Ontario Tankard


The Ontario Tankard, officially the Ontario Men's Provincial Championships, is the Southern Ontario provincial championship for men's curling. The winner represents Team Ontario at the Montana's Brier. The tournament is overseen by Curling Ontario.
Northern Ontario has its own provincial championship, known as the Northern Ontario Men's Provincial Curling Championship.
This championship is not to be confused with the Silver Tankard, historically also known as the Ontario Tankard.

Qualification

Since 2017, the qualification has varied from year to year:
  • 2017: 10 teams total.
  • 2018: 12 teams total.
  • 2019: 10 teams total.
  • 2020: 9 teams total.
  • 2022: Originally 8 teams The open qualifier was cancelled due to the COVID-19 pandemic, so the top seven CTRS teams who had signed up for the qualifier were invited, expanding the number of entries in the tankard to 12.
  • 2023: 12 teams total.
  • 2024: 12 teams total.
  • 2025–present: 12 teams total.
Between 1972 and 2016, the event usually had 10 teams: Two teams from each of the four OCA regions, and one winner each from an eastern and western challenge round. When Ontario won the previous Brier, that team would be added to the field for the following season. In 1999, when Ontario had not only won the previous Brier, but an Ontario team also won the 1997 Canadian Olympic Curling Trials, the field was expanded to 12 teams, giving them an automatic berth.

Format

The event was separated from the Silver Tankard in 1938. From 1938 to 1953, the event was an eight team single elimination tournament, often held on a single day of competition. From 1954 to 1966, the event was an eight team round robin event, with the team having the best record qualifying for the Brier. In 1967, the event was expanded to a 16 team double knockout, further expanding to 18 teams in 1968.
In 1972, the event was reduced to 10 teams, and reverted to a round robin format, with the team with the best record being crowned champion. This format lasted until 1981, when a three team playoff was added. In 2001, the playoff was replaced with a four team page playoff.
The format of the Tankard has differed each year from 2018 to 2023:
  • 2018: Triple knockout followed by a four team page playoff.
  • 2019: Round robin followed by a four team page playoff.
  • 2020: Round robin followed by a three-team playoff.
  • 2022: Triple knockout followed by a four team page playoff.
  • 2023: Round robin within two pools of six, followed by a four team championship round, followed by a three team playoff.
Since 2024, the event has been a triple knockout followed by a four team page playoff.

Former Names

  • Ontario Silver Tankard: 1927-1931
  • 1932: Round robin playoff between the winners of the Ontario Tankard, Canada Life Trophy and the Toronto Bonspiel.
  • 1933: Winner was decided between a playoff between the winners of the Ontario Tankard and the Toronto Bonspiel.
  • Ontario Silver Tankard: 1934-1937
  • British Consols: 1938-1979
  • Labatt Tankard: 1980-1985
  • Blue Light Tankard: 1986-1994
  • Labatt Tankard: 1995
  • Nokia Cup: 1996-2003
  • Ontario Men's Curling Championship: 2004
  • Kia Cup: 2005-2006
  • TSC Stores Tankard: 2007-2009
  • Ontario Men's Curling Championship: 2010
  • The Dominion Tankard: 2011-2013
  • Travelers Tankard: 2014
  • Recharge with Milk Tankard: 2015-2017
  • Dairy Farmers of Ontario Tankard: 2018
  • Ontario Curling Championships: 2019–2020
  • Port Elgin Chrysler Ontario Tankard: 2022–23
  • Milk Every Moment Ontario Men's Curling Championship: 2024
  • Men's Ontario Curling Championship: 2025
  • Food & Farm Care Ontario Men's Provincial Championship: 2026

    Brier representatives

Listed below are the list of Ontario's representatives at the Brier that year. Brier champions indicated in bold. From 1927 to 1931, Toronto had a separate entry at the Brier.

