This tour offers a unique opportunity for Canadian and American women age 50 or older, to enjoy a friendly, competitive curling experience, make new friends who enjoy the sport of curling and learn more about their curling neighbors.
The Exchange began in 1990 and was a collaboration between the USWCA led by Winnie Bloomquist of the Grand Forks Curling Club in North Dakota and the Canadian Curling Association. It operates on a three-year rotation between the two countries.
Friendship Tour 2021
The Tour scheduled for early November of 2021, has been postponed until November 7 - 18, 2022 due to COVID-19. The USWCA will host 16 Canadian women from the Maritimes and Ontario. For more information, go to the 2021 Friendship Tour page.
Friendship Tour 2018
From November 4 - 16, 2018, sixteen members of the United States Women's Curling Association participated in a curling tour of the Canadian Maritimes (New Brunswick, Nova Scotia, and Prince Edward Island). For more information, go to the 2018 Friendship Tour page.
Friendship Tour 2015
From November 11 - 20, 2015, the USWCA hosted a Friendship Tour of 16 Canadian women curlers from British Columbia, Canada at a number of USWCA member curling clubs in the West I (Minnesota) and West II (North Dakota) Regions. For more information, go to the 2015 Friendship Tour page.
Friendship Tour 2012
From October 31, 2012 through November 9, 2012, sixteen (16) members of the United States Women's Curling Association (USWCA) participated in a curling tour of the British Columbia Province of Canada. These four (4) United States women's curling teams competed against the Canadian women curlers in seven (7) venues throughout the province. For more information, go to the 2012 Friendship Tour page.
Friendship Tour 2009
Novemeber 4 - 14, 2009 the USWCA hosted a Friendship Tour of 16 Canadian women curlers from Manitoba at eight USWCA member curling clubs in Wisconsin and in the Central Region. For more information, go to the 2009 Friendship Tour page.
Friendship Tour 2006
Sixteen members of the United States Women's Curling Association (USWCA) were selected to participate in a curling tour of the Manitoba Province of Canada where four United States women's curling teams competed against the Canadian women curlers in nine venues throughout the Province. The sixteen women were selected from the Five Regions of the USWCA.
Selection Plan
Selection plan for tour members.
- A club may turn in as many applications as they wish. The final draw for the tour position will be made by lottery.
- The draw will be made using all applicants accepted by the Committee as having completed the application form satisfactorily and including the necessary reference materials.
- Names will be put into four boxes according to the area in which the club is located (West, Wisconsin, Central, and East).
- Four names from each area will be drawn first to compose the tour team. The first name from a club will be accepted. The second name from the same club will be set aside to be used in the draw for alternates if there are not enough names from at least eight individual clubs in the box.
- The draw will be conducted by the Committee.
- All members of the USWCA, age 50 or over are eligible to apply. Previous international curling tour persons will be considered if there is a shortage of first-time applicants.
- Tour officers (captain, secretary, treasurer, social chairman - i.e. entertainment) will be selected by the Committee.