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Team Canada’s Paris 2024 Canoe/Kayak Sprint and Paracanoe teams unveiled

Canoe Sprint, Olympics, Paracanoe, Paralympics

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MONTREAL, QC (June 24, 2024) – Canoe Kayak Canada, Canadian Olympic Committee, and the Canadian Paralympic Committee have announced the roster of Team Canada Canoe/Kayak athletes nominated to compete at the Paris 2024 Olympic and Paralympic Games. The athletes are:

Women’s Canoe

Sophia Jensen – Cascades
Sloan MacKenzie – Cheema Aquatic Club
Katie Vincent – Mississauga Canoe Club

Women’s Kayak

Toshka Besharah-Hrebacka – Rideau Canoe Club
Natalie Davison – Rideau Canoe Club
Riley Melanson – Senobe Aquatic Club
Michelle Russell – Abenaki Aquatic Club
Courtney Stott – Balmy Beach Canoe Club

Men’s Canoe

Connor Fitzpatrick – Senobe Aquatic Club

Men’s Kayak

Laurent Lavigne – Club de canoe-kayak de vitesse de Trois-Rivières
Nicholas Matveev – Balmy Beach Canoe Club
Simon McTavish – Mississauga Canoe Club
Pierre-Luc Poulin – Club de Canoe-Kayak Lac Beauport

Para Athletes

Brianna Hennessy – Ottawa River Canoe Club
Erica Scarff – Mississauga Canoe Club
Mathieu St-Pierre – Club de canotage du Shawinigan

The athletes were selected for Team Canada based on their performances at Canoe Kayak Canada’s Sprint National Team Trials that were held at the Montreal Olympic Basin over the weekend.

Katie Vincent, Tokyo 2020 bronze medallist in the women’s C-2 500m, will partner with Sloan MacKenzie, who is making her Olympic debut. Together they won bronze in the C-2 500m at the 2023 ICF Canoe Sprint World Championships, which qualified Canada in the event for Paris 2024. Soon after, they won gold at the Santiago 2023 Pan American Games. Vincent and MacKenzie took home silver in the women’s C-2 500m event at the ICF Canoe Sprint World Cup in Szeged, Hungary in May.

“It’s hard to find the words in this special moment,” said Vincent. “After the Tokyo Olympics, I had no idea what the road to Paris was going to look like, there were many unknowns. To be here today with new coaches and teammates going to my second Olympics gives me so much pride and joy. I can honestly say we have one of the best teams in the world both on and off the water and I can’t wait to enjoy the next six weeks with my teammates and coaches!”

Sophia Jensen a remporté la médaille d’argent du C-1 200 m à la Coupe du monde de Szeged, terminant juste derrière Vincent. À 22 ans, elle est une étoile montante qui a remporté des titres mondiaux juniors consécutifs au C-1 200 m en 2018 et 2019, puis l’or dans cette même épreuve aux Championnats du monde des moins de 23 ans en 2021. Après sa sixième place aux Championnats du monde 2023, elle a gagné le bronze au C-1 200 m féminin aux Jeux panaméricains de Santiago 2023.

In women’s kayak, Michelle Russell will make her second Olympic appearance. She competed in the women’s K-1 200m, K-1 500m and K-4 500m at Tokyo 2020. Russell, who won gold in K-1 500m at Santiago 2023, qualified Canada an Olympic spot in the K-1 500m by placing sixth at the 2023 ICF Canoe Sprint World Championships.

Courtney Stott, Natalie Davison, Riley Melanson and Toshka Besharah-Hrebacka will all be making their Olympic debuts in the women’s K-4 500m. The foursome competed together at the 2023 World Championships, where they qualified the boat for Paris, and at Santiago 2023, where they won silver.

Tokyo 2020 Olympian Connor Fitzpatrick will compete in the men’s C-1 1000m. He claimed that spot for Canada at the Pan American Qualifier in April, six months after winning bronze in the C-1 1000m at Santiago 2023. Fitzpatrick was an A finalist at the 2023 World Championships.

Simon McTavish, Nicholas Matveev and Pierre-Luc Poulin will make their second Olympic appearance. They will be joined in the men’s K-4 500m by Laurent Lavigne, who is headed to his first Olympic Games. This crew raced together at Santiago 2023, where they won silver, and at the 2023 World Championships, where they qualified the boat for Paris 2024.

“With Paris around the corner and securing a place on this incredible Team Canada,” said Pierre-Luc Poulin. There are a lot of emotions and pride being nominated to an Olympic team. The Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games made a mark for me in my paddling career and I’m looking forward to making the Paris Olympics one to remember.”

