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 (formerly the Ontario Curling Association).
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 (and until 1937 a Brier qualifier).
Qualification Since 2017, the qualification has varied from year to year: 2017: 10 teams total (Top two southern Ontario teams in the CTRS standings; Six teams from two regional qualifiers; Two teams from a challenge round). 2018: 12 teams total (Top two CTRS ranked teams; Six teams from two regional qualifiers; Three teams from a challenge round; And the Colts champion team). 2019: 10 teams total (Top three CTRS ranked teams; Five teams from three cash spiels; Two teams from an open qualifier). 2020: 9 teams total (Top three CTRS ranked teams; Four teams from two cash spiels; Two teams from an open qualifier). 2022: Originally 8 teams (Top two CTRS ranked teams; Top Trillium Tour series team; Two teams from a cash spiel; three from an open qualifier.) 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 (Top 2 "Grand Slam series" teams; Top 2 "Trillium Tour '1,000' Series" teams; Top 3 "Trillium Tour '500' Series" teams; Top "Trillium Tour '250' Series (Under-25) team; Four teams from an open qualifier). 2024: 12 teams total (Top four CTRS ranked teams; Top four CTRS ranked teams from Ontario-only events; Four teams from an open qualifier). 2025–2026: 12 teams total (Top eight CTRS ranked teams; Four teams from an open qualifier). 2027: 8 teams total (Top 5 CTRS)
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 (a tiebreaker would be held if necessary). 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 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.
From 2024 to 2026, the event has been a triple knockout followed by a four team page playoff.
In 2027, the event will go to an eight-team round robin, with a three team playoff.
Former Names Ontario Silver Tankard: 1927Windsor Star, Feb 4 1927, pg 2 "Sarnia Welcomes Tankard Winners"-1931 1932: Round robin playoff between the winners of the Ontario Tankard, Canada Life Trophy and the Toronto Bonspiel.Windsor Star, Feb 25, 1932, pg 14, "Toronto rinks dominate play" 1933: Winner was decided between a playoff between the winners of the Ontario Tankard and the Toronto Bonspiel.Windsor Star, Feb 25, 1933, pg 15 "Thistles Win Ice Aggregate" Ontario Silver Tankard: 1934-1937Ottawa Citizen, Jan 27, 1937, pg 13 "Famous Campbell rink Defeated by London C.C." British Consols: 1938Windsor Star, Feb 24 1938, pg 27 "Ontario Must Rely on Hall"-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 team Winning ClubCityHost siteBrier Rec.Brier Finish1927 Bob McKenzie, Bill Watson, Mel Hunt, Harry Watson Sarnia Curling Club Sarnia TorontoMontreal Gazette, Feb 3, 1927, pg 15, "Sarnia Won Tankard" 3-4 T4th1928 Vic McWilliams, Ed Brower, John Brandon, Bob Hamilton Granite Curling Club Toronto TorontoSaskatoon Daily Star, Feb 7, 1928, pg 10, "Artificial Ice" 6-3 4th1929 Frank Carew, Walter Reesor, Frank Williams, Dick Butler Lindsay Curling Club Lindsay TorontoWindsor Star, Feb 5, 1929, pg 1, "Ontario curlers begin competition" 4-5 6th 1930 H.A. Bruce, Wesley Binkley, M.A. Humber, J.W. Lloyd Stratford Curling Club Stratford TorontoOttawa Citizen Feb 6, 1930, pg 11, "Stratford Wins Ontario Tankard" 3-6 T9th1931 Ed Brower, John Rennie, John Brower, Bob Hamilton Granite Curling Club Toronto TorontoWinnipeg Tribune, Feb 4, 1931, pg 12, "Semi-Finals are reached in Ontario Tankard" 7-3 2nd
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 Finish1932 Charles Bulley, John Brandon, Thomas Black, C.W. Defoe Granite Curling Club TorontoTorontoWindsor Star, Feb 25, 1932, pg 14, "Toronto rinks dominate play" 4-3 T3rd1933 Gordon Campbell, Donnie Campbell, Gord Coates, Duncan Campbell Thistle Curling Club HamiltonTorontoThe Province, Mar 2, 1933, pg 4, "Youthful Rink Wins Ontario Curling Event" 6-2 2nd1934 Gordon Campbell, Donnie Campbell, Gord Coates, Duncan Campbell Thistle Curling Club Hamilton TorontoWindsor Star, Feb 5, 1934, pg 18, "Curling"5-2 2nd1935 Gordon Campbell, Donnie Campbell, Gord Coates, Duncan Campbell Thistle Curling Club Hamilton TorontoMontreal Gazette, Feb 23, 1935, pg 15, "Ontario Tankard to Hamilton Thistle rink" 6-1 1st1936 Hector Cowan, William McCart, Alex Hayes, Murray Chilton Sarnia Curling Club Sarnia TorontoWindsor Star, Feb 24, 1936, pg 20, "Chief Honors (sic) to Toronto"5-4 T5th1937 Albert Dunker, Irwin Huntington, Arthur Lehnen, Fred Hasenflug Granite Curling Club Kitchener TorontoWindsor Star, Feb 6, 1937, pg 18, "A.E. Dunker Rink of Kitchener Wins Ontario Tankard" 2-7 T7th1938 Bert Hall, Percy Hall, Ernie Parkes, Campbell Seagram Granite Curling Club Kitchener TorontoWindsor Star, Feb 24, 1938, pg 27, "Ontario must rely on Hall" 4-5 T5th1939 Bert Hall, Percy Hall, Ernie Parkes, Campbell Seagram Granite Curling Club KitchenerToronto 9-1 1st1940 Bert Hall, Percy Hall, Ernie Parkes, Campbell Seagram Granite Curling Club Kitchener TorontoRegina Leader-Post, Feb 15, 1940, pg 16, "Hall's Rink Best in Ontario" 4-5 T5th1941 Percy Hall, Jack Lucas, Arthur Lehnen, William Henderson, Jr. Granite Curling Club Kitchener TorontoWindsor Star, Feb 25, 1941, pg 19, "Kelly in Conols' Eights" 7-2 2nd1942 Gordon Campbell, Duncan Campbell, Bill Kennedy, Rufus Stone Thistle Curling Club HamiltonTorontoMontreal Gazette, Feb 26, 1942, pg 18, "Hamilton Thistle is Ontario Winner" 7-2 T2nd1943 Ken Wadsworth, E. H. Pooler, C. H. Brereton, H. M. S. Parsons Toronto Granite Club TorontoToronto