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Goodbye, Canadian Curling Association. Hello, Curling Canada

don landry
The Canadian Curling association has changed its name to Curling Canada and revamped the old logo. (Curling Canada)
The Canadian Curling association has changed its name to Curling Canada and revamped the old logo. (Curling Canada)

As the 2015 Brier gets ready to really rev up in Calgary, the Canadian Curling Association has announced a big change: It will no longer be known as the Canadian Curling Association and it will no longer use this logo:

The old CCA logo.
The old CCA logo.

The name that it has used since 1990 has been put out to snowy, frigid, February pasture, replaced with a new name and logo.

Introducing "Curling Canada."

In a media release, Curling Canada Chief Executive Officer Greg Stremlaw states that “The logo instantly identifies the sport and its role in Canada, and has an iconic, bold feel to it that at once looks modern and yet respectful of the game’s rich history and roots in Canada.”

More from the media release:

The new Curling Canada emblem is inspired by the shield iconography that is unique to curling in Canada, appearing over the years on provincial badges, club patches, trophies and banners, and was the centrepiece of this organization’s emblem for more than half a century.

Said 2014 Olympic and 2015 Scotties champion Jennifer Jones: “I love the way the new emblem speaks to the history of our great sport but also takes us to the future. It’s always wonderful to wear the Maple Leaf and represent your country, and the new Curling Canada brand will be instantly identifiable and talked about for all of the right reasons.”

The new Curling Canada logo incorporated with the Season of Champions theme. (Curling Canada)
The new Curling Canada logo incorporated with the Season of Champions theme. (Curling Canada)

Along with a media release, Curling Canada sent out a detailed accounting of how the new logo will be incorporated into events and merchandising, showing off examples of logos on such things as travel mugs and golf shirts, as well as individual events and its "Season of Champions" series.

 

It's a clean, pleasing look and definitely accomplishes the goals of staying true to curling's roots while looking much more modern. The national governing body of curling was in need of a new corporate hairdo and it has come up with a winner. Early returns on Twitter have been favourable:

Of course, not everyone was a fan:

 

The first national governing body for curling was named the "Dominion Curling Association," formed in 1935. It was renamed the Canadian Curling Association in 1967, but didn't truly become an all encompassing, national body until the Canadian Ladies Curling Association (formed in 1961) joined in 1990.

Changing the name to "Curling Canada" brings the former CCA into lock step with other organizations of its kind like "Hockey Canada" and "Football Canada." It also has something else going for it, as stated in today's media release:

In addition to being a shorter title, Curling Canada has the added benefit that it’s the same title in French and English.

Every now and then you need a little spiffing up. The NHL altered the colour of its shield logo after the 2004 work stoppage and the CFL changed its Grey Cup logo esthetic with the 100th edition of the game in 2012.

Curling Canada's website is also getting a facelift, and is set to go live with that new look tomorrow, coinciding with the first draw of The Brier, in Calgary. Merchandise with the new logo will also be available beginning Saturday.

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