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Pickleball Canada is seeking enthusiastic volunteer commentators to join the livestream broadcast team for the Provincial Team Competition (PTC) during the 2026 IG Wealth Management National Championship Presented by HearingLife.

The PTC showcases the country’s top provincial talent in an exciting interprovincial team competition. This year’s event will feature seven provincial teams, including returning teams from British Columbia, Alberta, Saskatchewan, Manitoba, Ontario, and Quebec, while Newfoundland and Labrador will make its inaugural appearance in the competition.

To enhance the viewing experience, Pickleball Canada will livestream the Championship Court throughout the competition and is looking for four volunteer commentators to be part of the broadcast team.  If you are passionate about pickleball and interested in helping bring this exciting competition to viewers across the country, we encourage you to apply using the link below:

Commentators Application

Successful applicants should:

• Have strong public speaking and communication skills.
• Possess a solid understanding of pickleball rules and scoring.
• Be comfortable speaking in front of an audience or at sporting events.
• Have broadcasting commentary experience (preferred, not required).

Commitment:

• Training: Wednesday, August 26, 2026 (afternoon)
• Event Day: Thursday, August 27, 2026 (full day – 8:00 am – 6:00 pm approx.)
• Location: Pickleplex Downsview – North York, Ontario 

Please apply for this position by July 31^st, 2026. Selected applicants will be contacted by a member of the Pickleball Canada team.

If you have any questions, please contact info@pickleballcanada.org.

Pickleball Canada is proud to announce the return of the Provincial Team Competition (PTC) during the 2026 IG Wealth Management National Championship presented by HearingLife. Following the success of the inaugural event in 2025, the PTC returns for its second year bringing together the nation’s top provincial talent in an exciting inter-provincial team competition.

The PTC will take place on Thursday, August 27, 2026, at Pickleplex Downsview in Toronto, Ontario, the main venue for the 2026 National Championships. Seven provincial teams will compete head-to-head in a friendly yet highly competitive team format, showcasing elite athletes while celebrating provincial pride and sportsmanship.

The inaugural PTC was held during the 2025 National Championship in Winnipeg, Manitoba, where Team British Columbia captured the gold medal, Team Ontario earned silver, and Team Manitoba claimed bronze.

Returning to compete in 2026 are:

• Team British Columbia
• Team Alberta
• Team Saskatchewan
• Team Manitoba
• Team Ontario
• Team Quebec

Making its Provincial Team Competition debut this year is Team Newfoundland & Labrador, becoming the seventh province to join this exciting event. This event highlights 4.0+ players from across the country. 

Whether you’re cheering from the stands or watching from home, you won’t want to miss the action. Fans unable to attend in Toronto can catch all the excitement live on Pickleball Canada’s YouTube channel. Additional livestream details will be announced closer to the event.

Ottawa, ON – Pickleball Canada held their Annual General Meeting (AGM) by webcast on Thursday, June 25, 2026. During this meeting Pickleball Canada’s membership voted to elect five (5) directors. Veronique Giry of Calgary, Alberta was elected to a one-year term and will join the following members te-elected to three-year terms: 

• Mark Borgares (Regina, SK)
• Gina Iandiorio (Coquitlam, BC)
• Ronald Marion (Windsor, ON)
• Wendy Pattenden (Surrey, BC)

Pickleball Canada’s Board of Directors provides strategic leadership and direction to support the continued growth and development of pickleball across the country. As the fastest-growing sport in the world, pickleball continues to gain momentum in Canada, with an estimated 1.80 million Canadians now playing the sport with an increase of 14% from the previous year.

This growth is also reflected in Pickleball Canada’s membership. In 2025, membership reached 93,888 paid members, up from 85,329 at the end of 2024, representing a year-over-year increase of 10%.

Ontario currently leads the country with 23,820 members, followed by British Columbia with 22,178 members and Quebec with 20,074 members. While these provinces have the largest membership bases, Pickleball New Brunswick recorded the highest percentage growth, with membership increasing by an impressive 49% compared to the previous year.

The 2026 -2027 Pickleball Canada Board of Directors is as follows: 

Role	Name	Province / Territory
President	Ron Marion	Ontario
Director-at-Large	Alexandre Baril	Quebec
Director-at-Large	Laurie Bonten	Manitoba
Director-at-Large	Mark Borgares	Saskatchewan
Director-at-Large	Caroline Butchey	Ontario
Director-at-Large	Alden Briggs	New Brunswick
Director-at-Large	Michelle Davey	British Columbia
Director-at-Large	Veronique Giry	Alberta
Director-at-Large	Matthew Harris	British Columbia
Director-at-Large	Gina Iandiorio	British Columbia
Director-at-Large	Joanne Kealey	Ontario
Director-at-Large	Wendy Pattenden	British Columbia

Pickleball Canada is proud to announce the inaugural Team Canada roster that will travel to Grand Rapids, Michigan, to compete in the Major League Pickleball (MLP) event taking place July 8–12.

