Team Ontario #1’s Charlotte Wilson secures seminfinal berth with extra-end win at 2026 U-18s

TIMMINS, Ont. — If pressure forms diamonds, then Team Ontario #1 skip Charlotte Wilson is shining bright at the 2026 Canadian Under-18 Curling Championships, hosted at the McIntyre Curling Club.

In the face of what could have been a mounting blowout in a Friday afternoon female quarterfinal, the Ottawa skip found a way to scrape back an early four-point deficit and earn a 7-6 victory over Team Nova Scotia #1’s Emily Pembleton (4-3; Halifax).

The win now sets the Rideau Curling Club cohort, rounded out by third/vice-skip Amelia Benning, second, Abby Rushton, lead Sydney Anderson, and coach Iain Wilson, headlong into a semifinal matchup versus Team Manitoba #2’s Caitlyn McPherson (6-2; Gimli) Saturday at 9:30 a.m., (all times Eastern).

The pressure never seemed to shake the cucumber-cool Wilson, who remained composed even in the face of nightmarish opening to the quarterfinal, seeing Team Ontario trail 4-0 after just two ends of play.

“It was a tough game,” said Wilson. “We gave up three in the first so, you know, got to keep our spirits up. Then we gave up the steal in the second and it was like ‘Uh oh, we’re down 4-0.’”

Down, sure, but certainly not out. Wilson stayed steadfast with her offence and pulled the game back to 4-3 at the fourth-end break.

“We kept going,” said Wilson. “Got one in the third and then the steal of two in the fourth really turned it around.”

Despite still being down one point without hammer in five, Wilson knew her team had something good brewing in the second half of the match.

“To us, you could kind of feel the momentum switch,” said Wilson. “Especially after the fourth end. That really help us, I found.”

Opportunity favoured the Ontario squadron in the fifth when Team Nova Scotia #1 had a blank attempt on Pembleton’s final stone just barely stick around to bite the twelve-foot and inadvertently force the bluenosers to a single.

“We were thinking it was a free blank,” said Wison. “Then (Pembleton) stuck around and we’re like ‘Oh, we just forced them’ with only one rock in play, so we knew we really had a chance in six to score two.”

Team Ontario #1 exceeded its goal in the sixth end with a walloping score of three, fundamentally changing the complexion of the game. Team Nova Scotia #1 elected to blank seven before being forced to a single in the eighth, sending the game to an extra.

With hammer in the bonus frame, Team Ontario #1 would have some traffic down the centreline in the house to contend with, but a counterclockwise draw to the four-foot to win was available.

It’s exactly how Wilson envisioned it, and the stoic skipper made no mistake, planting the final stone for the win and a semifinal berth.

“I’m a better drawer than I am a hitter,” said Wilson. “I was happy I had a draw. I had been throwing that really well all game, so I was happy about that.”

In other playoff action on Friday afternoon, Team Saskatchewan #1’s Renee Wood (6-1; Saskatoon) stole in an extra-end to mark a 5-4 win over Team Northern Ontario’s Lily Wright (4-4; Kakabeka Falls) while Manitoba #2 bounced Team Québec #1’s Summer St. James (6-1; Pointe-Claire) 9-6 and Team Nova Scotia #2 Myra McEvoy (5-3; Lakeshore) edged Team British Columbia #1’s Megan Rempel (5-2; Kelowna) 5-4.

While the 2026 Canadian Under-18 Curling Championships may be down to its semifinalists, the fun and learning opportunities don’t end for the young competitors.

Players from teams eliminated from contention take part in the Skills Competition portion of the event; a first for athletes at the U-18 level.

The Skills Competition allows the athletes to compete as individuals, taking on different shot scenarios, and scoring them based on the outcomes of their throws.

“All of the non-playoff teams took part earlier today and this afternoon,” said Dustin Mikush, Curling Canada’s Manager of Youth Development and Programming. “We have our final session this evening. The top 16 males and top 16 females will make the first-ever U-18 Skill Competition finals, set for (Saturday) morning.”

The pressure of a national championship can be daunting for any athlete, so the Skills Competition provides an environment where a curler’s development can still be front and centre, but with the thrill of a fun mini-games competition.

“They’re having a boatload of fun,” said Mikush. “They’re dancing to music and making lots of shot, all while making their skills better.”

The Skills Competition offers a benchmark for each competitor as well, as their scores remain archived and can be referenced at a later date.

“When you get your score, if you do (the Skills Competition) again later in the season or season-to-season, you can actually see your progress over time,” said Mikush. “You can identify different things with turns, or different shots you want to work on and get better.”

The Skills Competition finals are set for Saturday at 9:30 a.m.

Action from the 2026 Canadian Under-18 Curling Championships continue Friday evening at 7:30 p.m.

Tickets for the 2026 Canadian Under-18 Curling Championship are still available for purchase by clicking here. 

Live scoring, rosters, and draw schedule details can be found at the event website by clicking here. a