Paris will be the second Paralympic Games appearance for Hennessy, Scarff and St-Pierre. Hennessy and St-Pierre competed at Tokyo 2020 while Scarff, at the age of 20, was part of the first-ever Paracanoe roster to compete at the Games, as the sport made its Paralympic debut in 2016.

Both Hennessy and Scarff reached the podium at the 2023 Paracanoe World Championships, earning Paralympic quota spots for Canada. Hennessy took silver in the women’s VL2 200m and bronze in the KL1 200m, while Scarff finished second in the women’s VL3 200m.

“I am so excited for my second Paralympic Games. Our team has been working extremely hard to become a medal potential for these Games!,” said Hennessy. “ I hope that we can make our country proud and bring home some shiny hardware! I can’t wait to wear the Canadian flag with the utmost pride!”

At the 2024 worlds last month, Hennessy secured another silver medal in the VL2 event while Scarff was fourth in the VL3.

A final Paralympic quota spot for the nation was earned by St-Pierre at the 2024 worlds following a seventh-place finish in the men’s VL2 200m.

“We are so thrilled to welcome three outstanding athletes in Brianna, Erica, and Mathieu to the Canadian Paralympic Team,” said Karolina Wisniewska, co-chef de mission, Paris 2024 Canadian Paralympic Team. “Paracanoe is still a fairly new sport at the Paralympic Games, and I cannot wait to witness it in person. I’ll be there to cheer them on!”

“The performances of the paddlers at the National Trials, held this weekend at the Olympic Basin in Montreal, highlight the strength and depth of Team Canada. The recent successes of the Canadian canoe/kayak sprint team, combined with a well-established tradition of competitiveness, have us excited for Paris 2024,” said Bruny Surin, Team Canada’s Paris 2024 Chef de Mission. “These athletes confirm their status among the world’s best, and they will undoubtedly shine on the Olympic stage this summer.”

Since the sport made its Olympic debut at Berlin 1936, 26 medals have been won by Canadians in canoe/kayak sprint, with the biggest medal haul coming from Los Angeles 1984 where six medals were won. Women’s canoe events were included on the Olympic program for the first time at Tokyo 2020. There, Canada claimed two medals, including the bronze won by Katie Vincent and former partner Laurence Vincent Lapointe in the C-2 500m. This will be the third Games Paracanoe will be on the Paralympic program, first debuting in 2016. Canada is still looking for its first medal in the sport.

Canoe/Kayak Sprint and Paracanoe will take place at the Vaires-sur-Marne Nautical Stadium.

Team Canada’s canoe/kayak team for the Paris 2024 Olympic and Paralympic Games also includes the following coaches, and support staff.

Coaches
Chad Brooks – Coach
Andreas Dittmer – Coach
Mark Granger – Para Coach
Anders Gustafsson – Head Coach
Joel Hazzan – Para Coach
Anna Hetzler – Assistant Coach

Support Staff
Dr. Tina Atkinson – Physician
Nancy Botting – Para Physiotherapist
Colleen Coderre – Olympic Media Attaché
Dave Green – Massage Therapist
Emily MacKeigan – Team Manager
Shelly Malcolm Beazley – Physiotherapist
Ian Mortimer – Team Leader
Emmalee Nother – Paralympic Media Attaché
Frank Raymond – Strength and Conditioning Coach
LA Schmidt – Family & Friends Lead
Penny Werthner – Mental Performance Consultant

Prior to being named to Team Canada, all nominations are subject to approval by the Canadian Olympic Committee and the Canadian Paralympic Committee following its receipt of nominations by all National Sport Organizations.

The latest Team Canada Paris 2024 roster can be found here.

The latest Team Canada Paralympic Paris 2024 roster can be found here.

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MEDIA CONTACTS

Colleen Coderre
Communications Lead – Paris 2024 Olympic Media Attaché
C: 613-530-6217
E: ccoderre@canoekayak.ca

Emmalee Nother
Communications Coordinator – Paris 2024 Paralympic Media Attaché
C: 905-912-1322
E: enother@canoekayak.ca

Tara MacBournie
Program Manager, Sport Communications -Canadian Olympic Committee
C: 647-522-8328
E: tmacbournie@olympic.ca

Nicole Watts
Senior Manager, Communications & PR – Canadian Paralympic Committee
C: 613-462-2700
E: nwatts@paralympic.ca