The team was selected through an MLP Combine, delivered by Steve Deakin Pickleball (SDP), held May 15–17 at Club 315 in Calgary. A total of 32 athletes participated throughout the weekend, showcasing their skills during a highly competitive selection process.

“I have learned the most exciting victories often don’t involve a podium at all. Our nation committing to training its own elite athletes is a journey worth celebrating. It’s an honour to be a part of Canadian pickleball history and the naming of the first Official Team Canada,” said Steve Deakin. 

Further selections for the Pickleball Canada High Performance Program will take place during the 2026 IG Wealth Management National Championship Presented by HearingLife in Toronto this August. Winners of the Open event categories throughout the week will earn individual spots in the National Development Program Pool, with four women and four men selected through this pathway. In addition, six junior athletes will be selected based on their performances at the event.

The Provincial Team Competition (PTC) at Pickleball Canada Nationals will also serve as a key scouting opportunity, with athletes being evaluated for their fit within the 2026 National Development Program Pool.  The remaining spots in the program will be selected in September by Pickleball Canada’s High Performance Task Team through an evaluation process based on results from the PTC and other events held throughout the year.

“This is an incredible pathway and an important step in building a strong high-performance pickleball structure within Canada,” said Pickleball Canada Executive Director Barry Petrachenko. “We are excited to be kicking off our High Performance programming and wish these athletes the very best of luck in Grand Rapids this July.”

Team Canada Roster – Grand Rapids, Michigan:

• Rosie Johanson – British Columbia 
• Kim Layton – Alberta 
• Kyle Hermetz – Ontario 
• Mackonner Dy – British Columbia 
• Ryan Torresin – Ontario 
• Jordann Vigna – Quebec 

Further information regarding Team Canada and Pickleball Canada’s High Performance Program will be shared throughout the summer.

Pickleball Canada is inviting enthusiastic volunteers to join the team behind the 2026 IG Wealth Management National Championships presented by Hearing Life, taking place August 24–30, 2026 at Pickleplex Social Club Downsview and Pickleplex Social Club Vaughan.

As Canada’s premier pickleball event, the National Championships will bring together approximately 1,000 athletes from across the country, along with coaches, officials, spectators, and sponsors for an exciting week of competition and celebration.

To help deliver a world-class championship experience, Pickleball Canada is seeking volunteers to support a variety of event operations roles throughout the week.

Volunteer opportunities include:

• Athlete registration and information services
• Competition and court operations support
• Sponsor and vendor services
• Medal ceremonies and event presentations
• Athlete experience and hospitality
• Venue operations and facilities support
• Food, hydration, and volunteer services
• General event logistics and guest services

Whether you are a pickleball enthusiast, student looking for event experience, community volunteer, or simply someone who wants to be part of a major national sporting event, there is a place for you on the team.

Volunteers will receive:

• Official Pickleball Canada volunteer shirt
• Food and refreshments during each volunteer shift
• Event training and orientation
• A behind-the-scenes experience at Canada’s premier pickleball championship

Pickleball Canada welcomes all individuals, community groups, clubs, and sport enthusiasts from the Greater Toronto Area and surrounding communities to get involved.

To express your interest in volunteering for the event, please complete the following registration form by Friday, June 19th, 2026:

Pickleball Canada Nationals – Volunteer Registration

Pickleball Canada is proud to release their 2025 Annual Report, serving as a retrospective on the key achievements across the organization throughout 2025. 

These achievements help to shape pickleball not only within Canada, but internationally as well through leadership provided during key governance discussions with the Global Pickleball Federation (GPF). 

Highlights of the report include the successful launch of the Pickleball Canada Ambassador Program, which helped shape Pickleball Canada’s Communications and grow their social media community by nearly 50%. 

The support of Provincial Tournaments included the establishment of Provincial Championships in Newfoundland & Labrador and Prince Edward Island in 2025, marking the first time that all 10 provinces hosted Major Events in the same calendar year. 

A Sanctioned Tournament Subsidy Program provided financial support to over 60 tournaments across Canada,  with participation of 13,000+ individuals.

The development of Pickleball Canada’s National Championships included the creation of the Provincial Team Competition (PTC), which brought together teams of athletes representing six provinces. This highlight of the very successful event held in Winnipeg in August saw British Columbia bring home the inaugural gold medals. 

Read the full report by either clicking the link attached or by heading to the resource page on our website.

Each year, Pickleball Canada commissions a Canadian research firm to analyze participation trends in pickleball across the country. This year’s survey estimates that approximately 1.80 million Canadians are currently playing pickleball.

The survey is conducted with a sample of 2,000 Canadian households and focuses on three core questions:

• How often participants play pickleball
• Why they play pickleball
• What barriers they face in participating

In 2025, the survey estimated 1.54 million participants, meaning the increase to 1.80 million represents a 14% year-over-year growth rate. Looking further back, participation has grown significantly since 2022, when only 1 million Canadians were estimated to be playing the sport at an 80% increase in participation over three years.

