Canada hosts international Para sport events this week in Ottawa and Montreal

MONTREAL – Leanne Taylor of Winnipeg makes her second appearance this season in international Para triathlon at the annual World Series stop at Parc Jean-Drapeau in Montreal.

All the races are set for Saturday morning (June 27).

Taylor did not compete in 2025 during her pregnancy. She and her husband and competition handler, Scott Dyk, welcomed their son Oliver, now 10 months old, to the world. The family travelled to Japan last month for the World Cup event in Yokohama where Taylor placed fifth in her return to competition.

In 27 international starts, Taylor has earned three victories and 11 medals, including a bronze medal at the 2024 Paralympic Games in Paris.

Two other Canadians are also in action on Saturday. Olivier Desloges of Drummondville, Que., makes his fifth international start competing in the men’s visually impaired while Margot Wehrle of Victoria makes her international debut in women’s visually impaired.

Pre world championship wheelchair basketball tournament starts today in Ottawa

The senior women’s national wheelchair basketball team is in Ottawa this week for a training camp and the Ottawa Invitational at Algonquin College.

The Ottawa Invitational will provide valuable international competition ahead of the 2026 IWBF Wheelchair Basketball World Championships, this September in Ottawa, with Canada taking on Brazil, Japan and the United States.

Eight of the tournament’s 10 games will be held at the Algonquin College ARC with all games free and open to the public.  All games will be streamed live on WBC’s YouTube channel.

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The Canadian team includes Paralympians, Kady Dandeneau of Pender Island, B.C., Sofia Fassi-Fehri of Montreal, Melanie Hawtin of Oakville, Ont., Puisand Lai of Toronto, Tara Llanes of North Vancouver, Cindy Ouellet of Quebec City, Tamara Steeves of Mississauga, Ont., Élodie Tessier of St-Germain de Grantham, Que., and Arinn Young of Legal, Ont.

The tournament tips off with Japan facing the United States at 9 a.m. EDT on Thursday, June 25, and concludes with the final game on Sunday, June 28, at 4:45 p.m. EDT.  On Thursday Canada plays Brazil at 11 a.m. and Japan at 4:30 p.m. On Friday it faces the U.S. at 2:30 p.m. Playoff matches on Saturday and Sunday are at 2:30 p.m. and 4:45 p.m. both days.

Meanwhile the men’s national team is holding a selection camp this week at the Toronto Pan Am Sports Centre in Scarborough, Ont.

Para Archery Team Set to Open their Para World Series Season in Nove Mesto

Kyle Tremblay of Deep River, Que., and Daniel Comeau of Shannon, Que., lead a six-member Canadian team at the World Series stop in Nove Mesto, Czechia, marking the squad’s first major event of the season.

The competition provides an important early-season test against many of the world’s top Para archers. The Canadians are building momentum on the international stage ahead of the Para World Series event in Santiago and the 2027 Parapan American Games in Lima, Peru, which will serve as a qualifier for the LA 2028 Paralympic Games.

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Tremblay won a bronze medal at the 2023 Parapan Ams in Santiago to qualify for the Paris Paralympics where he placed an impressive sixth. He competes in the compound open with Comeau and Chris Waterman of Winnipeg.

Canada’s recurve open entries are Jean-François Lavergne of St-Raymond, Que., and Shawn Matheson of Ottawa while Spencer Arnold of Chilliwack, B.C., is entered in the W1 event.

The Para World Series in Nove Mesto marks Arnold’s World Archery debut and provides an opportunity to gain valuable experience competing against elite international opposition in advance of the Para Pan Am Championships, which is the key event this season, with Para Pan Am Games quotas available.

3×3 wheelchair basketball teams announced for Commonwealth Games

Back to wheelchair basketball, Commonwealth Sport Canada (CSC) and Wheelchair Basketball Canada announced Canada’s 3×3 wheelchair basketball teams for the 2026 Commonwealth Games Glasgow, Scotland, July 23 to August 2.

Led by defending Commonwealth Games gold medalists Kady Dandeneau and Élodie Tessier  the women’s roster also features Puisand Lai and Rosie Long (Oakville, Ont.).

Dandeneau, Tessier and Lai were part of the Team Canada squad that captured gold at the 2025 IWBF 3×3 Open World Championships.

“Winning gold at the Commonwealth Games in 2022 was a special moment for our team, and we’re excited for the opportunity to compete on that stage again,” said Dandeneau. “We’ve built strong chemistry through our experiences together, and we’re looking forward to representing Canada with pride in Glasgow.”

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The men’s squad is led by Garrett Ostepchuk (Regina) and Lee Melymick (Toronto), who helped Canada capture gold at the 2025 IWBF 3×3 Open World Championships.

Joining them are Reed De’Aeth (Sherwood Park, Alta.) and Kyrell Sopotyk (Aberdeen, Sask.), both of whom will make their 3×3 debuts in Glasgow.

“Any time you have the opportunity to represent Canada, it’s an incredible honour,” Melymick said. “We have a great mix of experience and young talent on this team, and we’re excited for the challenge ahead. Our focus is on playing our game, competing hard and making Canada proud.”