Once again this year, over the course of 11 action-packed days, the Défi sportif AlterGo has welcomed more than 6,000 athletes, ranging in expertise and age from youth to elite levels.
From among these athletes, some 1,000 are competing in national and international events, and what’s more, is that there are 100 athletes from 21 countries participating in the Montréal portion of the 2026 World Boccia World Cup.
It’s also worth noting that 21 athletes were also part of an important historic moment: the very first Canadian Women’s Wheelchair Rugby Championship.
What do all these amazing athletes have in common? Transportation for all these elite athletes converging on Montréal is provided by the Défi’s partner and official transit provider: the Société de transport de Montréal (STM).
Over 30 years of working together
The 43rd edition of the Défi sportif AlterGo marks 33 years of collaboration between the STM and the event. This long-standing partnership makes it possible to provide an average of more than 3,200 trips each year for athletes and their supporters.
“Once again this year, the STM is pleased to be the official transportation provider for the Défi sportif AlterGo in Montréal. We are proud to provide paratransit services for international athletes, offering them the same high-quality service we provide every day to our customers in the metropolitan area,” noted Nathalie Clément, the STM’s Executive Director of Planning, Service Delivery, and Customer Experience.
Transportation services enable athletes and their support staff to travel easily between the airport, their hotels, and competition venues, all thanks to a shuttle service tailored to their specific needs.
A more accessible network
Above and beyond its support for the Défi sportif AlterGo, the STM is always striving to improve the accessibility of its network. It recently completed work to add two elevators to the Édouard-Montpetit station on the Blue Line, marking the 31st accessible metro station in its network.
Work is also underway to install an elevator to provide access to the Yellow Line platform at the Berri-UQAM station.
This year also heralds the start of construction on the Blue Line extension. Notably, the STM has already confirmed that all five new stations will be equipped with elevators.
In addition, a new NaviLens pilot project was launched in March 2026 at two stations: Bonaventure and Mont-Royal. This technology aims to help people with visual impairments navigate the stations via an app.
By scanning a reference code installed at various locations in the stations, users gain access to an app that—without the need for headphones or a smartphone—provides information about their location, distance left to travel, or their orientation via an interface specifically designed for those with visual impairments.
This unique pilot project will last six months.
Active transport for all!
The STM and the team at the Défi sportif AlterGo encourage everyone who can, to use public transport or another means of active transportation to attend the Montreal 2026 World Boccia Cup finals this weekend—free of charge.
Come discover the world of para-sports and meet elite athletes from here and around the world!
