Inaugural Canadian Wheelchair Curling Invitational showcases wheelchair curling in front of big crowds

Wheelchair curling takes centre stage this week as four international teams compete in the inaugural Wheelchair Curling Invitational, running Sept. 24–28.

Team Canada Red, Team Canada White, Team Great Britain, and Team Italy will face off in a round robin at the KW Granite Club in Waterloo, Ont. The bronze and gold-medal games move to the Western Fair Sports Centre in London, Ont., alongside the Grand Slam of Curling’s (GSOC) AMJ Masters finals.

The Invitational kicks off a Paralympic season, giving teams valuable ice time ahead of the 2026 Winter Games in Milano Cortina, Italy. Hosting the medal games alongside the GSOC finals provides greater visibility to wheelchair curling and simulates the atmosphere typically seen only at the Paralympics.

The event offers a chance to introduce new fans to the sport and build on the momentum within Canada’s wheelchair curling community.

Canada will field two teams in the Invitational. Canada Red consists of Collinda Joseph (Ottawa), Ina Forrest (Spallumcheen, B.C.), Jon Thurston (Dunsford, Ont.), Mark Ideson (London, Ont.), and Gilbert Dash (Kipling, Sask.), while Canada White includes Chrissy Molnar (Trent Lakes, Ont.), Dennis Thiessen (Sanford, Man.), Karl Allen (Keene, Ont.), Jill Hopkins (Toronto), and Marie Wright (Moose Jaw, Sask.).

Event schedule (all times Eastern):

Wednesday, Sept. 24

• 9:30 a.m. – Draw 1: Canada Red vs. Great Britain | Italy vs. Canada White
• 2:30 p.m. – Draw 2: Great Britain vs. Canada White | Canada Red vs. Italy

Thursday, Sept. 25

• Noon – Draw 3: Canada White vs. Canada Red | Italy vs. Great Britain

Friday, Sept. 26

• Noon – Draw 4: Canada White vs. Italy | Great Britain vs. Canada Red
• 5 p.m. – Draw 5: Italy vs. Canada Red | Canada White vs. Great Britain

Saturday, Sept. 27

• 10:30 a.m. – Draw 6: Great Britain vs. Italy | Canada Red vs. Canada White

Sunday, Sept. 28

• 10:30 a.m. – Bronze-Medal Game
• 3 p.m. – Gold-Medal Game

Scores will be available on CurlingZone and through the GSOC app. Games will be streamed on the GSOC YouTube channel, with free admission for fans at the KW Granite Club from Sept. 24–27. Tickets for the Sept. 28 medal games at the Western Fair Sports Centre are available for purchase.

“Curling Canada’s National Wheelchair Curling Program would like to extend its sincere gratitude to The Curling Group for the support and collaboration in putting together this historic event—a first of its kind for wheelchair curling in Canada,” said National Program Head Coach Mick Lizmore.

The Invitational is the first of several international stops for Canadian wheelchair curlers this season. Next is the International Wheelchair Curling Tournament in Wetzikon, Switzerland, Oct. 16–19, followed by the Stirling Wheelchair Curling Invitational in Scotland, Oct. 21–24, and the International Wheelchair Curling Tournament in Prague, Czech Republic, Nov. 21–23.

Later in the season, curlers return to Canada for the Ontario Wheelchair Curling Open in Toronto, Nov. 28–30, and the Leduc Mixed Doubles Wheelchair Curling Event in Alberta, Jan. 14–17.