2022 Canadian Boccia Championships Set to Begin in London, Ontario

London, ON (November 14, 2022) – The 28^th Canadian Boccia Championships are being hosted by the London Cannonballs in London, Ontario from November 15^th to November 21^st at the North London Optimist Community Centre. The boccia individual competition officially begins on November 17^th. This is the fourth time the Championships are being held in London. London last hosted the Championships in 2011. The London Cannonballs were originally slated to host the Championships in 2020 but the event was cancelled due to COVID-19. The club also hosts the London Cannonballs Boccia Blast, which has been a staple on the Canadian boccia schedule since 1990 and it is the longest operating nationally sanctioned event in the country. 

Held annually, the Canadian Boccia Championships brings together the country’s best and upcoming boccia players to compete for the title of Canadian Champion in Team, Pairs, and Individual play. It is sanctioned by Boccia Canada and counts for national ranking points. Athletes will be competing from all six classes, including BC5 and Open categories which are not yet part of the World Boccia program. The event is supported by the Government of Canada, Government of Ontario, and Tourism London.

The Championships are guaranteed to showcase outstanding performances, great wins, upsets, and a lot of emotion. On full display will be the incredible skill and determination from boccia athletes across the country including British Columbia, Alberta, Ontario, Québec, and Newfoundland and Labrador. Ontario will be sending six athletes with two wild card slots allotted to Ontario-based athletes this year.

What:
2022 Canadian Boccia Championships

When:
Thursday, November 17
9:30 – 16:15 EST: Individual Competition

Friday, November 18
9:30 – 16:15 EST: Individual Competition

Saturday, November 19
10:00 – 17:15 EST: Individual Competition
17:30 – 18:30 EST: Medal Ceremony for Individual Competition

Sunday, November 20
9:30 – 14:15 EST: Pairs, Team, and Open Competition
17:00 EST: Medal Ceremony for Pairs, Team, and Open

For the detailed schedule, click here.
NOTE: Schedule subject to change

Where:
North London Optimist Community Centre 
1345 Cheapside Street
London, ON
N5V 3N9

Who:
Thirty-five athletes are participating in the 2022 Canadian Boccia Championships with five provinces represented. Among the participants are all athletes who participated in the 2020 Tokyo Paralympic Games: Alison Levine, Danik Allard, Iulian Ciobanu, and Marco Dispaltro. Current and former National Boccia Training Squad athletes and top-ranked players in each province will be competing as well including:

BC1
Chris Halpen (Victoria, BC)
Hanif Mawji (Burnaby, BC)
Justine Bureau (Lévis, QC)
Kyle Scott (Hamilton, ON)
Lance Cryderman* (Sudbury, ON)
Lois Martin* (St. John’s, NL)
Luke Cambridge (Victoria, BC)

BC2
Danik Allard* (Bois-des-Filion, QC)
Dave Richer (Montréal, QC)
James Davis (Thorold, ON)
Kristyn Collins* (St. John’s, NL)
Lisa Ferenc (North Vancouver, BC)
Maggie Julien (Sudbury, ON)
Nathan Bragg (Vancouver, BC)
Olivier Dussault (Québec City, QC)
Olivier Roy (Québec City, QC)
Thomas Mahoney** (London, ON)

BC3
Alek St-Pierre (Blainville, QC); Ass’t: Mario St-Pierre
Alexandre Lemaire (Kingsey Falls, QC); Ass’t: Francis Lemaire
Alexandre Raymond (Sorel-Tracy, QC); Ass’t: Isabelle Blette
Alexandre Ziegler (Montréal, QC); Ass’t: Éric Ziegler
Éric Bussière (Verchères, QC); Ass’t: Francine Hébert
Joëlle Guérette* (Montréal, QC); Ass’t: Jonathan Manseau
Joshua Gautier (Niagara Falls, ON); Ass’t: Joyce Gautier
Marylou Martineau* (Québec City, QC); Ass’t: Josée Duquette
Ryan Rondeau (Edmonton, AB); Ass’t: Meghan Lewis

BC4
Alison Levine* (Montréal, QC)
Iulian Ciobanu* (Montréal, QC)
Marco Dispaltro* (St.-Jérôme, QC)

BC5
Giovanni De Sero (Guelph, ON)
Marc-Antoine Goupil (Honfleur, QC)

Open
Alison McKee** (London, ON)
Daniel Hutchison (Victoria, BC)
Mildred Thomas (Surrey, BC)
Rene Poirier (Victoria, BC)

Note: The * indicates that the person is a current member of the National Boccia Team. The ** indicates that the person is a wild card athlete.

Interview Availability

• Peter Leyser, Executive Director, Boccia Canada
• Mario Delisle, National Team High-Performance Director, Boccia Canada
• César Nicolai, National Team Head Coach, Boccia Canada
• Steve Dukovich, Host Organizing Committee Member, London Cannonballs
• Participating athlete from your region

NOTE: Coordinate interview interest with Holly Janna, Communications Lead and National Team Coordinator, Boccia Canada

About Boccia Canada
Boccia Canada is the boccia delivery arm of the Canadian Cerebral Palsy Sports Association (CCPSA), the National Sport Organization for the Paralympic sport of boccia. Boccia Canada is focused on providing athletes and individuals of all ages and skill with the chance to play a unique Paralympic sport. CCPSA collaborates with partners to increase the participation of Canadians with cerebral palsy and related disabilities in sport and physical activity, while leading, developing and growing boccia from grassroots, to producing World and Paralympic Champions.

About boccia
Boccia is a Paralympic sport of precision and strategy similar to lawn bowling or curling, played by athletes with Cerebral Palsy, Muscular Dystrophy, and related disabilities. It is one of only two Paralympic sports that do not have an Olympic counterpart. Athletes compete in one of six sport classes based on their level and type of disability: BC1, BC2, BC3, BC4, BC5, and Open. For more information on boccia, visit www.bocciacanada.ca.