitby Curling Club by a score of 9-6.
The match was tightly contested until the final end. Trailing 8-6 with the hammer in the 10th end, Mooibroek seemed poised to score multiple points and force an extra end. However, King executed a precise double and roll with his last stone, leaving Mooibroek with a difficult tap for two. Mooibroek's final shot wrecked on a guard, handing King a steal of one point and the victory. King had advanced directly to the playoffs by winning the A Event earlier in the tournament.
The Brier is set for February 27 to March 8 in St. John's, Newfoundland and Labrador. Both Armstrong and King will now prepare to represent Ontario on the national stage, looking to add a Canadian championship to their newly won provincial titles.
