Team Québec #1 proves the strength of the home province with opening night win at the 2025 Canadian Wheelchair Curling Championship

Despite the province holding only one national title, Team Québec #1’s Carl Marquis displayed the longstanding support of their provincial program with their 5-2 win over a decorated Team British Columbia #1’s Rick Robinson on Monday evening.

Québec’s Club de curling de Boucherville hosted quite the showing for the opening draw of the 2025 Canadian Wheelchair Curling Championship, with friends and families of the athletes coming to cheer their team to their first win of the championship.

“It’s really appreciated from all the athletes,” said Team Québec #1 skip Carl Marquis about the support of the home crowd. “It’s fun when we go play in different provinces, but when you see all the people from your home, from your club, it’s amazing because it feels like our payday.”

Marquis, alongside vice-skip Johanne Mathieu, second Sebastien Boisvert, lead Noemie Gagné, alternate Francois Lacourse, and coach Germain Tremblay, closely squeezed past 2024’s fourth-place team in a tight match.

In what was a close game until the very end, Marquis’ squad navigated a tied scoreboard to finish the sixth end with an extra point going into the seventh. A nicely used timeout by Team Québec late in the seventh end, paired with a missed takeout by Team British Columbia #1, left two Team Québec stones which ultimately secured their win.

The fans aren’t the only ones supporting the home teams, as Curling Québec has produced consistent strong teams at this championship and continues to grow the sport year after year.

“It started in 2008 for us by bringing together athletes from other sports,” said Marquis. “Now we have four teams in Québec, and it’s so amazing to represent a province that’s so supportive of parasports. Today, with playing in Défi sportif AlterGo, an event that hosts 6000 athletes with functional limitations, shows how much the province puts in for its athletes; that’s bigger than the Winter Olympics!”

Marquis has been a familiar face at the Canadian Wheelchair Curling Championship, having captured Québec’s only title with skip Benoit Lessard in 2013 and bronze in 2017.

“It really is like a chess game on ice,” said Marquis. “I was really excited about the whole sport immediately after my first session.”

Not only is Québec the province that has hosted this event the most, but it has also played a role in advancing the sport through its design of the GTX stick head. Thanks to Parasports Québec, Canadian products are now widely used internationally.

Around the rink at the 2025 Canadian Curling Championship, Team Northern Ontario’s Douglas Dean defeated Team Nova Scotia’s Laughlin Rutt 11-0, while Team Alberta’s Martin Purvis similarly outscored Team Ontario’s Shauna Petrie 12-1. Also, the two-time defending champions, Team Saskatchewan #1’s Gilbert Dash, overpowered Team New Brunswick’s Michael Fitzgerald 7-5, while Team Newfoundland and Labrador’s Dennis Thiessen outscored Team Saskatchewan #2’s Pete Andrews 9-8 in an extra end.

The action picks up again Tuesday morning at 10 a.m. (all times Eastern).

For live scores, team lineups, and schedule information, click here.

Tickets to the 2025 Canadian Wheelchair Curling Championship are free of charge. For directions to the venue, click here.