1927–1931

From 1927 to 1931, teams representing Ontario at the Brier were selected from the winning club at the Ontario Silver Tankard, a double rink event which has taken place since 1875.
BrierBrier representative teamWinning ClubCityHost siteBrier
Rec.		Brier Finish
1927Bob McKenzie, Bill Watson, Mel Hunt, Harry WatsonSarnia Curling ClubSarniaToronto3-4T4th
1928Vic McWilliams, Ed Brower, John Brandon, Bob HamiltonGranite Curling ClubTorontoToronto6-34th
1929Frank Carew, Walter Reesor, Frank Williams, Dick ButlerLindsay Curling ClubLindsayToronto4-56th
1930H.A. Bruce, Wesley Binkley, M.A. Humber, J.W. LloydStratford Curling ClubStratfordToronto3-6T9th
1931Ed Brower, John Rennie, John Brower, Bob HamiltonGranite Curling ClubTorontoToronto7-32nd

1932–1980

There was no Brier from 1943 to 1945 due to World War II. Listed here for those years are the winners of the British Consols, the usual Brier qualifying event.
BrierChampion teamWinning ClubCityHost siteBrier
Rec.		Brier Finish
1932Charles Bulley, John Brandon, Thomas Black, C.W. DefoeGranite Curling ClubTorontoToronto4-3T3rd
1933Gord Campbell, Donnie Campbell, Gord Coates, Duncan CampbellThistle Curling ClubHamiltonToronto6-22nd
1934Gord Campbell, Donnie Campbell, Gord Coates, Duncan CampbellThistle Curling ClubHamiltonToronto5-22nd
1935Gord Campbell, Donnie Campbell, Gord Coates, Duncan CampbellThistle Curling ClubHamiltonToronto6-11st
1936Hector Cowan, William McCart, Alex Hayes, Murray ChiltonSarnia Curling ClubSarniaToronto5-4T5th
1937Albert Dunker, Irwin Huntington, Arthur Lehnen, Fred HasenflugGranite Curling ClubKitchenerToronto2-7T7th
1938Bert Hall, Percy Hall, Ernie Parkes, Campbell SeagramGranite Curling ClubKitchenerToronto4-5T5th
1939Bert Hall, Percy Hall, Ernie Parkes, Campbell SeagramGranite Curling ClubKitchenerToronto9-11st
1940Bert Hall, Percy Hall, Ernie Parkes, Campbell SeagramGranite Curling ClubKitchenerToronto4-5T5th
1941Percy Hall, Jack Lucas, Arthur Lehnen, William Henderson, Jr.Granite Curling ClubKitchenerToronto7-22nd
1942Gord Campbell, Duncan Campbell, Bill Kennedy, Rufus StoneThistle Curling ClubHamiltonToronto7-2T2nd
1943Ken Wadsworth, E. H. Pooler, C. H. Brereton, H. M. S. ParsonsToronto Granite ClubTorontoTorontocancelled
1944Percy Hall, Bert Hall, Arthur Lehnen, William Henderson, Jr.Granite Curling ClubKitchenerTorontocancelled
1945Percy Hall, Bert Hall, Arthur Lehnen, William Henderson, Jr.Granite Curling ClubKitchenerTorontocancelled
1946Percy Hall, Bert Hall, Arthur Lehnen, William Henderson, Jr.Granite Curling ClubKitchenerToronto5-4T5th
1947Nicol MacNicol, Edmond O'Donnell, Gordon Denison, Adam F. SpencerToronto Curling ClubTorontoToronto3-68th
1948Jack Patrick, Bill Meyer, Walter McGregor, Angus OliverGalt Curling ClubGaltHamilton5-4T4th
1949Peter Gilbert, Gord Gilbert, Don Painter, John DeKoningChatham Granite Curling ClubChathamToronto5-44th
1950Carl Asmussen, Larry Shantz, Cully Schmidt, Ed ShultzGranite Curling ClubKitchenerKitchener5-4T4th
