Support us this October with Insight Optometry

Fall is a perfect time take care of your (and your family’s) eye health with Insight Optometry!

Until the end of October, visit Insight on Brunswick St. in Halifax, to support impactful Blind Sports Nova Scotia programs.

Thank you so much to the Insight team for offering these fun ways to raise funds for Blind Sports NS:
Family raffle basket – This years raffle includes a family day pass to the Discovery Centre, 3 x $50 gift cards to the RCR group of restaurants, an annual family pass to the Museum of Natural History, $15 Tim Hortons gift card, $50 gift certificate for The Wine Spa, a large cozy plush blanket from Maui Jim, & a one month unlimited yoga pass for Shanti Yoga.
50/50 Squares – Buy a square for $5. Winner takes half the money, the other half goes to charity. The winner will take home $250 if all squares are sold. We may even do a round two if the first lot of square sell out.
Designer lens cloth & Spray – There is a tray at the front desk with small bottles of spray and designer FYi lens clothes. One bottle and cloth can be purchased for $5 donation.

Two people stand next to a tandem bicycle in an outdoor cityscape, while smiling.

CNIB Nova Scotia Open Goalball Tournament Oct 26 & 27, 2024

Blind Sports Nova Scotia is excited to host the 8th edition of the CNIB Nova Scotia Open Goalball tournament, the only competition of its kind in Atlantic Canada.

Thank you to this year’s title sponsor, CNIB, for making the event possible.

Heading: CNIB Foundation logo - Nova Scotia Open Goalball Tournament, in black text. On a yellow background and navy blue background, text appears in white and bright yellow. October 26 & 27, Saturday & Sunday Mid poster, three photo cutouts on a blue wavy background - three goalball players, two throwing and one blocking a goalball.  LeMarchant - St. Thomas School, Halifax Admission for spectators is FREE! Witness the intense Paralympic sport for yourself. Details & Schedule: www.BlindSportsNovaScotia.ca & Facebook Logos in a row: Ocean - Built on Quality; Unisys; Blind Sports Nova Scotia; Accel Health and Sport Performance Centre; AMI.

Saturday & Sunday, October 26 & 27,  2024

LeMarchant – St. Thomas Elementary School

6141 Watt St. in Halifax 

Admission for spectators is free!

Experience the intensity of the growing Paralympic sport of goalball.

Schedule and live audio broadcast details coming soon! Stay up to date on the tournament webpage  and by RSVP-ing to the Facebook event.

 

 

Tandem Bike Group Ride & Updates

The Blind Sports NS Tandem Bike Club connects blind and visually impaired Nova Scotians to the joys of cycling.

Whether it’s been years since you’re ridden bike or your first time, we are here to put #ButtsOnBikes!

Group of 10 smiling people of various ages, standing on a trail with bicycles and trees behind them.

Upcoming Group Ride:
Thanksgiving Group Ride to the 5K Cafe
Saturday, October 12, 2024
10 a.m. to about 12 p.m.

We’ll start in front of Shoppers Drug Mart, Joseph Howe Dr. Halifax, bike along the paved Chain of Lakes trail to the 5K Cafe, enjoy tasty refreshments and good company at the cafe. Then, we ride back to the starting point.

You can request a tandem bike from our fleet and/or one of our trained volunteer pilots. Bring your own tandem or other bike and pilot. Everyone is welcome!

Please RSVP to join us for the ride, request a bike and/or pilot:
Email: BlindSportsNS@gmail.com
Call or text Jennie: 902 449 0320
RSVP on the Facebook event

Rain date & time: Sunday, October 13, 2024, 10 AM to about 12 PM
The ride is not for absolute beginners.

September, 2024 Tandem Bike Program Updates
Easier Access to Bikes
Thanks to Sport Nova Scotia EDIA funding, a brand new storage shed dedicated to our tandem biking program is in place, still just a kilometre from the Chain of Lakes Trail head.

The unit is equipped with an accessible padlock, which means bikes can be borrowed and returned with more ease than ever. We give you the temporary code and you’re on your way.

A camera and lighting help keep everything safe.

Orientation Sessions
We’re accepting requests for one-on-one orientation sessions for both riders who are blind and visually impaired (stokers) and pilots.

No experience necessary for stokers, we’ll get you acquainted with how to ride safely and confidently.

Pilots (the person who rides in front, steers, and brakes) are confident cyclists with experience. Pilots can be a trusted friend or family member.

Volunteer pilots may be available upon request. Our volunteers are confident, experienced, cyclists, who’ve completed orientation with Blind Sports NS.

Major Tune-Ups
Our fleet of tandem bikes needed some extra love and a few repairs this season. All bikes are now tuned up and available for short and long-term loans.

Get in Touch
To borrow a bike, receive orientation, and/or request a pilot, email BlindSportsNS@gmail.com, call or text Jennie at 902-449-0320.

 

Find even more info about tandem biking on our tandem biking page.

2024 Paralympics – don’t miss the action!

The 2024 Paralympic Games begin tomorrow, Wednesday, August 28. Don’t miss out on the action, check out how you can cheer on 126 Canadian athletes with us!

We’re rooting loudly for the Canadian Women’s Goalball team, who compete against:
France on Thursday at 9:35 am Atlantic
Japan on Friday at 9:35 am
South Korea on Sunday at 5:20 am
Quarterfinals take place Tuesday, Sep 3

Previewing Goalball at the Paralympic Games

The Paralympic Games start just one week from today!

