Stephen Dasko

After an epic debut last year that drew more than 30,000 attendees, APIK will once again transform Celebration Square into an urban winter wonderland complete with ski and snowboard competitions, snowskate demos and lessons, DJ sets, afterparties and more family-friendly activities. The custom-built 45-foot-high ski hill in Celebration Square will host more than 80 professional athletes who will compete for a $100,000 prize purse, judged on the quality and style of their tricks and descents, with $25,000 awarded in each sport! Witness the art of extreme skiing and snowboarding from seasoned professionals with all the tricks and flips, right in downtown Mississauga.

Golden Ticket winners

This year, TRIBU and Visit Mississauga introduced the Golden Ticket program, inviting avid ski and snowboarders from around the world to submit a video to be entered for a chance to win an all-expenses-paid trip to APIK Mississauga to compete. X Games gold medalist Tom Wallisch and Olympic gold medalist Sébastien Toutant judged the fierce competition, choosing two skiers (one man, one woman) and two snowboarders (one man, one woman) to receive the coveted prize. Due to the number of talented submissions, the judges decided to launch a Public Choice contest to award an additional five winners. Come and check out these talented athletes as they showcase their mad skills:

Winners

• Women’s ski:

• • Maria Esteban, Spain
  • Alais Develay, France

• Men’s ski:

• • Ryan Buttars, USA
  • Mathieu Dufresne, Canada (QC)

• Women’s snowboard:

• • Mia Langridge, Great Britain
  • Sophia Bruck, USA
  • Callen Hwang, USA

• Men’s snowboard:

• • Nick Fox, USA
  • Christian Brenny, USA

Bundle up, bring your friends and family and experience the rush of a winter sports competition right here in Mississauga. The event is free to attend, and you won’t want to miss it. The full schedule will be released online and on social soon so be sure to follow @VisitMississauga and @Apikfest for all event updates. For more information, please visit apik.tribu.co/en/Mississauga.

Quotes

“APIK is all about celebrating winter in a bold, urban way. We can’t wait to bring this unique festival back to Mississauga and provide residents and visitors with the rare opportunity to experience these alpine winter sports in the heart of our city. And with the 25^th Olympic Winter Games beginning on February 6 in Milan, what better way to immerse yourself in winter sports and get excited for the Olympics! Come and join us and soak up the ski village vibes right here in Mississauga.”  – Victoria Clarke, CEO, Visit Mississauga.

“We are very excited about the second edition of APIK Mississauga. Taking place in an Olympic year, this is going to be a particularly exciting edition, welcoming some of the most promising ski and snowboard athletes competing for a $100,000 cash prize. We are looking forward to year two of this amazing partnership.” – Micah Desforges, founder and CEO, Tribu Expérientiel Inc.

Mississauga residents can be nominated in one of nine categories:

Youth

Nominees must be between the ages of 15 and 24 and have volunteered for at least two consecutive years. They must act as role models for other young people and demonstrate all-around positive community involvement.

Business

Nominees must be currently engaged in business as an owner and/or entrepreneur. Ideal candidates should demonstrate a combination of the following criteria:

• Entrepreneurial spirit and success in owning and managing a business.
• Significant contribution of new ideas, innovative practices, processes or inventions, or created employment opportunities.
• Demonstrate a commitment to fairness and equality.

Community Service

Nominees should possess an outstanding record of significant community involvement and service. Candidates must also demonstrate a strong commitment to enriching the lives of others as well as building relationships and collaborating meaningfully with the individuals and communities they serve.

Education

Nominees for this award are being recognized for exemplary contributions to the well-being of students and/or community members through their active involvement in education at the school, board, in extracurricular activities or at the community level.

Health Services

Nominees for this award are being recognized for their involvement in the creation and/or promotion of methods that keep the physical health or mental wellbeing of Black communities. Ideal candidates must be employed or studying in the field of health sciences. Candidates should exhibit leadership in healthcare management administration.

Arts and Culture

Nominees for this award are being recognized for their involvement in and/or promotion of developing arts and culture within the community. Ideal candidates should demonstrate a combination of the following criteria:

• Have demonstrated a commitment to and/or focus on community-engaged art and/or expressions of culture in Mississauga.
• Have experience in the area of art and/or culture for a minimum of three years.
• Have completed and/or been involved in one significant arts and culture project in the last 12 months.

Sports

Nominees for this award are being recognized for their model contribution to sports at the community or national level as an athlete or official.

Hospitality and Food Services

Nominees for this award are being recognized for the best in food, drink and/or hospitality in African-Caribbean products and/or services. The nominee will have received positive reviews and feedback from customers and peers demonstrating their commitment to customer service and satisfaction. The nominee will also have demonstrated leadership and management in hospitality operations, commitment to sustainable and ethical practices in the hospitality industry and be actively involved in their local community.

Legacy – Lifetime Achievement

This is the highest community-based honour bestowed on an individual whose continued commitment has uplifted the lives of others.

Nominees are individuals who have made significant contributions to the Black community for 15 years or more. Candidates would have improved the quality of life for citizens or brought recognition to the City of Mississauga through their accomplishments.

