1200 paddlers from over 40 clubs across Canada are expected to attend
OTTAWA – Today at the Annual General Meeting of the Sprint Racing Discipline of CanoeKayak Canada, member clubs unanimously voted to hold the 2017 Canadian Sprint CanoeKayak Championships in Welland, ON from August 22 to August 26. The Canadian Masters Championships – CanMas – will also take place in Welland on August 27.
“This is our biggest event and it’s an event unlike any other,” said CanoeKayak Canada’s CEO, Casey Wade. “Welland has proven itself to be a world-class event host time and time again, and with these Championships being one of the best events in the world we know Welland has what it takes to uphold that standard.”
The Championships – most recently hosted in Ottawa, ON and destined for Dartmouth, NS in 0216 – regularly draw 1200 participants from over forty clubs across Canada. Participants will include National Team athletes and upcoming paddlers in their early teens. Athletes will compete for club pride in canoe and kayak events across several distances over the five days. War canoe races are an astonishing demonstration of fitness and teamwork as nine boats of fifteen paddlers go all out in a head-to-head race that usually comes right down to the finish line. Burgees are presented to the overall top ranking clubs in a tradition that has gone on for over a hundred years.
The Championships were last hosted in Welland in 2011 and before that in 2003. An economic impact study was done by the Niagara Sport Commission in 2011 and assessed the total economic impact of hosting the Championships at over $5 million with $3.4 million being spent in Welland.
“We’re really excited to have the Championships back in Welland,” said Ted Roworth, Flag Officer for the Western Ontario Division. “In addition to the economic impact these Championships bring to the region, it will also spur a lot of energy and excitement among the many clubs, athletes, coaches and volunteers who will be a part of this incredible event.”
The Welland Recreational Flatwater Centre underwent a major $1 million renovation in 2013. Welland most recently hosted the canoe sprint events for the Toronto 2015 Pan American Games and the 2013 ICF Canoe Sprint Junior and U23 World Championships. A host organizing committee comprised of representatives from the Western Ontario Division will head the planning of the Championships in partnership with CanoeKayak Canada.
The 2017 Championships will be particularly special as they fall in the summer of Canada’s 150th birthday. With paddling being a significant part of Canada’s history, these Championships will surely be an opportunity to celebrate. There are already plans to have the Canadian Canoe Museum’s exhibit “Skimming the Surface” displayed on-site during the Championships as a special way to mark Canada’s 150th.
CanoeKayak Canada is the national governing body for competitive paddling in Canada. The organization’s vision is to be a Canadian sport for families, communities and champions. From supporting clubs to developing a competitive National Team, CanoeKayak Canada works to grow a sport which is a rich part of Canada’s heritage.
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For more information:
Ian Miller
Communications and Marketing Officer, CanoeKayak Canada
613.314.1352
imiller@canoekayak.ca