Saskatchewan·NewThe 2026 Winter Olympic Games will feature the designs of a curler from Saskatchewan who collaborated on creating the uniforms for the Canadian curling teams.Sask.’s Stephanie Schmidt collaborated with Shelby Gagnon from OntarioAlex Kozroski · CBC News · Posted: Oct 29, 2025 4:37 PM EDT | Last Updated: 19 minutes agoListen to this articleEstimated 3 minutesStephanie Schmidt says the design process for the curling uniforms that athletes will wear at the 2026 Olympic Games took about 18 months. (CBC News)In just 100 days, Milan, Italy, will see some Saskatchewan designs, but they won’t be on a traditional runway.The 2026 Olympic Games will feature the designs of a curler from Saskatchewan who collaborated with Thunder Bay, Ont., Indigenous designer Shelby Gagnon on creating the uniforms for the Canadian curling teams.“We both came at it with different perspectives, mine being that of the athlete and wanting to tell the athlete’s journey,” Schmidt told CBC Radio’s Saskatoon Morning host Stephanie Massicotte. “Shelby had this really beautiful perspective of wanting to share stories from the land and stories that would resonate with Canadians.”She said the entire process took about 18 months. The design features a hummingbird, which has a four-year life cycle, much like the Olympic cycle.Schmidt said there was some extra pressure, knowing she might be friends with whoever ends up wearing the jerseys.“Just making sure that the story that’s written on it would resonate with them, and they might feel like a little part of themselves is represented — I took it very seriously,” she said.Brett Gallant, left, and Jocelyn Peterman will be representing Canada in the mixed doubles curling event at the 2026 Winter Olympic Games. Saskatchewan’s Stephanie Schmidt collaborated on designing the uniforms. (Curling Canada)Schmidt just returned from competing in the Olympic curling pre-trials, the last-chance event where the winning men’s and women’s teams earned the last berth at the Canadian Olympic Curling Trials in Halifax in November.Her team didn’t come out on top, but Schmidt was surrounded by her designs there, as she designed all the jerseys for that competition as well. “It’s kind of funny,” she said. “I was more nervous as a designer at that event than an athlete who’s two tournaments away from possibly being an Olympian.”LISTEN | Sask. curler talks about designing uniforms for upcoming Olympic Games:Saskatoon Morning4:33A Sask curler has designed Canada’s curling outfits for the coming Olympic GamesThe curling teams at the Olympics will have a Saskatchewan flavour to them, no matter who is representing Canada.That’s because the uniforms they will be wearing were co-designed by Saskatchewan’s Stephanie Schmidt.Besides designing Stephanie is also an elite curler herself, having just returned from the Olympic pre-trials in Nova Scotia.She talked about her passions with Saskatoon Morning host Stephanie Massicotte.Schmidt said as an athlete, she now gets to look forward to provincial competition to reach the Scotties Tournament of Hearts. As a designer, she said she wants to keep using art to tell stories through sports.“I think there’s something really unifying about sports and all of us wanting to feel like part of something bigger than ourselves.… I think if you can capture that in sports, that’s somewhere I want to be as a designer.”The Olympic uniforms come in red, white and black versions. The uniforms will only be worn in 2026, but beyond the Olympics and Paralympics, they will also make appearances at the World Mixed Doubles Championship in Geneva, the World Women’s Curling Championship in Calgary and the World Men’s Curling Championship in Ogden, Utah. WATCH | Indigenous artist brings meaningful imagery to new Curling Canada uniforms:Indigenous artist brings meaningful imagery to new Curling Canada uniformsAt an event in Thunder Bay, Ont., Curling Canada unveiled their 2026 team uniforms, featuring a design inspired by nature, Indigenous culture, and the iconic Maple Leaf. ABOUT THE AUTHORAlex Kozroski is a reporter with CBC News in Regina. He has also worked as a reporter for Golden West Broadcasting in Swift Current, Sask.With files from Saskatoon Morning and The Morning Edition
Sask. curler’s uniform design going to Italy with Canadian Olympic team
