(CCA/PEICA) The World Financial Group Canadian Senior Men’s and Women’s Curling Championships get underway Saturday in Digby, Nova Scotia.

Twelve men’s and 12 women’s teams will compete in the national championships, slated for March 19-26 at the Digby Area Recreation Centre, which houses both the Digby Curling Centre and Digby Area Arena.

At the conclusion of the round robin on Thursday evening, the first place teams advance directly to Saturday’s finals at 2:00 pm AT, while the second and third place teams meet in semi-finals on Friday evening, following any required tiebreakers.

The winners of the 2011 World Financial Group Canadian Seniors will then represent Canada at the 2012 World Seniors, at a site and date to be announced.

This year’s field includes a number of former Brier and Tournament of Hearts competitors.

Among them, in men’s, are British Columbia’s Greg McAulay, who won the 2000 Labatt Brier and Ford Worlds while Alberta second Don McKenzie is a two-time Brier (1988, 1989) and 1989 world champion, when playing lead for Pat Ryan.

Other skips with Brier experience include New Brunswick’s Wade Blanchard, Newfoundland and Labrador’s Jeff Thomas, Northern Ontario’s Eric Harnden, Quebec’s Rob Maclean (who played third for both Don Aitken and Kevin Adams at several Briers) and Saskatchewan’s Brad Heidt, the 1995 Brier runner-up to Manitoba’s Kerry Burtnyk. Newfoundland and Labrador third Mark Noseworthy also skipped at several Briers. In addition, Nova Scotia skip Scott Saunders won the 1993 Canadian Mixed.

The women’s line-up boasts Nova Scotia’s Colleen Jones, a record six-time Scotties (1982, 1999, 2001-2004) and two-time (2001, 2004) world champion and Nancy Delahunt, a five-time Scotties and two-time world champion, when playing lead for Jones. This time around, though, in their Seniors debut, Delahunt is officially the skip, since she calls the game while throwing third stones, as Jones plays fourth stones only.

Also competing are Alberta’s Diane Foster, the 2007 Canadian and 2008 World Seniors champion, Ontario’s Joyce Potter, the 2005 Canadian Senior champion and 2006 World Seniors silver medallist, and veteran Scotties Tournament of Hearts skips Heidi Hanlon of New Brunswick, who finished second in last year’s Canadian Seniors, losing the final in Ottawa to British Columbia’s Christine Jurgenson, and Laura Phillips of Newfoundland/Labrador.

PEI is represented by the Bill Hope rink from the Charlottetown Curling Club, and the June Moyaert team from Montague. Moyaert was on the 1988 PEI women’s championship team, while Hope is a former PEI Mixed champion.

Photo (L-R); June Moyaert, Sherren MacKinnon, Terri Thompson, Kathy Clarey

Photo (L-R): John Mullin, David Murphy, Craig Mackie, Bill Hope

Nova Scotia has previously hosted the Canadian Senior men’s once – in 1971, and the Canadian Senior women’s once – in 1974, both in Halifax. The championships were conducted separately prior to being combined, beginning in 1985 in Yorkton, Saskatchewan.

Manitoba and Ontario have each won 10 Canadian senior men’s titles since the championship began in 1965 in Thunder Bay (Port Arthur), while Nova Scotia is still looking for its first title.

Ontario has also won a leading 10 women’s crowns since the inaugural championship in 1973 in Ottawa, while Nova Scotia has three triumphs – by skip Verda Kempton in 1982 and 1987 and by skip Colleen Pinkney in 2009.

Last year’s Canadian Seniors champions, Alberta’s Mark Johnson and British Columbia’s Christine Jurgenson, will represent Canada at the 2011 World Seniors, April 16-23 in St. Paul, Minnesota.

Draw results for the 2011 World Financial Group Canadian Seniors will be instantly available at www.curling.ca