The Games, due to be held from August 7 to 15, have already enjoyed "pretty robust" ticket sales two weeks ahead of the Opening Ceremony, with the final of at least one event - men's wheelchair rugby - reportedly sold out. 

A "multi-platform" marketing campaign has been launched in the Canadian Paralympic Committee to raise the profile within the host city, while television coverage on host broadcaster CBC should also generate unprecedented attention.

This was described as a game changer by former sprinter Rob Snoek, who represented Canada at three Paralympic Games.

“It does change the game because I think Paralympic sports in Canada need more exposure - probably it does in a lot of places in the world - but I think it really does in Canada," he said here at this morning's Toronto 2015 press briefing.

“When you watch as a spectator to see the first wheelchair basketball game and see somebody falls off their chair and get right back in two seconds, it’s almost like this sense of respect that goes through them.

"And when they go to the track and see a person who in everyday life would be considered disabled or you might be sorry for them, all of the sudden they see someone doing something incredible.”

Canada is historically a strong Paralympic nation, having finished third on the medals table at both the Sydney 2000 and Athens 2004 Games, where 14-time wheelchair racing gold medal winner and Chantal Petitclerc - now the team's Chef de Mission for Rio 2016 - was among the biggest stars of the event. 

In recent years, though, they have enjoyed lesser success, finishing only 20th at London 2012 with 20 medals, including seven gold. 

Next month's Games is therefore a big test, particular as all sports are also qualifying events for Rio 2016.

“That’s our biggest Parapan team ever and we are hoping to be in the top three, which would be great for us setting us up for Rio next year, said former Paralympic gold medal winning swimmer Chelsey Gotell, now a volunteer with the team who spoke alongside Snoek this morning.

"And our athletes, just like the Pan Am athletes, have been training just as hard as them and they are really excited to compete on home soil.”

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