Participation levels across provinces generally align with population distribution. Ontario leads the country with an estimated 702,000 players, followed by Quebec with 432,000, and British Columbia with 306,000.

Pickleball Canada’s membership growth reflects similar national trends. In 2025, Pickleball Canada reached 93,888 paid members, up from 85,329 at the end of 2024, representing 10% growth year over year. Provincially, Ontario leads membership totals with 23,820 members, followed by British Columbia (22,178) and Quebec (20,074). While these provinces hold the highest membership numbers overall, Pickleball New Brunswick experienced the strongest growth, increasing membership by 49% compared to last year.

Age-based participation data shows particularly strong growth among younger demographics. Gen Z recorded the highest increase, with an 85% rise in participation, while Gen X participation increased by 27%.Across all demographics, enjoyment and fun remain the primary motivation for playing pickleball, cited by 85% of respondents. Health and fitness continue to be the second-leading reason at 48%, a trend that remains consistent across age groups and regions. Among Gen X (1965 – 1980) players, the competitive nature of the sport emerged more prominently, with 30% identifying competition as a key reason for participation.

The survey also identified ongoing barriers to participation. The two most reported challenges remain a lack of information about the sport (17%) and a shortage of facilities (15%). While the shortage of facilities remains unchanged from last year, the percentage of respondents citing lack of information decreased from 21% to 17%, indicating progress in awareness efforts.

Pickleball Canada continues to address these barriers through initiatives such as the Pickleball Canada Ambassador Program, which currently has open applications, and the release of the Facility Guidebook which is a practical resource designed to support communities in advocating for the construction of pickleball facilities. This initiative can be found on our website through resources.

Overall, pickleball participation in Canada continues to rise, with strong national growth, expanding demographics, and increasing engagement across provinces. The sport’s upward trajectory shows no signs of slowing.

For more information, please contact: info@pickleballcanada.org

Pickleball Canada is launching a National League system which will culminate with a National Club Championship. This initiative aims to expand competitive opportunities for pickleball enthusiasts and bring additional structured pickleball events to communities across Canada.

The league will follow a three-tiered structure, beginning at the club level. The first stage will consist of local leagues, where players compete against others within their club over a 12-week season. At the conclusion of this period, clubs will select a team to represent their club in inter-club competition.

The inter-club championship will feature head-to-head matchups between teams, consisting of two rounds: one round of gender doubles and one round of mixed doubles. The results of these 16 matches will determine the starting score for a final scramble team game, where gender doubles teams rotate in and out.

This pathway will ultimately lead to the National Club Championship, where the top club team in Canada will be crowned.

Key timelines are as follows:

• Local club league play: To begin no later than June 
• Regional Club Championships: Mid-August 
• Provincial Club Championships (led by PTSOs): September 
• National Club Championship: October 

To participate is easy – players must simply be registered members of Pickleball Canada to take part in Local Club Leagues! 

Additional details regarding league locations and start dates will be shared in the coming weeks.

Starting this year, Pickleball Canada will establish its National Player Development Pool, marking the first step toward forming an official Team Canada for the sport of pickleball.

Pickleball Canada’s first National Team Player Pool, which will include a minimum of ten women and ten men, plus a junior contingent of eight individuals split equally by gender. 

Participants will be selected via a multitude of events this tournament season, with the first event taking place at the Steve Deakin Pickleball (SDP) Major League Pickleball (MLP) combine in Calgary May 15 – 17, 2026.  The combine will select six players (three women and three men) who will form the initial Team Canada to compete at an MLP event scheduled for July 8-12, 2026 in Grand Rapids, Michigan.

Further selections will take place during the 2026 IG Wealth National Championship Presented by HearingLife in August. Winners of the Open event categories throughout the week will earn individual spots in the National Development Program Pool, with four women and four men to be selected through this pathway. Six junior players will also be selected from their results during this event. 

Additionally, the Provincial Team Competition (PTC) during Pickleball Canada’s Nationals will be utilized as a scouting opportunity where players will be evaluated to determine their fit in the National Development Program Pool for 2026. 

The remaining spots in the program will be selected by a Pickleball Canada High Performance Task Team in September through a selection process related to the results of the PTC and other events throughout the year.

Development Camps will be held in the Fall of 2026 which will involve a high-level coaching experience and supplementary education in diet, player development, and sport psychology. 

Eligibility requirements for players participating in the National Player Development Pool include: 

• Individuals must participate in at least two Pickleball Canada sanctioned events in 2026
• Participants must be in good standing of Pickleball Canada
• Individuals must be residents of Canada in accordance with Pickleball Canada’s National Championship Guidelines

This initiative represents the foundation of Canada’s first official national pickleball team, with the goal of competing in international events beginning in 2027, marking the country’s first official participation on the international stage.

Be sure to stay tuned for more High Performance Updates by following Pickleball Canada’s social media pages.

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.