The PEI championship curling season goes into high gear for the next couple of  weeks, with five provincial championships taking place.

First up is the Marco Polo Land Masters, for curlers age 60 and over, at the Charlottetown Curling Club, beginning Monday morning and wrapping up on Thursday, with 16 men’s and four women’s teams taking part.  The winners and runners-up will be back on the ice in Charlottetown for the Maritime Masters,  February 14-19. Website: peicurling.com/masters/

The Scotties PEI women’s championship gets underway Thursday evening at the Cornwall Curling Club, with six teams looking to advance to the Canadian Scotties Tournament of Hearts, February 27-31, just down the highway at the Charlottetown Civic Centre. The PEI Scotties wrap up on January 31 (or the day before if the same team wins all three sections). Website: peicurling.com/scotties

The Ferguson Funeral Homes Stick Curling Championship, with a 15 team Open (men’s and mixed) division, and a three team Women’s section, gets underway on Tuesday February 1st, and finishes on the third. Montague is hosting this daytime event, now in its fifth season. Website: peicurling.com/stick

The Labatt Tankard Provincial Men’s Curling Championship, with 15 teams, gets underway Thursday Feb. 3 at 9 am at the Silver Fox Curling and Yacht Club in Summerside, and wraps up on Tuesday the 8th. In previous years, an Open and a Finals event were held, but this year, their will be only one event to decide PEI’s participant in the Tim Hortons Brier in London Ont. in March. Website: peicurling.com/tankard

Finally, the Sylvan Learning 17 and Under championships take place Feb. 4-7 at the Maple Leaf Curling Club in O’Leary, with six age 17 and under men’s, and five 17 and under women’s teams competing to advance to the Sylvan Learning Atlantic championships, in April at the Charlottetown Curling Club. Website: peicurling.com/17andunder

Also over the next two weeks, the M&M Meat Shops Canadian Juniors will be happening in Calgary, from January 29-February 6, with the Sarah Fullerton and Spencer Pitre rinks representing PEI. Website: www.curling.ca/championships/juniors/

Coming up soon is the Credit Unions of PEI Seniors, February 10-13, with the eight team men’s division playing in O’Leary, and the women’s section, also with eight teams, squaring off in Crapaud. Website: https://peicurling.com/seniors

The Tyler Smith and Amanda MacLean rinks will be taking part in the Canada Games, Feb. 11-27 in Halifax, with the MacLean rink participating the first week, and the Smith team there for week two. Website: www.canadagames2011.ca/

The remaining events in the PEI curling championship season will take place in March, including the  M&M Meat Shops 15 and Under, the KFC  12 and Under, the M&M Meat Shops Mixed,  The Dominion Provincial Curling Club Championship, and the Junior Mixed.