Canadian Teams Unveiled for 2025 World Wheelchair Curling Championships

Canada’s highly anticipated lineups for the 2025 World Wheelchair Curling Championship and the 2025 World Wheelchair Mixed Doubles Curling Championship in Stevenston, Scotland, have been officially announced.

The 2025 World Wheelchair Curling Championship will take place March 1-8, followed by the 2025 World Wheelchair Mixed Doubles Curling Championship from March 10-16.

The athletes representing Canada at the 2025 World Wheelchair Curling Championship are:

• Jon Thurston (Dunsford, Ont.) – Fourth
• Gil Dash (Wolseley, Sask.) – Third and Skip
• Doug Dean (Thunder Bay, Ont.) – Second
• Collinda Joseph (Stittsville, Ont.) – Lead
• Chrissy Molnar (Trent Lakes, Ont.) – Fifth

The team will be supported by Mick Lizmore (Head Coach), Kyle Paquette (Team Leader), Dr. Steven Macaluso (Physician), and Alysia Patience (Physiotherapist).

Canada will compete among 12 mixed-gender teams in Stevenston and will aim for another strong showing following back-to-back silver-medal performances at the 2023 (Richmond, B.C.) 2024 (Gangneung, South Korea) World Wheelchair Curling Championships. 

“We’re really excited for what this year’s World Championships will bring,” said Lizmore. “The team’s lineup has a great combination of experienced national and international performers combined with newer players to the National Program.”

Among these newer players, Dean will be making his World Championship debut in Stevenston.

“The announcement came with a lot of excitement and relief. It feels like a long time coming. I have put a lot of work into this, and I’m feeling ready to go,” said Dean, who will join forces with a team that includes Dash, the skip he faced in the gold-medal game of the 2024 Canadian Wheelchair Curling Championship.

Dean becomes the first athlete from Northern Ontario to represent Canada at the World Wheelchair Curling Championship.

“I’m truly honoured,” he said. “I’m just really happy for everyone up north who has paved the way for someone like me to get this opportunity.”

In the World Wheelchair Mixed Doubles Curling Championship, Canada will be represented by:

• Mark Ideson (London, Ont.) – First/last 
• Ina Forrest (Spallumcheen, B.C.) – Middle

This duo, both experienced National Program athletes, will be supported by Dana Ferguson (Head Coach), Kyle Turcotte (Team Leader), Dr. Gordon Ngo (Physician), and Sari Shatil (Physiotherapist).

The final qualification points for the Milano Cortina 2026 Paralympic Winter Games will be determined from these championships. Although Canada’s mixed team has already earned its spot in the 2026 Paralympics, Ideson and Forrest will need to place well in Stevenston to secure one of eight mixed doubles spots in Milano Cortina.

The two were teammates on Canada’s gold-medal mixed team in 2014 at Sochi, Russia, and the bronze-medal teams in 2018 at Pyeongchang, South Korea, and 2022 in Beijing. Forrest also won gold in 2010 at Vancouver.

“Ina and I have built a very close relationship over the last 12 years of playing together in mixed,” said Ideson. “We have really embraced the new challenge of mixed doubles, and we understand and feel prepared for the task ahead.”

“I’m confident in all of the work we put in this fall,” added Ferguson. “I’m really looking forward to working with Mark and Ina and seeing what these two experienced and heavily decorated athletes can achieve in mixed doubles.”   

Stevenston will provide a historic and inspiring backdrop for the championships, as the venue has hosted several prestigious curling events in the past. Both teams are prepared to face the world’s best, and Canada will be looking to claim top spots on the podium in both competitions.