Niagara-on-the-Lake is about to become the centre of the junior squash world. From July 20 to 31, White Oaks Resort and Spa and Ridley College will host the 2026 World Squash Junior Championships, drawing the sport’s upcoming talent from across the globe to Canadian soil.
Canada last hosted the championship in 1984, when Calgary staged the Junior Men’s Championship, and Ottawa held the inaugural Junior Women’s Championship three years earlier, in 1981. And over the years, this tournament has grown into the sport’s leading showcase of emerging talent, and its return to Canada this summer marks a milestone for the national program.
“On behalf of Squash Canada, it is an honour to welcome the world’s best junior athletes, their coaches and their families to Niagara-on-the-Lake,” said Jamie Nicholls, CEO of Squash Canada. “This is a community that knows how to make people feel at home, and over the next two weeks, I hope every visiting nation feels the warmth of Canadian hospitality as much as they feel the intensity of the competition.”
Eight athletes have been named to represent Team Canada, including Joelle Kim (BC) and Calder Murray (AB), who return with previous World Juniors experience. Rounding out the roster are six athletes stepping onto this stage for the first time: Anderson Brown (BC), Colten McLaughlin (QC), Gladys Ho (BC), Sasha Lee (ON), Veera Dhaliwal (BC), and Yusuf Matti-Alvarez (BC).
Coaches Jonathan Hill (AB) and Marci Sier (ON) will lead the team through almost two weeks of top-level competition.
An event of this scale relies on the dedication of many. Sincere thanks to Championships Co-Chairs Matt Easingwood and Nick Sachvie, the Squash Canada staff and Board of Directors, our team of volunteers, and the entire Niagara-on-the-Lake community for their commitment and support.
Squash Canada also extends its sincere thanks to the tournament’s government and organizational partners, including the Government of Canada, the Government of Ontario, World Squash, and Niagara Tourism, as well as valued sponsors AirSprint Private Aviation, ALTAS Partners, Amica Senior Lifestyles, Athena Beauty Spa, Capital Asset Lending, Dunlop, Forthlane Partners, Pollock Clinics, Scotia Wealth Management, Slaight Music, and The Printing House (TPH). We are equally grateful to our championship venues, the Mark Sachvie Squash Centre at White Oaks Resort & Spa and the Jack Aylott Squash Centre at Ridley College.
As the first serves land in Niagara-on-the-Lake, Squash Canada is calling on fans across the country to tune in, show up, and be part of a moment more than 40 years in the making. Follow the action in person or through Squash Canada’s channels as it unfolds.
