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Sportsnet is trimming its six-stop Grand Slam of Curling circuit to just two events next season due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

In 2011, the University of Waterloo released a study which found curling officials needed to make it easier for newcomers to find out about the sport. A goal which Canadian-Guyanese curler Rayad Husain says has yet to be achieved.

The World Curling Federation named TD Place Arena as the site of next year's event, scheduled to run April 3-11.

With some curling competitions already cancelled and the rest of the 2020-21 season up in the air due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the sport is facing significant challenges as it looks ahead to a possible resumption in a few months time.

Curling Canada is keeping an icy stare on the upcoming season, trying to come up with every way imaginable to keep the nation's teams at peak performance.

The spring season is usually a very busy time for Canadian curling champion Brad Gushue, who would normally be juggling his packed on-ice schedule with work duties as an Orangetheory Fitness franchisee.

Bonspiel organizer Gerry Geurts, who operates the CurlingZone website that manages world rankings and team point systems, said next season's uncertainty poses a significant challenge.

The time was right for Lisa Weagle to join forces with Olympic champion Jennifer Jones. Jones told CBC Sports' Anastasia Bucsis that the latest addition to her five-person rink "was like the clouds parted and the sun came out."

The World Curling Federation announced Thursday it is proposing to the International Olympic Committee that the 2021 world curling championships will determine which countries will book their tickets to Beijing 2022.

When the World Curling Federation cancelled the women's, men's and mixed doubles championships set for March and April, it said it would be discussing potential options including rescheduling the events — perhaps playing them in the fall at one venue. CBC Sports has learned that will no longer be the case.