Get even more pumped for the action with us by listening to this preview of Goalball at the Games, as presented by Peter Parsons, Blind sports NS Chair, NS and national goalball team athlete.

Listen HERE – Previewing Goalball at the Paralympic Games with Peter Parsons on AMI’s Now With Dave Brown. 

Peter covers what to expect from the Canadian Women’s Goalball team and other competitors, and their respective journeys to the Games.

Media: NS men’s Goalball team wins nationals

Thank you, Sport Nova Scotia, for this article capturing the excitement of our Nova Scotia men’s goalball team placing first at Nationals this year!

“With a crowd cheering them on at the Citadel Community Centre, player Peter Parsons and his teammates managed to take the top honours. “We hadn’t won the Nationals since 2016, and we only ever won that year and 2015. To win here in 2024 on our home court was amazing with this group of guys,” he said.”
Read the article by Jordan Parker for all the nail-biting details: NS men’s Goalball team wins nationals

2024 SENIOR NATIONAL GOALBALL CHAMPIONSHIPS RESULTS ARE IN!

The 2024 Senior National Goalball Championships proved to be an outstanding weekend of goalball, with impressive displays of athleticism, sportsmanship, and community.

We owe a massive thank you to every volunteer, referee, coach, athlete, sponsor, and supporter – You helped make this weekend a memorable success! Thank you to Canadian Blind Sports/Sports Aveugles Canada for selecting us to co-host.

Congratulations to all who competed!

Women’s division:
1st Ontario
2nd Quebec
3rd Alberta
4th Nova Scotia
Most Valuable Player: Maryam Salehizadeh, of team Quebec.

Men’s Division:
1st Nova Scotia A
2nd British Columbia A
3rd Ontario
4th Alberta
5th Nova Scotia B
6th Quebec
7th British Columbia B
Most Valuable Player: Mason Smith, Nova Scotia A

Sportsmanship award: Josué Coudé of team Quebec.

Thank you to the sponsors!
CNIB
Nova Scotia Government
Government of Canada
ACCEL Physiotherapy and Sport Performance Centre

 

Ontario women, first place Quebec women, second placeAlberta women, third place

Nova Scotia A, first place in men's division British Columbia A, second place in men's division Ontario men, third place

2024 Senior National Goalball Championships get underway this weekend in Halifax!

The 2024 Senior National Goalball Championships get underway this weekend in Halifax!

We are proud and excited to be hosting with Canadian Blind Sports/Sports Aveugles Canada.Poster features deep red, black, and white colour scheme and an image of a goalball athlete launching a goalball across a gymnasium floor. Text reads: Senior National Goalball Championships 2024. Friday to Sunday, May 3 to 5. Experience the excitement! Admission for spectators is FREE. Citadel Community Centre, Halifax, NS. Details & Schedule / Détails et horaire:: www.BlindSportsNovaScotia.ca & Facebook. Logos: Blind Sports Nova Scotia, Canadian Blind Sports Association, Accel Physiotherapy & Sport Performance, Government of Nova Scotia, Government of Canada, and CNIB. L'affiche présente une palette de couleurs rouge foncé, noir et blanc et une image stylisée d'un athlète de goalball lançant un goalball sur le sol d'un gymnase. Le texte comprend : Championnat National Senior de Goalball. Vendredi - Dimanche, 3-5 Mai. Citadel Community Centre, Halifax, NS. Vivez l'excitation! Les spectateurs entrent GRATUITEMENT. Details & Schedule / Détails et horaire: www.BlindSportsNovaScotia.ca & Facebook. Logos : Blind Sports Nova Scotia, Sports Aveugles Canada, Accel Physiotherapy & Sport Performance, Gouvernement Nouvelle Ecosse, Gouvernement Canada, CNIB INCA. 2024 Sr Nationals Championships Poster Description PDF

Join us Friday, May 3, to Sunday, May 5, at the Citadel Community Centre. Entrance for spectators is free, and you don’t want to miss the action! Find the full schedule below, programme, and press release below:

Schedule

Excel – Schedule / Horaire – Senior National Goalball Championships 2024 Championnat National Senior de Goalball

PDF – Schedule / Horaire – Senior National Goalball Championships 2024 Championnat National Senior de Goalball

Printer-friendly Excel – Schedule : Horaire – Senior National Goalball Championships 2024 Championnat National Senior de Goalball print friendly

Printer-friendly PDF – Schedule : Horaire – Senior National Goalball Championships 2024 Championnat National Senior de Goalball print friendly

Programme

PDF 2024 Senior Nationals Program FINAL

Docx (Word)  2024 Senior Nationals Program FINAL

Press Release

2024 Senior National Goalball Championships release PDF

Thank you for supporting this year’s Charity Auction for Blind Sports NS

THANK YOU to everyone who came out to this year’s Charity Auction for Blind Sports NS, and made it another huge success!

Thank you in comic book style bubble and design
All funds raised empower athletes of all ages who are blind in Nova Scotia.
Over the next couple of days, we’ll be shouting out the generous local businesses and donors who made this impactful fundraiser possible! Let’s start with…

Promoting community, sports, active and healthy lifestyles for visually impaired Nova Scotians.