The Manitoba Bonspiel, also known as the MCA after the Manitoba Curling Association, which runs the event, dates back to 1884 when the first bonspiel in Winnipeg was held. There were 65 teams from all over the province at that first event, which led to the formal start to the Manitoba Bonspiel, which began five years later and continues to this day. Notes about the famed event:
• In the early days, the event became so popular that for several years, the sitting of the Manitoba Legislature was cancelled due to the inability to get a quorum; so many members were on the ice.
• In 1988, to celebrate the bonspiel’s centennial, an all-out effort to attract teams produced the largest field ever for a curling event—1,280 teams.
• The event is open to all teams of male curlers, and there are regular entrants from across Canada, the United States, Europe, and Asia.
• Entries into the provincial championship are awarded to the top finishers in the bonspiel.
• In recent years, the number of teams in the bonspiel has dropped and there was discussion about allowing women to enter but that was never passed by organizers.
• Even with the drop in teams, the Manitoba Bonspiel remains the largest curling bonspiel in the world.