Eligibility and nomination process

To be eligible, the nominee must:

• Live and/or work in Mississauga
• Identify as being Black
• Stand as a role model for others
• Inspire volunteerism and civic engagement

If you know someone deserving of an award, the steps to recognizing eligible residents include:

1. Review the award criteria and descriptions above to determine the most appropriate category.
2. Email the nomination to BlackExcellenceAwards@mississauga.ca.
3. In your email, please include the following information:
   • Full name of the nominee, including their preferred pronouns and phonetic pronunciation.
   • Category for nomination (please only choose one category).
   • A brief explanation indicating why the individual should be nominated.

Please note that only completed nomination forms will be evaluated.

Nominees who qualify will be invited to receive their award during an evening ceremony in honour of Black History Month next month at Mississauga City Hall on Friday, February 27 at 7 p.m.

Courtesy of Curling Canada

Eighteen of Canada’s top women’s curling teams will compete in the 10-day Scotties tournament in Mississauga. Fourteen provincial/territorial champions (Curling Canada Member Associations), and four teams that qualified through the Canadian Team Ranking System will participate in the round-robin tournament, with the top teams advancing to the playoffs. The teams are split into two groups of nine, with each team playing eight round-robin games.

The winning team will be the national champion and will go on to represent Canada at the BKT World Women’s Curling Championship from March 14 to 22 in Calgary and will also return to next year’s Scotties Tournament of Hearts as Team Canada.

For the full field and the complete schedule, visit curling.ca.

Courtesy of Curling Canada

Event details

What
2026 Scotties Tournament of Hearts, Women’s Canadian Championship

Where

Paramount Fine Foods Centre
5500 Rose Cherry Pl.,
Mississauga, ON

When

Friday, January 23 to Sunday, February 1, 2026. Check the draw schedule at curling.ca/2026scotties/draw to see all of the game times.

The championship final is scheduled for Sunday, February 1, 2026.

Final days to get tickets

While many tickets have been sold, single-day tickets and packages are still available. Ticket options include single-draw tickets, family packages and group seating.Get your tickets soon at curling.ca/tickets or at the Paramount Fine Foods Centre box office during regular hours (Monday to Friday, 11 a.m. to 4 p.m.). For ticket information, please call 905-305-6000 or email ticket.operations@mississauga.ca. Tickets are subject to standard facility and ticket service fees. All ticket sales are final.

The Patch

Mississauga’s inaugural Patch at the 2026 Scotties Tournament of Hearts is set to rock with The Trews, one of Canada’s most celebrated rock bands, headlining opening night on January 23 at The Patch in Rink 2 (Paramount Fine Foods Centre). Presented by Montana’s BBQ & Bar and Access Storage, the free concert begins around 10:30 p.m. ET, following the opening night draw. Doors open at 5 p.m., with admission for fans 19+ on a first-come, first-served basis. Arrive early to catch the action and experience The Trews live at The Patch!

Travelling to the venue

PFFC has ample parking for visitors, including several accessible parking spots, and transit options are available for guests with disabilities.

Where possible, visitors are encouraged to carpool, take taxis/rideshares or consider taking MiWay, Mississauga’s transit system. For those taking MiWay, there are several bus routes that stop near the PFFC. Visit miway.ca for schedules and details.

Increased traffic is expected during the tournament, so please allow for extra travel time.

Mississauga welcomes curling fans from across the nation

Mississauga is set to welcome thousands of fans and visitors to the city. Beyond the tournament, fans and visitors can expect warm hospitality and lots to see and do in Mississauga, including other sporting events like APIK at Celebration Square, performances at the Living Arts Centre and Meadowvale Theatre, diverse dining and shopping and family‑friendly attractions.

Courtesy of Curling Canada

Mississauga gains sweeping momentum as sports tourism destination

Mississauga has welcomed several high-profile sports events to the city, just recently it welcomed the CPKC Women’s Open in August 2025 and will be hosting the Sport Event Congress (SEC) in March, Cheer Canada National Championship in April and many more sports and festivals coming to Mississauga this year.

The 2026 Scotties Tournament of Hearts is set to be one of Mississauga’s largest sporting events. The tournament is expected to generate more than $6 million for the local economy, more than 2,500 hotel room bookings and increased business for restaurants, retailers, and other local services.

Hosting the Scotties tournament showcases Mississauga’s vibrant community spirit and world‑class sporting venues, positioning the city as a premier destination for major events and showcasing its appeal to visitors from across Canada.

Courtesy of Curling Canada

Curling has been a cherished winter sport in Canada and Mississauga for decades. The Dixie Curling Club has been a staple of the city since 1956.

Residents and visitors are invited to celebrate one of the country’s premier curling events and enjoy the excitement and community spirit it brings.

For updates and information, visit curling.ca or follow @VisitMississauga on social media.

Members of the media

Members of the media interested in covering the 2026 Scotties Tournament of Hearts in Mississauga can contact media@curling.ca for interview opportunities, photo ops and scheduled media activities.

About Visit Mississauga

Visit Mississauga is the official destination marketing organization (DMO) for the City of Mississauga. The organization is industry-led and responsible for developing a tourism strategy and leading tourism marketing and development efforts for Mississauga. Visit Mississauga is committed to implementing the City of Mississauga’s Tourism Master Plan, promoting local businesses and co-ordinating large-scale events within the city. To learn more about Visit Mississauga, or check out other exciting events coming to Mississauga, go to visitmississauga.ca.