Sudbury Paralympian Lance Cryderman remains in the mix - but there is no denying that the depth of the para boccia talent in Canada is rapidly expanding.

Just 17 years old, Newfoundland native Joe Philpott captured gold recently in Ottawa in the BC1 category at nationals, defeating the Canadian legend that is 57 year-old Hanif Mawji (Burnaby, BC) 3-1.

While Philpott had only recently returned from representing Canada at the Chile 2025 Youth Parapan Am Games this month, Mawji was making his 31st consecutive appearance at nationals.

Finishing behind only Philpott in the five-person "A" pool in Ottawa, Cryderman was edged 5-4 in the bronze medal affair by Kyle Scott, the latter a native of Hamilton who made his international debut at the World Boccia Challenger in Columbia last October.

A Paralympian in both 2000 in Sydney and again in 2024 in Paris, Cryderman won three of his four preliminary round games, getting the better of Chris Halpen (B.C.), Jason Pertus (New Brunswick) and Justine Bureau (Québec).

A total of ten athletes from five different provinces competed at the RA Centre in Ottawa.