Ron McQuarrie Appointed WLA Executive Director

by Kaylen Lomas

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Burnaby, B.C., Weds. Jan. 7, 2026 – The Western Lacrosse Association (WLA) announced today that the Board of Governors has appointed Ron McQuarrie as Executive Director.

McQuarrie replaces Canadian Lacrosse Hall of Famer, Ben Hieltjes, who is retiring from the role. “It was great working with my good friend and former Salmonbellies teammate over the past several years. Ben’s leadership was invaluable to the WLA. I’ve also had the pleasure of working with Ron for many years, and he is undoubtedly among the most respected lacrosse administrators in the game, and we are lucky to have him join the WLA to help lead our executive group”, said WLA Commissioner, Paul Dal Monte.

In addition to many years of coaching, including Team BC, McQuarrie brings a wealth of experience to the role, including fourteen years as BCLA Board Member and VP Marketing and VP Performance Programs, as well as four years as Box Sector Chair for Lacrosse Canada.

“The WLA is Canada’s premier box lacrosse league, and I am honoured to come on board to work with the League, the Board of Governors, and other league staff. As Executive Director, I look forward to continuing the excellent work done by Ben Hieltjes,” said McQuarrie.

The 2026 WLA Junior Draft will take place Thursday January 29th at 7 pm, and the 2026 WLA season will kick off on Wednesday May 21st at the Langley Events Centre, when the Nanaimo Timbermen take on the Langley Thunder. Full Draft details will be released the week of January 12th, and schedule details will be released and available at WLALacrosse.com the week of Feb. 9, 2026.

The Western Lacrosse Association (WLA) is an amateur league of men’s Senior A box lacrosse sanctioned by the Canadian Lacrosse Association. The WLA consists of seven teams, based in cities throughout southwestern British Columbia, playing an 18-game schedule from late May to the end of July. Each year, the playoff teams battle for the right to compete against the Major Series Lacrosse champion (Ontario) for the Mann Cup every September. The championship is hosted alternately between Ontario (MSL) and British Columbia (WLA) every year.

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For more information, contact:

Paul Dal Monte, WLA Commissioner
[email protected]

604.862.6863