The Brier returning to London, Ont. in 2023: Curling Canada

The 2011 Tim Hortons Brier was the last time London, Ont., hosted the annual curling championship.

For the first time in more than a decade, London, Ont., will host the Tim Hortons Brier.

Officials with Curling Canada announced on Monday that the annual Canadian men’s curling championship will return to the Forest City in 2023.

The multi-day event will be played from Mar. 3 to Mar. 12 at Budweiser Gardens.

The downtown London arena hosted the Brier in 2011, when it was named the John Labatt Centre. London first hosted in 1974 when the Brier was held in London Gardens, the southend arena later named the London Ice House, prior to its closure in 2002.

During a virtual media conference Monday morning, Curling Canada CEO Katherine Henderson said selecting a host for the 2023 event was made “a much easier decision” due to London’s “outstanding” bid for the job.

“It’s a fabulous city, they knock it out of the park every time they host a sporting event,” Henderson said said.

“We’ve partnered with them before … they’ve proven to us over and over again that they know how to do this and they know how to do it really well.”

The COVID-19 pandemic has sidelined countless opportunities for in-person sporting events, with Ontario’s latest restrictions leaving fans unable to attend games for most of January. Come 2023, Henderson says Curling Canada is planning for a “full Brier.”