Canada’s National Wheelchair Curling Program opened its season in front of a sold-out crowd Sept. 25 to 27, with athletes taking part in The Battle in Port Elgin alongside Canada’s top able-bodied teams.
On opening night, Jon Thurston, Mark Ideson and Gilbert Dash faced Collinda Joseph and Chrissy Molnar as part of the event between Olympic medallists, Team Rachel Homan and Team Brad Jacobs. Thurston, Ideson and Dash came away with a 10-5 win, scoring six points in the seventh end to secure their win.
“It’s amazing—we don’t get to play in front of fans very often; usually just every four years at the Paralympics,” said Ideson when asked about the atmosphere in Port Elgin. “To be included in an event like this as well as some of the Slams, it’s super cool for us, and we really appreciate being included and being able to spend time on arena ice.”
For Molnar, the opportunity was also a chance to introduce wheelchair curling to a broader audience.
“It showcases our skills to a broader community who might not have ever seen wheelchair curling before,” said Molnar.
The Battle was not the first time Canada’s wheelchair curlers have shared the ice with top able-bodied teams. The Grand Slam of Curling’s inaugural Wheelchair Invitational in fall 2025 helped pave the way, bringing wheelchair curling to the GSOC stage.
Kingston, Ont., will host the GSOC Wheelchair Invitational this December alongside the GSOC Players’ Cup.
Meanwhile, competition in Colorado gave four other Canadian wheelchair curlers an opportunity to gain international experience. The Colorado Curling Cup took place over the same weekend and featured 10 registered mixed doubles teams in the wheelchair curling division, which included two Canadian teams.
Jill Hopkins and Billy Bridges finished at the top of their pool with a 3-1 record, sending them directly to the semifinals. In the semifinal, the Canadian duo fell 8-7 to the eventual champions in a tight game.
“I’m really proud of the way that Billy and I played, and the way that we played together, particularly with the communication component,” said Hopkins. “I think we both levelled up. It’s the first tournament of the year for us, and it gave me some confidence with my ability to make some shots, but it also gave me some direction on what I can work on in practice.”
LeAnn Cayer and Reid Mulligan finished the weekend with a 1-3 record, with both Canadian teams returning home with valuable international experience.
Next on the calendar for the National Wheelchair Curling Podium Program is Stirling, Scotland, where six of our athletes will compete across both mixed and mixed doubles disciplines from Oct. 20 to 25.
