Team Northern Ontario beats Quebec to win gold at national wheelchair curling championship

Team Northern Ontario skip Douglas Dean said the team went to the 2025 Canadian Wheelchair Curling Championship in Boucherville, Que. determined to bring home the gold. 

After winning silver in 2016 and 2023, Dean said they knew they had a first-place finish within reach this year. 

"Just to get a medal at a national championship is a is a huge achievement. But after doing it twice, we thought to ourselves, 'we're not going to do it this year. We're not going to settle for silver. We're going to shoot for the gold'," Dean told CBC via phone from Toronto Pearson Airport on his way home to Thunder Bay. 

Team Northern Ontario defeated Team Québec 8-5 in the finals on Saturday to capture their first national title. 

Dean said they went point-for-point with the home team until scoring a three-ender in the fourth round, which allowed Team Northern Ontario to start to pull ahead. 

Team Northern Ontario was able to secure victory when Dean scored a perfect takeout, he said.

"I got a double take out. That put the nail in the coffin for them, sealed it for us," said Dean.

Vice-skip Gino Sonego said there were times when they weren't sure if they could pull off winning gold. After losing the second and third games of the tournament, he said the team had to refocus to ensure they won the remaining games.

"If you make one little mistake sometimes and the other team capitalizes, that's all it takes. Lots of good competition out there," Sonego said.

The team of Dean, Sonego, second Rick Bell, lead Lola Graham, alternate Aimee Epp and coach Doug Gelmich practice out of the Fort William Gardens arena in Thunder Bay. 

Sonego said the team has been playing together for about ten years.

"It takes a lot of work to put the team together and stay together," he said. "It just takes a while to find the right people, the right dynamics." 

Sonego said that while the Fort William Gardens is fully accessible for wheelchair users, there currently aren't many wheelchair curlers in the area. 

"We're always looking to take on new people... .if you're in the Thunder Bay Area, we are more than willing to help anybody out that wants to try."