Jun

5

Canoe Slalom Coaching Symposium

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CKC is thrilled to share that we are running both an Eastern and Western Canoe Slalom Coaching Symposium this Fall. Both Symposiums will be facilitated by Mike Druce. Mike Druce is an Olympic Canoe Slalom coach and led the Canadian Olympic teams to the 1992 and 1996 Olympic Games and was also part of the Australian coaching team in 2000, 2004, 2008, 2012, and 2016. In 2018, Mike Druce shifted towards coach education and led the revision of Paddle Australia’s Canoe Slalom coach development program. James Cartwright will support Mike at the Eastern Symposium and Micheal Holroyd will support Mike at the Western Symposium. Michael Holroyd is a retired National Team athlete, former head coach of the Alberta Slalom program and now leads the Alberta Whitewater Association. James Cartwright is a 3-time Olympian in men’s canoeing and former head coach of Ottawa River Runners and now leads the Canadian Canoe Slalom high performance program.

All coaches, instructors, alumni, athletes and parents that are interested in advancing their technical knowledge and participating in one of the two symposiums are invited to submit expressions of interest by completing the application form below. Coaches that have previously completed Introduction to Competition or Competition Development may be invited to complete “Athletes in Training” and “Athletes in Competition” evaluations to receive NCCP certification credits.

A maximum of sixteen candidates will be selected for each symposium, and priority will be given to participants that satisfy the prerequisites and/or have been identified by their Provincial/Territorial Organization.

In-person workshop:	The clinic will be facilitated in English and participants may ask questions and complete assignments in either French or English. Participants should dress appropriately for working outdoors and according to weather conditions Coaching equipment needed: stopwatch, clip board, video recording device (iPad or cell phone camera)
Eastern Canada Clinic (Pumphouse, Ottawa – if the Pumphouse course is closed for annual maintenance another location may be chosen):	October 4 9:00 – 12:00 pm (Classroom: Understanding the Athlete Development Pathway) 2:00 – 5:00 pm (Practical coaching: Teaching foundational skills on flatwater) October 5 9:00 – 12:00 pm (Classroom: Developing slalom gate skills and moving the boat efficiently) 2:00 – 5:00 pm (Practical coaching: Analyzing Performance and teaching foundational skills in whitewater) October 6 9:00 – 12:00 pm (Classroom: Coaching the competitive experience, course walks, race analysis and debriefing) 2:00 – 5:00 pm (Practical coaching: race simulation)
Western Canada Clinic (Chilliwack, BC):	October 11 9:00 – 12:00 pm (Classroom: Understanding the Athlete Development Pathway) 2:00 – 5:00 pm (Practical coaching: Teaching foundational skills on flatwater) October 12 9:00 – 12:00 pm (Classroom: Developing slalom gate skills and moving the boat efficiently) 2:00 – 5:00 pm (Practical coaching: Analyzing Performance and teaching foundational skills in whitewater) October 13 9:00 – 12:00 pm (Classroom: Coaching the competitive experience, course walks, race analysis and debriefing) 2:00 – 5:00 pm (Practical coaching: race simulation)
Workshop fee:	$200 before August 30th and $300 after September 1st
Applications:	Early registration deadline is end of day August 30, 2024 APPLICATION FORM
Prerequisites:	NCCP Canoe Slalom Introduction to Competition Trained or NCCP Lake Instructor Trained or NCCP CKC I2L2 Instructor Trained or past/current National Team Athlete or completion of CKC Leader Foundations 1 & 2 eLearning Modules or recommendation from PTSO coach development lead

May

24

CANOE KAYAK CANADA ANNOUNCES 2024 WORLD CUP, U23 AND JUNIOR SLALOM TEAMS

Canoe Slalom, World Championships, World Cups

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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

OTTAWA, ON (May 24, 2024) – Canada’s top slalom paddlers, have been named to the Canoe Kayak Canada (CKC) World Cup, U23 and Junior World Championship teams this season. Fourteen athletes secured their spot throughout the selection process finalized during the National Team Selection Trials in Salaberry-de-Valleyfield, Quebec held from May 10 to 12, 2024.

“I’m excited to welcome our paddlers back to our program this summer to race internationally as we work towards Paris 2024 and the Junior and U23 World Championships,” said James Cartwright, Senior High-Performance Manager. “It’s inspiring to see the level of racing these athletes continue to demonstrate and we are all looking forward to seeing what we can accomplish together this summer.”

Daniel Parry is a familiar face on the ICF Slalom World Cup and Junior World Championship scene placing 15th in men’s canoe in 2023 and 21st in 2022.

“I’m very happy to be selected into this year’s junior national team and I am looking forward to representing Canada this summer during the Junior World Championships in Liptovsky Mikuláš. I have done a lot of training in preparation for Worlds this year, and I am excited to see what results I can achieve in both K1 and C1.”

