The 2024 Mortgage Company of Canada Canadian Junior and AirSprint Private Aviation Senior Squash Championships are here, with Canada’s top squash athletes preparing to descend on Calgary. The spectacular Glencoe Club will host over 560 of Canada’s top players in categories ranging from under-11 to 80+ who will be competing for national glory.
Squash Ontario is happy to present our 2024 Charity Golf Classic. Grab your foursome and join us for our 22nd tournament since it’s inception in 2002. To help grow squash and take the sport we love to new heights, we are back with our primary fundraising event of the year
150 hyped teenagers from high schools around Ontario competed in our 2024 OFSAA Invitational Jim Mason Cup last week at Toronto’s Mayfair Lakeshore. This is the second year our event, which brings together high school teams across three divisions, was sanctioned by OFSAA.
During a beautiful ceremony on April 4th at the Granite Club in Toronto, Jamie Bentley, Samantha Cornett, Rea Godbold, Stephanie Hewitt and Mike Way were inducted as the Class of 2024 into the Ontario Squash Hall of Fame. With thanks to Josh Ginou, the event was streamed, and anyone interested can view the event here.
We are extremely saddened to share news of Sherry Funston, Squash Ontario’s Executive Director from 1981 until 2015, has passed at the age of 77 on December 18 in Scarborough.
Sherry was a long-standing member of the squash community. She first joined the Squash Ontario as an Administrative Assistant in 1976 when the organization was first created and was promoted to the Executive Director position in 1980. She was known to be welcoming and inclusive.
This past weekend, the 2024 Assante Wealth Management Junior Ontario Open Championships were held at The Club at White Oaks, in Niagara-on-the-Lake. We share our thanks with everyone who participated, attended, and supported the event across the squash community, including – coaches, sponsors, professionals, referees, players, and parents. Thank you all for your continued engagement with our sport.
Another successful squash season is coming to an end, and we were able to acknowledge our outstanding junior community at our annual awards banquet. Their dedication to squash was demonstrated this past weekend as Ontario's top juniors, coaches, and families took over The Club at White Oaks for the 2024 Ontario Junior Open Championships.
We are pleased to share news of the upcoming charity event in support of Urban Squash Toronto (UST). UST is a children's charity serving the Jane & Finch community that provides a no-cost, year-round, long-term holistic after school program to students from Grade 6 to 12. UST's goal is for 100% of students to graduate highschool and to pursue a post-secondary education of their choice and programming is designed around removing the barriers the community faces to achieve those goals.
The 2024 Ontario Open Championships Presented by ONTAB saw 181 players descend on Mayfair Lakeshore across 15 Open, masters and skill divisions. With thanks to our Presenting Sponsor ONTAB, event Patron Mark Richards from the Richards Group, Tournament Host and Patron Manu Dutt and the Mayfair Lakeshore team, Sofia Navedeh and our referees, Josh Ginou’s live streaming, and finally the Squash Ontario team of Lauren Sachvie, Chris Truswell, Tracy Gardner, and Lynsey Yates, we are pleased to share a successful event to finish off our senior provincial squash season.
There was added excitement as we hosted the first ever Women's event, with World No.1 and 7-time World Champion Nour Sherbini being joined by Nele Gilis (WR #4), Gina Kennedy (WR#6), & Tinne Gilis (WR#8). The Men's event wasn't to be overshadowed, with defending Champion & former No.1 Diego Elias (WR#2), being joined by Paul Coll (WR#3), former World Champion & No.1 Karim Gawad (WR#6), & Baptiste Masotti (WR#13).
Tickets are now sold out for the Induction Ceremony. With thanks to Josh Ginou, the event will be streamed and anyone wishing to follow along can view the ceremony at the following link: STREAM LINK
Just under 80 participants from across the province competed in two divisions at this year's Portage M&A Advisory Ontario Regional Masters Team Championships presented by Black Knight. No stranger to hosting some of Ontario's top events, the Club at White Oaks and tournament chair Matt Easingwood ensured all players had an amazing time, on and off the court.
A pair of dynasties continue their reign with the Western Mustangs men’s team winning their 40th consecutive OUA Championship in dominant fashion. At the same time, the Queen’s Gaels made it nine years in a row as the women’s squash champions.
