Team Québec #1 captures national title on home ice at 2026 Canadian Wheelchair Curling Championship

Carl Marquis’ points came in groups of five in Saturday afternoon’s gold-medal game at the 2026 Canadian Wheelchair Curling Championship and led to a national title for Team Québec for the first time since 2013.

It was a déjà vu matchup between Marquis’ Team Québec (Magog) and Douglas Dean’s Team Northern Ontario (Thunder Bay) at the Boucherville Curling Club, as the 2025 final featured the same teams, venue, and crowd.

However, once the second end was underway, it was clear the result this time around would be different.

Marquis, backed up by third/vice-skip Sebastien Boisvert, second François Lacourse, lead Johanne Mathieu, alternate Noémie Gagné, and coach Germain Tremblay, defeated Northern Ontario 10-6 to set off cheers from the home crowd.

“It’s really exciting, especially at home and undefeated,” said Marquis. “We’re really happy to have this win at home, and I’m really happy for my team; it’s emotional. Francois is retiring now. Noémie was a great substitute and so good when she was playing on the ice for us; she played really well. So, I’m really proud of her and proud of Sebastien, and Johanne too.”

With this win, Team Québec mirrored Team Canada’s run at the Paralympic Games with zero losses and a gold medal.

Marquis’ squad was untouchable all week long, and Saturday afternoon’s final was by far the most exciting.

The first half of the game was full of surprises. After Marquis put up a steal of five in the second end, it was easy to assume the game was over. But if the audience has learned anything, it’s to not underestimate Team Northern Ontario’s skip Douglas Dean.

Dean responded in the third end with a score of four, made possible by a draw that didn’t quite reach the house by Marquis to give Northern Ontario an opportunity to get back in the game.

After another missed last rock in the fourth end resulted in a steal of one for Dean, the score was tied.

Unfortunately for the defending champion, luck ran out in the fifth end.

Québec set up camp in the house, with two rocks biting the top of the twelve-foot and another two buried. Dean looked to draw around traffic to at least limit the damage, but his rock undercurled and was easily removed by Marquis to score another five.

But Northern Ontario kept on trying. Dean was once again facing a potential steal of four when he was lining up his last rock in the sixth end. Around Marquis’ guard, he made a miraculous angle-raise takeout to roll to the button and take a point for himself.

Despite a strong effort from the Northern Ontarians, Québec’s game was just impenetrable. Once the seventh end did not look any more hopeful, Dean and his team conceded, and Québec was victorious.

“When you stick to your plan and something’s not going well for the other team, you take advantage of that,” said Marquis. “We pushed lots of rocks in play and had a good sense of what to do with them. It turned out well for us to get two big ends like that. We’re really happy.”

Dean’s path to get to the final wasn’t easy. Saturday morning’s semifinal featured a close game through nine ends against Team Saskatchewan (Moose Jaw) led by skip Marie Wright.

The game had the audience on the edge of their seats with an extra-end finish. In the eighth end, with Saskatchewan up by one, Dean had an open draw for the deuce to secure the win, but he came up just shy of the house and sent the game to an extra end.

The squad from Northern Ontario was able to steal two to close out the game, and the 2025 champion earned another trip to the gold-medal final.

The results of Saturday’s action at the 2026 Canadian Wheelchair Curling Championship left Team Québec #1 with gold, Team Northern Ontario with silver, and Team Saskatchewan with bronze.

Team Québec has hoisted the Canadian Wheelchair Curling trophy once before, last won at the 2013 championship by the team that included both Carl Marquis and Sebastien Boisvert and was led by skip Benoît Lessard.

For the second year in a row, the championship took place alongside the Défi sportif AlterGo, an event that hosts nearly 6000 athletes with disabilities.

The 2027 Canadian Wheelchair Championship will be held in Richmond, B.C., at the Richmond Curling Centre from April 27 to May 2.