Cobourg lawn bowler 25-year-old Baylee van Steijn headed for world bowls
By sports correspondent Alan Rivett
A long-time Cobourg Lawn Bowling Club member is expecting much better results at this year’s World Bowls Junior Indoor Championship after she fell victim to Murphy’s Law – i.e. whatever can go wrong will go wrong, at last year’s worlds.
Baylee van Steijn, 25, will be one of two Canadians competing at the worlds at the Hong Kong Football Club in Hong Kong, China, from Dec. 1 though 6. The worlds bring together some of the top young bowlers from around the world for six days of international competition.
She’s joined on the Canadian junior team by Erik Galipeau, of Toronto.
Athletes will compete in men’s and women’s singles, as well as mixed pairs, providing an opportunity for the next generation of international bowls talent to test themselves on the world stage.
For van Steijn, the 2026 event offers an opportunity for redemption after the 2025 worlds proved challenging to say the least.
“(Last year) was my first time representing Canada for the U25s – and I had a great time out there – but I obviously didn’t do too well. I didn’t make it out of my pool, but I had the gold and silver medalist in my pool and unfortunately lost to them both,” said van Steijn, a Gores Landing resident.
“It’s indoors, which I don't play a lot of indoor (lawn bowling) because Canada’s only real indoor surface is out in Vancouver,” she continued. “So it was a big adjustment in the practice days where we had a couple hours each. But now I know what to expect with the competition, so hopefully I can make a better run this year.”
She and Galipeau were once again selected by Bowls Canada Boulingrin (BCB) to wear the maple leaf at the world championships after each rolled up a summer of accomplishments during the 2026 Canadian championship season.
For van Steijn, she captured silver in the U25 women’s competition at the Canadian Youth and Junior Championships in Hanover, Ont., in August. This came after she won gold at the provincial juniors in Peterborough in June.
At the Canadian championships, van Steijn ran into a red-hot player in the form of Bridget Masterson from the Peterborough Lawn Bowling Club, with van Steijn settling for silver after a highly competitive gold-medal final.
“She was just playing lights out, and unfortunately, I just was off my game,” noted van Steijn, who took the gold-medal final to a tie-breaking third set before losing to Masterson.
BCB national team head coach Derek Dillon noted in a press release that Galipeau and van Steijn bring considerable international experience to Hong Kong. They have previously represented Canada at the World Bowls Junior Indoor Championships and other major international competitions, giving them valuable experience competing against many of the world’s best bowlers.
“Erik and Baylee continue to demonstrate that they belong on the international stage,” said Dillon. “They have both gained valuable experience representing Canada and continue to develop as athletes and competitors.
“We are excited to see them represent Canada once again and take on the challenge in Hong Kong.”
For van Steijn, this year’s worlds represents the 10th year she’s worn the Canadian colours on the international stage. And she believes she’s well-equipped mentally to compete at the top level at this year’s worlds.
“I know the competition will also be fairly strong, so I (think I’ll be in) a better headspace going into this, knowing what the competition is going to be like. I always find it hard when you go for international competitions.
“In your first international competitions you’re like, ‘Oh, I don’t know what to expect.’ But now, like I’ve played for Team Canada since I was 15, so I’m used to the international experiences.
“And now, I know some of the U25s as well. So I kind of know how they’ll play, what lengths they want to play, what their mindset is, and stuff like that, so that helps you in the end.”
The proudest moment on the international stage for van Steijn came three years ago at the 2023 World Bowls Championship on the Gold Coast in Queensland, Australia. There, she was part of the Canadian ladies’ triples team that earned a bronze medal.
“It was amazing because it was my first worlds and you’re going to Australia, which is like the most well-known place for bowls,” said van Steijn, who was joined by Joanna Cooper of Alberta, and Emma Boyd, originally from Vancouver, on the Canadian team. “And to come out with a bronze there was unbelievable. It was a very, very good trip.”
Van Steijn said she’ll continue to juggle work (she’s employed as a mobile welder) amid all the preparation needed in advance of December’s world championships. She said she’ll continue to play indoor tournaments, as well as to practice on indoor carpets in her basement. Also she’ll watch plenty of live streamed bowls events to keep her mentally sharp.
“I’ll be like calling the shots and like imagining what I would do in the situations and stuff like that to help you stay mentally in the game because bowls is a big mental game. You don’t realize how much because you can throw an amazing bowl as much as you want, but then you struggle with the greens because greens aren’t always perfect.”
A lawn bowler and a member of the Cobourg Lawn Bowling Club since age eight, van Steijn said she’s counting on the continued support from members of the club who’ve supported her international journey over the past 17 years.
“They’ve been nothing but supportive,” said van Steijn, of the club that nurtured her talent in the sport from the very start.
She noted she tried almost every sport in her youth, but once she stepped on a bowling green at the Cobourg club, she knew she was in the right place, although her initial thoughts were it was a sport only older adults played.
“They had snacks, so I was hooked,” she said with a laugh.
She said she plans to arrive in Hong Kong several days before the competition starts and do some sightseeing with her mom Sarah van Steijn who’s accompanying her on the trip.
“’I’ve been to Scotland, Ireland, Wales, California, Australia and all across Canada, but whenever I go on lawn bowling trips like this, I never have time to actually go out and see much,” she said.
“… We’re hoping to have a couple days to go out and look at things and walk around so that I can actually visit the places that I’m going to compete in and not just go compete and come home.”
Comments