More than six years in the making, the big show is almost here as the nation’s capital gets set to host the Ottawa 2026 IWBF Wheelchair Basketball World Championships from Sept. 9-19 – an event that’s already made an enormous impact on the city before it even tips off.
“It’s a huge opportunity. We hope this event is a catalyst for people to go, ‘Oh my god, did you see wheelchair basketball? It is so much fun to watch,’” says Ottawa 2026 Executive Director Cindy Burwell, noting that para sport is beginning to boom much like women’s sports have in recent years.
“Para sport is growing. There’s more and more people watching the Paralympics,” she adds. “It’s a growth opportunity and I think Ottawa sees that as an important opportunity.”
Close to 1,000 participants are coming to town for Ottawa 2026, including 336 of the world’s best players, along with coaches, officials and staff, plus many more family, friends and fans from around the world supporting the 28 men’s and women’s teams from 19 countries during the 11-day competition.
The event is expected to generate an economic impact of over a $25 million for the city throughout the tournament, which is being held at TD Place and Carleton University, along with practice at Rogers Centre Ottawa.
“Ottawa Tourism has been super supportive,” highlights Burwell, noting that they’ve worked hard to promote Ottawa as a destination for inclusive sports events. “They’re really investing themselves to make sure that Ottawa is accessible and ready for this event, and for future events.”
The Ottawa 2026 organization, alongside Ottawa-based Wheelchair Basketball Canada and local partners, have been actively cultivating a community that’s prepared to welcome the world since Ottawa was awarded the event back in 2020.
TD Place has received accessibility upgrades and workshops have been held for frontline staff and volunteers to learn how best to serve people in wheelchairs/with disabilities, while restaurants and businesses near Lansdowne Park have received help too.
“That will improve customer service for everyone, so any person with a disability coming to the city or living in the city will benefit from all of the changes going on,” signals Burwell.
Buzz around the tournament, and a slew of local clinics, has also generated more excitement for Ottawa organizations offering wheelchair basketball programs such as Abilities Ottawa, the Ottawa-Carleton Wheelchair Sports Association and Junior Ravens Wheelchair Basketball.
“There’s more demand for the sport. People who weren’t aware of it now are aware of it. People who want to play are now seeking where they can play,” indicates Burwell, while acknowledging it can be a challenge for groups to expand due to limited gymnasium availability in Ottawa. “But we see an uptick in interest already. The local clubs are growing, and will have an opportunity to grow even more if we can find facilities for them.”
School spirit high for wheelchair basketball
Ottawa 2026 has visited many local schools during the past two school years to deliver demonstrations, skill-building sessions and hands-on opportunities to play wheelchair basketball through its Schools Program, which also offers a teacher’s toolkit to help introduce the sport.
Ottawa 2026 Schools Program Coordinator Nicolas Baril shares that students without disabilities often leave with a new perspective – it allows them to empathize with the challenges wheelchair users experience, but also see that everyone can still play sports together and connect.
“He’ll tell stories of: a lot of times, kids who have a disability don’t participate in gym class, whether it’s a kid with a long-term disability or say a kid who broke their leg skiing, now we come in with wheelchair basketball, and lo and behold, they can play and participate with their peers,” Burwell relates. “Nicolas has had kids come up to him and say, ‘That was so much fun. I’ve never done gym class before because of my disability.’ So it levels the playing field. And it can really be life-changing.”
Many schools, which are offered free tickets, will soon be in the stands for games at the World Championships, set to draw inspiration from resilient players who have overcome major life challenges to become sports stars, such as Canada’s Commonwealth Games flag bearer Kady Dandeneau.
“The athletes’ stories are phenomenal,” underlines Burwell, while the same goes for team staff such as past Ottawa Sport Council Community Sport Hero Emma Shimizu (who previously continued coaching girls’ hockey and supporting para sport while battling cancer). Shimizu will be part of the motor supporting Team Canada as the women’s team’s High Performance Coordinator for Wheelchair Basketball Canada.
The Canadian women open their tournament at TD Place on Wednesday, Sept. 9 at 4:15 p.m., while the Team Canada men follow at 7:30 p.m., with formal opening ceremonies in between at 6:30 p.m. Team Canada plays in group stage matches every day leading up to the start of the men’s playoff round on Sept. 14 and the women’s on Sept. 16, concluding with medal matches on Sept. 19. Info on day pass tickets or full tournament access is available here.
Ottawa 2026 will be the largest team sport event for people with disabilities ever held in Canada outside the Paralympic Games.
“You don’t often get the chance to see Team Canada on home soil,” emphasizes Burwell, adding that both the Canadian women and men finished fourth at the Paris 2024 Paralympic Games and will be hungry for a place on the podium. “If you are a sports fan and you want to cheer for Team Canada, if you’re patriotic – which, this year, we’re all feeling pretty patriotic – it’s a rare opportunity to do that here at home.”
