MAY 25, 2020 – OTTAWA, ON – Due to the ongoing coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic, Canoe Kayak Canada (CKC), Canoe Kayak British Columbia, and the Chilliwack Centre of Excellence jointly announce the cancellation of the 2020 CKC Whitewater National Championships, which was scheduled to take place from August 3 to 9, 2020 in Chilliwack, British Columbia.
Ultimately, the prioritizing of the health and well-being of our paddling community, and the necessary restrictions in place to address this global pandemic make it impractical and unsafe to stage this event in 2020.
“It is disappointing that we will be unable to welcome whitewater racers to the Chilliwack River this year,” said Jenny Wakeling, President of Chilliwack Centre of Excellence Paddling Club. “We would like to thank the slalom community and our local sponsors for their huge support in planning for this event. We look forward to meeting up with paddlers from across the country again once the pandemic has subsided.”
CKC recognizes the significant disruptions and disappointment related to the ongoing event cancellations and public restrictions yet continues to support these measures and is proud to see our paddling community do its part as leaders in following all directives to stop the spread of COVID-19.
“This was a difficult decision as I know how much work the organizers have put into preparing for this event,” added James Cartwright, CKC’s Senior High Performance Manager. “I would like to thank all the organizers and volunteers that committed to making this a successful event. I know our community will be disappointed but I am optimistic that we will be able to reunite and host an outstanding event when it is safe to do so.”
CKC continues to urge the paddling community to respect the Government of Canada’s direction and regulations of all public health authorities and governments at every level.
We continue to monitor the changing landscape related to COVID-19 and the impact on the well-being of our paddling community.
CKC is also actively planning and working through all of the contingencies for modified in-person or virtual events which may be possible later in 2020 as well as the impacts of COVID-19 related cancellations on our major events in the years ahead.
CKC will be providing further information related to events in the coming weeks, and encourages you to reference our COVID-19 resource page for updates.
CKC Mental Health resource document is available here.
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About Canoe Kayak Canada
Canoe Kayak Canada (CKC) is the national governing body for competitive paddling in Canada, one of Canada’s top performing summer sports with a total of 24 Olympic medals, and a leader in the Paralympic movement. Canoe Kayak Canada is a member-based organization that includes an intricate network of clubs as well as provincial, territorial and divisional paddling associations. Elite National Team athletes proudly represent Canada at various competitions around the globe – most notably the Olympic Games, Paralympic Games, Pan American Games, ICF World Cups as well as Junior, Under 23 and Senior World Championships. Follow Canoe Kayak Canada on Twitter, Facebook, Instagram and YouTube.