As the new year begins, the weekend in 2026 offers a relatively calm schedule in the region with few planned activities. On Friday night, the Kitchener Rangers will play against the Barrie Colts at home, hoping to avoid a repeat of the power outage that occurred during a recent game. Meanwhile, the Guelph Storm will face the Brantford Bulldogs at the Sleeman Centre, followed by a game against the Peterborough Petes on Sunday.
In other sports events, the K-W Titans basketball team will compete against the Montreal Toundra at The Aud on Sunday afternoon.
The Curling Ontario Men’s and Women’s Championships for 2026 are taking place at the Woolwich Memorial Centre in Elmira. This tournament brings together top curlers from across the province for exciting competitions until January 11. Tickets are available for single days or the entire tournament.
On Sunday, Kitchener will host a New Year’s levee event at the city hall from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. The event offers music, skating, entertainment, and an opportunity for residents to engage with the mayor and councillors on local issues.
For those looking for a fun weekend activity, a free community ice skate will be held on Saturday afternoon at the Waterloo Memorial Recreation Centre. Additionally, the Guelph Civic Museum will host a holiday toys and games drop-in event on Saturday and Sunday, featuring various activities for visitors.
The Winter Math Olympics event will take place on Saturday from 1 p.m. to 3 p.m. at the Waterloo Public Library, offering games and challenges for all ages and skill levels in celebration of the upcoming Winter Olympics.
For individuals in their 20s and 30s, the Bucket List 2026 event at the Waterloo Public Library’s McCormick branch on Saturday from 3 p.m. to 4 p.m. provides an opportunity to create vision boards for the year ahead over warm tea. Registration is required for this event.