Photo Credit: ParaSport Ontario/Facebook
As Canada was picking up its first medal at the Paralympics in Paris, France, Sport Niagara was proudly making an announcement regarding ParaSports in the region, and across the province.
In May 2025, Niagara will welcome athletes, managers, coaches, officials, and volunteers from across Ontario for the 44th Ontario Parasport Games.
Sport Niagara, the not-for-profit organization established to carry on the sport legacy from the Niagara 2022 Canada Games, is thrilled to be selected as the host of this prestigious event. Between May 29 to June 1, events will be held at sporting facilities across the Niagara region including Canada Games Park in Thorold and the Vale Health and Wellness Centre in Port Colborne.
With a focus on attracting and hosting sporting events in Niagara, Sport Niagara is excited to bring this event to the region.
“We are extremely excited to continue to advance the legacy of the recent Canada Games in Niagara,” said Doug Hamilton, board member of Sport Niagara.
“Hosting sporting events like this will continue to support sport tourism and economic development in Niagara.”
“As a 12-time participant in the Ontario Parasport Games, it’s a tremendous honour for me to lead the Steering Committee for these Games with so much lived-experience and expertise from the Niagara Region’s disability community,” said three-time Paralympian Jeff Tiessen.
“Niagara has such a rich parasport history, and I’m excited for these Games to create even more adapted sport opportunities for individuals with disabilities.”
Former Canadian Football League player turned politician, Neil Lumsden offered this:
“The Ontario Government is pleased to select Sport Niagara and the Niagara region as the successful bid to host the 2025 Ontario Parasport Games,” Lumsden, the Minister of Sport for the province, said.
“These Games are an exciting opportunity for highly skilled athletes to come together in competition with their peers from across the province. The event will provide a significant impact for the local economy, boost tourism, create jobs, and inspire a new generation of athletes.”
The Ontario Parasport Games were first delivered in 1975 by the City of Cambridge. Since then, the Games have grown to over 500 participants competing in 10+ sports including wheelchair basketball, sledge hockey, goalball and more.
The last Ontario ParaSport Games were held in Durham in 2023.
Niagara currently has one athlete competing in Paris at the Paralympics – Port Colborne swimmer Emma Van Dyk.
“I’d like to thank my family for always supporting me, even through the hard times,” said Van Dyk on the Niagara Sports Report before leaving for the French capital.
“I’d like to thank my club (Brock) and all of the coaches I’ve had. My teammates, especially my teammates, for pushing me through even the times I didn’t want to push through.
They told me I was there. I was ready to make Paris, and I listened to them, and it got me to where I needed to be today.”
Van Dyk takes to the water next Friday, September 6, at 3:30 am EST (9:30 am in France) airing on CBC Gem or the CBC Sports App.
Rod Mawhood is a lifelong Niagara native who has had the pleasure of working in all three mediums – Radio, Print and TV – for over 20 years. His first announcing gig was with the then St. Catharines Stompers. Since then he’s worked in radio and TV in Toronto, and currently is the announcer for the Niagara IceDogs and Niagara River Lions.
Rod also covers the Buffalo Bills for FOX Sports and the Buffalo Sabres for NBC Sports.