Teachers ... it’s time to get pumped! The second OFSAA Invitational Jim Mason Cup high school team tournament, hosted by Josh Suteir and Lawrence Park CI of the TDSSAA, is just around the corner. There’s still time to prep a team for the 2024 edition, Thursday April 11 and Friday April 12 at Mayfair Lakeshore Racquet Club in Toronto. All the details, including registration info, can be found here: Jim Mason Cup
The Squash Ontario junior community is truly where the “leaders of tomorrow play junior squash today”; a very special collection of junior athletes making a difference in the world from around the province. With thanks to the vision of the Jesters of Ontario, we will once again recognize the brightest lights of 2023-24 in sportsmanship, on-court excellence, commitment to improvement and coaching achievement.
Our final championship event for all ages is just around the corner! The Mayfair Clubs and Squash Ontario are excited to host all interested players for a final provincial competition to close out a busy 2023-2024 squash season.
41 mens doubles teams descended on the Toronto Racquet Club, the Badminton & Racquet Club, and the Toronto Lawn & Tennis Club over the Feb 9-11 weekend to compete in masters age groups.
The Mayfair Lakeshore and Tournament Chair Cathy Tuckwell played host to the Ontario Women’s Veterans Doubles Championships on February 9 and 10 which saw 10 teams of women compete in the 30+ and 60+ age groups. With thanks to Cathy Tuckwell and Tammie Sangster, HEAD rep, the teams saw some fun HEAD prize draws, herb prizes, and a small but mighty group of dedicated doubles players come together over a day and a half of fun competition.
Program gives Canadian athletes between the ages of 14 and 25 the chance to be scouted by thirteen Team Canada sports for free, including Squash.
Congratulations to our Masters Team of Josh Ginou, Dolly Kao, Sean Oh, Scott Mikalachki, Young Lee, Lisa Bogdan, and Don Lee for bringing home the GOLD at the Canadian Masters Team Championships.
On Saturday, January 27th (2024), the Centre held an Open House that hosted the Saugeen Shores Winterhawks hockey team, draws for prizes and indoor squash demonstrations with Squash Ontario President, Dan Van Moorsel, and Gary Waite, President International Squash Doubles Association.
The hardball doubles community has seen an action packed season so far with provincials, community events, leagues and pro-ams and this last weekend was no different. Teams from across Ontario (and Quebec!) joined us at Mayfair Parkway in Markham as Tournament Host Cory McCartney and his team of volunteers Al Hunt, Tania Kumar, Nicole Jennex and Chad Hughes welcomed us for another weekend of fun on the courts.
Last weekend, 70 junior athletes switched things up and took to the doubles courts at the Granite Club for the 2024 OSDL and Jesters Ontario Junior Doubles Championships. It is great to see players who are typically battling it out on the singles court, team up for the weekend.
After last season’s record-breaking participation with 15 teams over the two divisions, the 2024 Portage M&A Advisory Ontario Regional Masters Team Championships is looking to be our largest to date! With the unique experience of competing in a fun team environment, this tournament is often one players circle on their calendar.
We’re kicking off the new year full speed ahead with our new squash outreach plans! We’re pleased to share the exciting news that Tracy Gardner has joined the Squash Ontario team as our Community Engagement Coordinator with the main goal to grow squash and make long lasting impact for our sport.
The count down is on for doubles action to kick off the 2024 year! Prepare for tons of fun, fitness, and friendship on the doubles courts in a few short weeks. See below for our listing of Provincial Championship doubles events.
With the LA2028 announcement in October that squash will be included in the Olympic Games for the first time ever, the entire world of squash players let out a collective breathe - finally! But what now? There is a lot of work to be done by all to make this a home run for the Games so that squash will be included as a permanent sport. For us, that means putting our resources behind our largest growth targets ever.
For those who have the means to give, we would appreciate your support on this Giving Tuesday. The Ontario squash community is truly one of a kind and we thank everyone who wishes to contribute to growing this amazing game.
Congratulations to Ontario’s Iman Shaheen (GU19), Shirley Chen (GU11) and Chase Facchin (BU11) for securing national titles at the 2023 Canadian Junior Open Presented by Fourthlane Parterns in early December. Over 350 athletes arrived to challenge these coveted titles and we are proud of our Ontario athletes for holding their ground.
Squash Ontario is eager to remind you about our Equipment Loaner Program. This program is designed to assist schools with introducing the sport of squash to students (Grades 3-12) in either a school gym setting or a squash club. Teachers who are interested can access equipment, instructors and resources from Squash Ontario.
Squash Ontario is pleased to share a mid-season update of the Jesters University League with you all. Our 11 participating Universities face off against each other over 5 competition weekends from October through February. Our dedicated players and coaches have travelled across the province throughout the first half of the 2023-2024 season.