The Pickleball Canada Ambassador Program originally came to the forefront based on a 2025 January survey which reached over 2,000 Canadian households and within this survey Pickleball Canada also sought to understand why some Canadians may not be involved in the sport and to identify the barriers contributing to this lack of participation. The survey found that 21% of respondents cited a lack of information about the sport as the primary obstacle. To address this communication gap, Pickleball Canada launched the Ambassador Program.
The first year of the program brought 17 Ambassadors together from across 9 provinces and one territory. These Ambassadors produced consistent, community-driven content that highlighted local and provincial events, member stories, and Corporate Partner initiatives, resulting in a more than 50 % increase in overall page traffic and a major shift in audience engagement. Instagram became Pickleball Canada’s fastest growing platform, surpassing Facebook for the first time, with impressions rising from fewer than 500 per post to a consistent range of 1,000 to 2,000 supported new followers to our social media pages.
The program’s initial launch alone generated nearly 7,000 impressions, making it one of the organization’s top performing posts. These efforts expanded national awareness of pickleball activities and strengthened member engagement. It also contributed to the growth of sanctioned tournaments, increasing visibility of Pickleball Canada’s merchandise store, and enhancing exposure for Corporate Partners.
Building off the traction from it’s first year there will be 13 returning Ambassadors and 13 new Ambassadors which will reach all 10 provinces and one territory within Canada.
This initiative has already made a significant impact in its first year, and I’m incredibly excited to see its continued growth and expansion into year two. It’s been inspiring to watch the program’s success unfold, and I look forward to building on that momentum as we continue to strengthen connections, foster engagement, and support our community across the country,” said Pickleball Canada Executive Director Barry Petrachenko.
Pickleball Canada is excited to announce the following individuals as the 2026 Pickleball Canada Ambassadors:
- Asaan Maherali – Sooke, B.C
- Daniel Zhou – Vancouver, B.C
- Zeyi Yang – Vancouver, B.C
- Veronique Dewilde – Airdire, Alberta
- Yan Zhao – Edmonton, Alberta
- Amy Klassen – Saskatoon, Saskatchewan
- Emily Laing – Saskatoon, Saskatchewan
- Michelle Bergen – Winnipeg, Manitoba
- Elijiah Ferguson – Kemptville, Ontario
- Gina Robinson – Newmarket, Ontario
- John Yatco – Ottawa, Ontario
- Hao Hong – Oakville, Ontario
- Mehdi Salemi – Ottawa, Ontario
- Maryam Bondak – Toronto, Ontario
- Camille Ste-Marie – Montreal, Quebec
- Charline Remillard – Saint – Jean – sur – Richelieu, Quebec
- Sam-Luca Thifault – Montreal, Quebec
- Melissa Clark-Brennan – Florenceville-Bristol, New Brunswick
- Michael Lanuevo – Halifax, Nova Scotia
- Bryce Dauphinee – Kentville, Nova Scotia
- Cara O’Leary – Lakeview, Nova Scotia
- Emily Le – Charlottetown, Prince Edward Island
- Michelle Dyke – Charlottetown, Prince Edward Island
- David Summers – St. John’s Newfoundland
- Alison Hickman – St. John’s Newfoundland
- Danarea Sommerville – Iqaluit, Nunavut
To find out more regarding these individuals please review the 2026 Ambassador Information Package.