Ottawa, ON (May 5, 2025) – Boccia Canada is pleased to announce Boccia Nova Scotia as a new official provincial boccia partner.
Boccia Canada’s provincial partners deliver boccia programming across Canada in their respective provinces. They play a critical role in recruiting, developing and supporting boccia programs, athletes, coaches, officials and volunteers. Their responsibilities include, but are not limited to:
- Providing a competitive pathway for athlete development from grassroots, recreational programming to the Canadian Boccia Championships, including club programming
- Athlete recruitment and retention
- Recruiting and training coaches, officials, and volunteers
- Conducting provincial championships
- Selecting provincial teams
The new organization builds on a boccia legacy that began in the 1980’s with the now shuttered Nova Scotia Cerebral Palsy Sports Association. The creation of Boccia Nova Scotia marks a renewed commitment to that legacy. With a dedicated provincial sport organization now in place, athletes will have a clearer path to provincial and national competition, and the community can once again grow and thrive together.
“Nova Scotia has a long and storied history with Boccia Canada” says Boccia Nova Scotia President Sharon Martin. “Several Nova Scotians have been on the National Team and have competed at Nationals, Worlds, and the Paralympics. Unfortunately, COVID shut everything down, while volunteers and athletes became disconnected and moved on to other things. We are reconnecting with many of the people who were involved with boccia previously and have now recruited a former coach and athlete onto our Board. Through hard work and determination, we are attracting old friends and new to the sport and the future looks very bright for boccia in our province!”
Boccia Nova Scotia is currently offering “Try Boccia” sessions in schools, at conferences, in small communities, and in the Halifax region with plans to establish a regular club or program.
They are also developing an eight-week “Introduction to Boccia” program for school-aged children, set to launch this fall through the Halifax Recreation Department. To support the program, a tailored training module will be delivered to Halifax Recreation staff this summer, equipping them with the knowledge and skills to lead the sessions effectively.
Next steps include a board strategic planning session, work with Easter Seals Nova Scotia and expanding the Introduction to Boccia program to other municipal recreation departments, YMCAs, and others. The long-term goal is to establish at least three Boccia Clubs (i.e., in Cape Breton, Central NS, and Annapolis Valley) and collaborate with Maritime provinces on regional training and competitions thereafter.
“We’re thrilled to welcome Boccia Nova Scotia as a provincial partner,” says Jennifer Larson, Interim Executive Director. “They’ve demonstrated their commitment to growing boccia in Nova Scotia and we look forward to a long and productive partnership. The path ahead looks very bright!”
This announcement is another tangible result of ongoing boccia development efforts in the Atlantic region, which has included shipping Bratz@Home boccia equipment kits to recipients in New Brunswick, Nova Scotia, Prince Edward Island and Newfoundland and Labrador, hosting a virtual Atlantic Boccia Forum, and the addition of Parasport New Brunswick and Parasport and Recreation Prince Edward Island as provincial boccia partners.
Find out more about Boccia Nova Scotia programming and latest news through their Facebook page here.
Find a list of Boccia Canada’s provincial boccia partners here.
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 leads, develops and grows boccia from grassroots to producing World Champions, and we collaborate with partners to increase participation of Canadians with physical disabilities in sport.
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.
Media Contacts:
Holly Janna
Communications Lead and National Team Coordinator
Boccia Canada
hjanna@bocciacanada.ca | 514-944-5193