Ottawa hosts Canadian women's Wheelchair Basketball League national championship
Athletes of all abilities took to the court this weekend to compete in the Canadian Wheelchair Basketball League Championships at Collège La Cité in Ottawa.
- Sign up now for our daily CTV News Ottawa newsletters
- The information you need to know, sent directly to you: Download the CTV News App
The tournament offered a chance to showcase talent from across the country. Since its inception in 1990, Wheelchair Basketball Canada has championed this event, leaving a lasting legacy on and off the court, inspiring current, future and past Paralympians.
For Charlotte McElroy, wheelchair basketball is her passion.
"It's given me a really a sense of belonging with so many different disabilities and people like me," said McElroy, who was competing this weekend.
"Growing up and knowing that it's not weird and it's not bad to be disabled."
Athletes of all ages and backgrounds participated in the event.
"It's really helped me both in sport and out of sport. I mean, growing up in such a welcoming community with socially like-minded people has really helped me grow and become the person I am today," she said.
Hard-hitting athletes showcased their talent at the gold medal game, where Quebec and British Columbia tipped off for the top title.
"Sport really saved me in a way. After cancer, it wasn't easy," said Cindy Ouelette, who played for Quebec in the gold medal game.
For Ouelette, it’s a time to shine after years of playing.
"Wheelchair basketball was introduced to me by my physio. I got cancer when I was 12, so then at 15 and 16 years old, I started playing," said Ouelette.
With Ottawa as hosts, it’s a chance to prepare for a bigger event to come.
“We are hosting the World Championships in 2026 right here in Ottawa, so it's massive for us as an organization to get local capacity to help us host that event in two and a half short years," said Sean Liebich, program manager for the event.
Quebec won the tournament on Sunday, beating British Columbia 75-38.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
'I just can't believe that it took so long': Body found in wreckage 3 months after deadly fire
A man accused of arson in a January Old Strathcona apartment fire is expected to be charged with manslaughter after a body was discovered in the burned building late last month.
No proof man lied to brother about number of kittens born in litter, B.C. tribunal rules
A man was denied a $5,000 payout from his brother after a B.C. tribunal dismissed his claim disputing how many kittens were born in a litter.
Quebec police hand out hundreds of tickets to Hells Angels and other bikers before 'first run' meeting
Quebec provincial police handed out hundreds of fines to Hells Angels members and other supporting motorcycle clubs who met for their 'first run' in a small town near Sherbrooke, Que.
Explosion at train station leads to discovery of stolen car on Montreal's South Shore: police
Police are investigating after a BMW exploded in the St-Lambert Exo train station parking lot on Montreal's South Shore.
A Chinese driver is praised for helping reduce casualties in a highway collapse that killed 48
A Chinese truck driver was praised in local media Saturday for parking his vehicle across a highway and preventing more cars from tumbling down a slope after a section of the road in the country's mountainous south collapsed and killed at least 48 people.
Snakes almost on a plane: U.S. TSA discovers a bag with small snakes in passenger's pants
According to an X post by the Transportation Security Administration, officers at the Miami International Airport found the small bag of snakes hidden in a passenger's trousers on April 26 at a checkpoint.
Russia puts Ukrainian President Zelenskyy on its wanted list
Russia has put Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy on its wanted list, Russian state media reported Saturday, citing the interior ministry’s database.
A candidate for Germany's key party was beaten up while campaigning for European elections
A candidate for Chancellor Olaf Scholz's center-left party in next month's election for the European Parliament was beaten up and seriously injured while campaigning in an eastern city, the party said Saturday.
Grandparents killed in wrong-way crash on Hwy. 401 identified
A 60-year-old man and a 55-year-old woman killed in a wrong-way crash on Highway 401 earlier this week have been identified by the Consulate General of India in Toronto.