1968 Macdonald Brier
| 1968 Macdonald Brier | |
|---|---|
| Host city | Kelowna, British Columbia |
| Arena | Kelowna Arena |
| Dates | March 4–8 |
| Attendance | 25,813 |
| Winner | Alberta |
| Curling club | Calgary CC, Calgary |
| Skip | Ron Northcott |
| Third | Jim Shields |
| Second | Bernie Sparkes |
| Lead | Fred Storey |
« 1967 1969 » | |
The 1968 Macdonald Brier, Canada's national men's curling championship was held March 4–8 at the Kelowna Arena in Kelowna, British Columbia. A total of 25,813 fans attended the event.
At the time, Kelowna was the smallest city to have hosted the Brier. The city had been trying since 1961 to host the event, and was finally selected after a successful pitch to Brier trustees at the 1967 Brier.
Team Alberta, who was skipped by Ron Northcott captured the Brier Tankard by finishing round robin play with a 9-1 record. This was Alberta's tenth Brier championship overall and the second one won by Northcott's rink, who also won the Brier two years prior in 1966. Northcott's rink would represent Canada in the 1968 Air Canada Silver Broom, which was the men's world curling championship.
Alberta won the championship by winning their game against Northern Ontario in the last draw. A loss would have forced a tiebreak match against Saskatchewan, who were runners-up, with an 8–2 record. Prince Edward Island finished in third with a 7-3 record, which at the time was PEI's best Brier finish.
Ice conditions at the event were considered poor, with the ice on Thursday being so bad that "sweeping power was nullified".
Manitoba's 22–5 victory over British Columbia in Draw 4 was the last time a team scored 20 or more points in a Brier game until 2025, which was also held in Kelowna.