(1) Canadian Squash Championships will run from, May 10-14
(2) Event last held in Montreal 25 years ago
Club Atwater, with support from the Montréal Forum and various other local clubs, will be hosting the first ever tandem Canadian National Squash Championships.
“We are proud to partner with Squash Canada and look forward to welcoming the national squash community to Montréal,” says Jeff Tory, Chair, Partner, Director, and Portfolio Manager of Pembroke Private Wealth Services. “Pembroke is a supporter of sports, the values they bring, and the excellence produced in competition. We hope Montréalers will join us downtown at the Forum de Montréal for this weeklong celebration of squash to cheer on the best athletes in the country.”
Why Play Squash & Squash Disciplines
Squash is one of the most athletic sports in the world. Beyond just being great fun, new benefits of the game are discovered every day.
A Forbes magazine study in 2003 indicated that squash was the healthiest sport in the world. In one hour of squash, a player can expend between 600 to 1000 calories. Squash is affordable, easy to play, accessible, builds muscular strength and endurance, and is an excellent cardiovascular workout
One of the fastest growing sports in the world, squash is played in over 185 countries and territories. There are nearly 150 National Squash Federations, and according to the World Squash Federation, around 50,000 squash courts around the world. Canada ranked 7th for number of courts per country, with the majority of them located in Ontario, British Columbia and Alberta.
Squash is included in more than 20 multi-sport international games and is one of 10 core sports in the Commonwealth Games program.
Canadian Squash Championship Info
Québec-native David Baillargeon will seek to capture his third consecutive National Title, this time with the hometown advantage on his side. As Canada’s #1 male player, Baillargeon has earned two PSA Titles this season, featured in several Finals matches, and will be fresh off competing at the 2023 PSA World Championships in Chicago, USA. “I’m super excited to compete for the National title in my hometown of Montreal,” shared Baillargeon. “I’m certain the crowd will be behind me throughout the event and family and friends will have a rare chance to watch me play! The only other time I played a National Championship in Quebec was my very first one, the 2007 Canadian Junior Championships where I lost my 3 matches … Hopefully I can do a bit better this time around! Having played at the Forum on a glass court before, I can tell you it’s a unique experience that players will remember for a very long time.”
These kinds of events would not be made possible without the support of the squash community or our sponsors. We would like to thank our Title Partner Pembroke Management and Pella Montreal Windows and Doors as Presenting Partner. As well, thanks go to Platinum Partners Club Atwater and the City of Montréal, and Gold Partners Mortgage Company of Canada, Portage Ventures, Sonder, the Government of Québec, Richter LLP, Syra Group, AirSprint Private Aviation, Slaight Music, RBC Wealth, Dunlop, the Government of Canada, McGill, Richardson, Squash Québec, Midtown Sanctuaire, Altas Partners, and Xamsa.
“Pella is excited to be a part of this exceptional display of professional and amateur talent. These athletes show what it takes to succeed: determination, perseverance, hard work…the qualities required to succeed in squash are the same in business as in life. Squash is more than a sport, it’s a microcosm of life. Bringing together the squash community from across the country will provide an exceptional experience to engage our current and future clients and we look forward to enjoying the week with the squash community,” says Marc Côté, President of Pella Windows and Doors, Eastern Canada.
Rules of Squash
Squash is a racquet sport played by two players in Singles or four players in Doubles in a four-walled court with a small, hollow rubber ball. This fast-paced game has been described as turbocharged chess — the more skilled a player is, the more strategic the game becomes. Players are also continually challenged mentally and physically.
Basic Rules and Gameplay
The objective of the game is for players to take turns hitting the ball against the front wall, above the tin and below the out line. The ball may strike the side or back walls at any time, as long as it hits below the out line. A ball that lands on the out line, or the line along the top of the tin, is considered to be out. After the ball hits the front wall, it is allowed to bounce once on the floor (and any number of times against the side or back walls) before a player must return it. Players may move anywhere around the court but accidental or deliberate obstruction of the other player’s movements is forbidden. Players typically return to the centre of the court after making a shot.
Each game is played to 11 points. The player who scores 11 points first wins the game except if the score reaches 10-all, when the game continues until one player leads by two points. Either player may score points (PAR – point-a-rally). The server, on winning a rally, scores a point and retains the service; the receiver, on winning a rally, scores a point and becomes the server.
Points are awarded if, during the course of play:
- The receiver fails to strike the ball before it has bounced twice
- The receiver hits the ball out (either on or above the out line, or on the tin) or misses the front wall
- Interference resulting in a stroke, i.e. point to the obstructed player
Tickets are now available HERE for the Canadian Squash Championships May 10-14.