1951Gord Campbell, Stan Jones, Reg Mooney, Colin CampbellGranite Curling ClubTorontoKingston6-4T5th
1952Ralph Clark, Vic Brown, Ken Bissett, Burritt HarrisonPeterborough Curling ClubPeterboroughToronto6-4T3rd
1953Gord Gilbert, Bob Gilbert, Jim Harrington, Peter Gilbert Chatham Granite Curling ClubChathamToronto4-68th
1954Ross Tarleton, Bob Cross, Gord Wilson, Ernie LockThistle Curling ClubHamiltonOrillia6-4T3rd
1955Andy Grant, Walter Derratt, Earl Hushagen, Ray GrantRoyal Canadian Curling ClubTorontoGalt7-33rd
1956Alf Phillips, Sr., Reg Mooney, Stanley Jones, Bill LeakGranite Curling ClubTorontoPeterborough8-32nd
1957Stan Sarjeant, Roy Hewitt, Earl Lamb, Harry TissingtonChamplain Curling ClubOrilliaKitchener6-45th
1958Murray Roberts, Andy Grant, Ray Grant, George RumneyUnionville Curling ClubUnionvilleOshawa7-33rd
1959Ted Sellers, John Grant, Harold Lawrie, Carl SellersUnionville Curling ClubUnionvilleSarnia6-4T4th
1960Jake Edwards, Bob Elliott, Joe Corkey, George BinningtonKingston Curling ClubKingstonWelland7-34th
1961Tom Caldwell, Ross Coward, Doc Behan, Frank MilliganChamplain Curling ClubOrilliaOttawa5-5T6th
1962Bayne Secord, Vern Larsen, Russ Lindberg, Dave McDunoughTam Heather Country ClubAgincourtOwen Sound6-45th
1963Bob Mann, Ken Buchan, Keith Munro, Rich PalmerHanover Curling ClubHanoverHamilton6-4T4th
1964Bob Mann, Ken Buchan, Keith Munro, Rich PalmerHanover Curling ClubHanoverNiagara Falls5-5T5th
1965Ray Grant, Keith Jewett, Ray McGee, Al ClaneyUnionville Curling ClubUnionvilleCobourg5-5T5th
1966Joe Gurowka, Tom Howat, Ken Ingo, Don MackeyDixie Curling ClubCooksvilleBrampton8-32nd
1967Alf Phillips, Jr., John Ross, Ron Manning, Keith ReillyParkway Curling ClubTorontoOrillia9-11st
1968Don Gilbert, Al Zikman, Jimmy Waite, Dick DonaldSt. Thomas Curling ClubSt. ThomasKingston6-4T4th
1969Ken Buchan, Garry Weisz, Mitch Czaja, Ross GuestLondon Curling ClubLondonLondon2-8T9th
1970Paul Savage, Tom Cushing, Jerry Downer, Dave PhillipsTerrace Curling ClubTorontoOshawa4-6T6th
1971Bob Charlebois, Rich Palmer, Ray Lilly, Jim McGrathAvonlea Curling ClubDon MillsGuelph5-5T4th
1972Eldon Coombe, Keith Forgues, Jim Patrick, Barry ProvostOttawa Curling ClubOttawaGloucester6-4T3rd
1973Paul Savage, Bob Thomson, Ed Werenich, Ron GreenScarboro Golf & Country ClubScarboroughOrillia6-4T2nd
1974Paul Savage, Bob Thomson, Ed Werenich, Ron GreenScarboro Golf & Country ClubScarboroughEast York6-4T3rd
1975Alex Scott, Ted Brown, Mike Boyd, Tom MillerCataraqui Golf and Country ClubKingstonCambridge6-5T5th
1976Joe Gurowka, Bob Charlebois, Ray Lilly, Jim McGrathDixie Curling ClubMississaugaPeterborough3-8T10th
1977Paul Savage, Ed Werenich, Ron Green, Reid FergusonAvonlea Curling ClubDon MillsBrantford8-3T2nd
1978Gerry Hodson, Barry Paterson, Glen Webster, Ross GuestLondon Curling ClubLondonSt. Catharines4-710th
1979Bob Fedosa, Bob Turcotte, Craig Garratt, Doug MorrisonAnnandale Country ClubAjaxSt. Thomas6-5T4th
1980Russ Howard, Larry Merkley, Robert Ruston, Kent CarstairsPenetanguishene Curling ClubPenetanguisheneBrampton5-6T6th