Team USA triumphs at the IC of Canada’s 60th anniversary event

The IC of Canada celebrated its 60th anniversary in Toronto, Canada from 1-5 September 2025.

Six countries joined the Canadian team, as follows:

• Argentina
• Barbados
• Bermuda
• Great Britain
• Mexico
• USA

In total, more than 90 people participated in the event, with the USA taking home the winner’s prize.  Great Britain came in second place, with Mexico very close behind in third.

Because the IC of Canada wanted the event to be as inclusive as possible, and because there was a wide range of ages, team numbers, and player abilities, they used a modified round robin format, mixing and matching players to create matches that were as competitive as possible.

The week started off with some fun and informal padel games at a pop-up padel site near the Distillery District in Toronto on 31 August.  Practice day followed on 1 September, when most participants arrived at the host club, the historic Toronto Lawn Tennis Club (circa 1876).

Day 1 of match play began on the club’s Har-Tru courts under glorious late-summer sunshine, and they continued all day with a break for a sumptuous buffet lunch on the upper balcony.  Very quickly the team from Barbados set up “camp” at one end of the viewing deck, where all week long the sounds of laughter and the telling of tall tales could be heard.

The second day of the event saw the most matches, and by the end of the day there were many sore shoulders, knees, and hips, but smiles all around. The post-match Happy Hour helped to soothe the aches and pains, and goodwill remained high.

Thursday 4 September dawned under heavy skies and torrential rain making outdoor play impossible, but the committee worked hard to shift matches indoors to the Queen’s Club, where some outstanding tennis was on display. Rumour has it that it was also the occasion of a rare mixed doubles pairing between Peter Harding and his lovely wife, Sue. Fortunately, they were both seen smiling broadly at the end of the day, so all was well.

The Gala Banquet took place on Thursday evening in the Philpott Room of the Toronto Lawn Tennis Club, where a fabulous dinner was served, followed by speeches and the bestowing of honorary memberships for the Event Director, Karen Clarke, and the IC of Canada President, Dale Kozicz. In turn, the Canadian IC gave honorary memberships to Rob Principe and Paula Myslivecek (USA), Miguel Angel Reyes Varela and Alfredo Riefkohl (Mexico), Jimmy Tasker (Barbados), Fernando De Marinis (Argentina), Michael Toyer (Bermuda), and Peter Harding (Great Britain).

The event wrapped up with a day trip to Niagara Falls on Friday 5 September, where teammates donned the iconic red plastic ponchos for a memorable trip on the Maid of the Mist to see the Falls up close. A little shopping and sightseeing followed, and then everyone headed to Reif Estate Winery for an afternoon of wine tasting and lunch before returning to Toronto at the end of the day.

In all, the IC of Canada’s 60th anniversary celebration was a wonderful success, where many old friendships were renewed and many new ones forged in the spirit of “hands across the net, friendship across the ocean.”

The IC of Canada wishes to express its deepest gratitude to the IC Council for its generous support of our event.

Many thanks to all those who travelled from near and far to help the IC of Canada celebrate its milestone 60th Anniversary!