Newfoundland and Labrador Triumph Over B.C. as Quebec Dominates Alberta at 2025 Canadian Wheelchair Curling Championship
by Jaxon Winters
Boucherville, Que. - There are days when the stones just don’t listen, and then there are days when they sing for you. Thursday morning at the Canadian Wheelchair Curling Championship, Newfoundland and Labrador’s Dennis Thiessen found that rare harmony, composing an 8-3 win over British Columbia’s Rick Robinson in a game that was as much about nerve as it was about skill.
Robinson’s B.C. rink, riding high after a pair of 8-4 wins earlier in the week, came in with confidence and no shortage of pedigree. Ina Forrest, a Paralympic legend, was throwing third stones. But confidence is a fragile thing in this sport, and Newfoundland and Labrador, sitting at 2-1 and hungry for more, weren’t about to let B.C. dictate the tune.
Thiessen’s rink nursed a slim 2-1 lead after three, then broke things open with a pair heading into the fourth-end break. Robinson, to his credit, answered with a deuce in the fifth, making it 4-3 and reminding everyone that B.C. don’t roll over. But that was as close as they’d get. Thiessen added one in the sixth, then stole two in the seventh, forcing handshakes and sending B.C. back to the drawing board.
For Robinson, it was a lesson in missed chances. The B.C. skip had opportunities to swing the momentum, but too many draws came up light, and too many takeouts over-curled. For Newfoundland and Labrador, it was a statement: they’re not here to make up the numbers.
Elsewhere, Alberta’s Mark Purvis, who’d been quietly building a reputation as a dark horse, ran into a Quebec buzzsaw. Luc Hamel’s rink, playing on home ice and with no intention of disappointing the faithful, dispatched Alberta 7-3 in a clinical, seven-end affair. Hamel’s crew jumped out early, scoring in each of the first three ends and never letting Purvis settle. Alberta managed a pair in the fourth and a single in the seventh, but by then the damage was done. Quebec’s hammer efficiency and steal defence were the difference, and Alberta’s three-game win streak was snapped with a thud.
Meanwhile, Carl Marquis’s Quebec No. 1 rink continued to lead Pool B, keeping the home province’s hopes alive and well. Marney Smithies’ B.C. No. 2 team, sitting at 3-0 in Pool A, is also making noise, but Thursday belonged to the underdogs and the hosts.
With round-robin play wrapping up Friday morning and the playoffs looming, the emotional highs and lows are only getting sharper. For Newfoundland and Labrador, Thursday’s win was a reminder that grit and patience still matter in this game. For B.C. and Alberta, it’s back to basics and a chance to prove that one bad morning doesn’t define a championship run.
In Boucherville, nothing is given. Every stone is earned, and every mistake punished. That’s the way it should be.
Final Scores:
Newfoundland and Labrador 8, British Columbia 3
Quebec 7, Alberta 3
As of this game
Newfoundland and Labrador (Thiessen) Key Play Stats
Scored in five of seven ends
Stole two in the seventh to clinch the win
Improved to 3-1 in Pool B
British Columbia (Robinson) Key Play Stats
Only scored in two ends
Dropped to 2-2 in Pool B
Missed multiple draw opportunities in the second half
Quebec (Hamel) Key Play Stats
Scored in five of seven ends
Maintained hammer efficiency at 0.25, steal defence at 0.30
Improved to 5-1 in Pool A
Alberta (Purvis) Key Play Stats
Scored only in two ends (fourth and seventh)
Suffered first loss after three straight wins
Hammer efficiency at 0.30
Team Stats (Up to and Including This Game)
Pool A
Quebec (Hamel): 5-1
Alberta (Purvis): 3-1
Saskatchewan (Dash): 2-0
British Columbia (Smithies): 2-1
New Brunswick (Fitzgerald): 0-4
Ontario (Petrie): 0-4
Pool B
Northern Ontario (Dean): 3-1
Newfoundland and Labrador (Thiessen): 3-1
British Columbia (Robinson): 2-2
Quebec (Marquis): 2-1
Nova Scotia (Rutt): 1-3
Saskatchewan (Andrews): 1-5
Series Standings (Round Robin)
Quebec (Hamel): 5-1
Alberta (Purvis): 3-1
Saskatchewan (Dash): 2-0
British Columbia (Smithies): 2-1
New Brunswick (Fitzgerald): 0-4
Ontario (Petrie): 0-4
Northern Ontario (Dean): 3-1
Newfoundland and Labrador (Thiessen): 3-1
British Columbia (Robinson): 2-2
Quebec (Marquis): 2-1
Nova Scotia (Rutt): 1-3
Saskatchewan (Andrews): 1-5
In Boucherville, the ice is honest, and so are the results. There’s no hiding from the pressure, and no substitute for execution. The teams that remember that will be the ones left standing when the music stops.