Olympic paddler Florence Maheu will represent Canada proudly once again, looking forward to competing in the Prague Kayak Cross qualifier.

“I am quite excited to compete in kayak cross in Prague. Kayak Cross has progressed a lot in the past couple years, and it has brought a new kind of energy to the sport. I am thrilled to have this chance and I will do my best to try to earn a spot on the podium.”

The Slalom World Cup season starts off next weekend in Augsburg, Germany and continues through June with competition in Prague, Czechia and Krakow, Poland. July will be an exciting time for slalom paddlers as the beginning of the month starts off with the U23 and Junior World Championships from July 1-7 in Liptovsky Mikulas, Slovakia.

Slalom athletes, Lois Betteridge and Alex Baldoni, were recently nominated to the Paris 2024 Canadian Olympic Team, and will be competing at the Paris Summer Olympic Games from July 27 – August 5 at the Vaires-sur-Marne Nautical Stadium.

World Cup Team

Women’s K1
Lois Betteridge – ON
Florence Maheu – QC
Léa Baldoni – ON
Alternate for World Cup 3: Béatrice Olson – ON

Women’s C1
Lois Betteridge, – ON
Léa Baldoni – ON

Women’s Extreme

Lois Betteridge – ON
Florence Maheu – QC
Léa Baldoni – ON
Béatrice Olson – ON (Replacement for Lois Betteridge in World Cup 2)

Men’s K1

Alex Baldoni – ON
Maël Rivard – ON
Trevor Boyd – AB

Men’s C1

Alex Baldoni – ON
Daniel Parry – ON
Isaac Zimmerman – ON

Men’s Extreme

Alex Baldoni – ON
Trevor Boyd – AB
Isaac Zimmerman – ON
Michal Smiesko – BC (Replacement for Alex Baldoni in World Cup 2)
Alternate: Maël Rivard – ON

U23 World Championship Team

Women’s K1

Léa Baldoni – ON
Béatrice Olson – ON

Women’s C1

Léa Baldoni – ON

Women’s Extreme

Léa Baldoni – ON
Béatrice Olson – ON

Men’s K1

Alex Baldoni – ON
Maël Rivard – ON
Mark Zielonka – ON

Men’s C1

Alex Baldoni – ON

Men’s Extreme

Alex Baldoni – ON
Maël Rivard – ON
Mark Zielonka – ON

Junior World Championship Team

Men’s K1

Isaac Zimmerman – ON
Daniel Parry – ON Lachlan Faraday – ON

Men’s C1

Isaac Zimmerman – ON
Daniel Parry – ON
Owen McKay – ON

Men’s Extreme

Isaac Zimmerman – ON
Lachlan Faraday – ON
Michal Smiesko – BC
Callum Bender – QC

You can find the list of events at Canoe Kayak Canada.

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 26 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.

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MEDIA CONTACTS:

Colleen Coderre
Communications Lead
C: 613-530-6217
E: ccoderre@canoekayak.ca

Emmalee Nother
Communications Coordinator
C: 905-912-1322
E: enother@canoekayak.ca

May

13

Canada tops the podium at the ICF Canoe Sprint World Cup in Hungary Final Paralympic quota secured

Canoe Sprint, International, World Championships, World Cups

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Team Canada collected four medals and a Paralympic quota at the ICF Canoe Sprint World Cup and Para World Championships, as we paddle closer to Paris 2024.

The Para World Championships kicked off the four-day event with Team Canada demonstrating their podium power in the lead-up to Paris. Brianna Hennessy secured Canada’s first medal, capturing the silver medal in the VL2 200m event, less than two seconds behind Great Britain. Brianna also finished 5^th place in the KL1 200m.

Para training partner, Erica Scarff, just missed the podium, finishing 4^th in the VL3 200m final with a time of 1:00.19.

Mathieu St. Pierre managed to secure the final Paralympic quota for Canada in the VL2 200m event, finishing 7^th overall and locking up a spot for Canada on the start line in Paris.

On the first day of Sprint World Cup finals, Katie Vincent and Sloan Mackenzie flexed their C2 muscle, powering down the course in silver medal position behind the gold medalists from China. Canadian training partners Sophia Jensen and Julia Lilley Osende also lined up in the A Final, narrowly missing the podium, finishing .23 hundredths of a second behind the Spanish boat to settle for fourth place.

Carrying over some momentum from the first day of finals, Katie and Sophia lined up again in separate boats, in a highly competitive C1 200m final. The racing was so tight that it did not become clear until the last 10 meters that Katie Vincent would secure the gold medal. Canadian teammate, Sophia Jensen crossing the line in a photo finish, in second place. Canada would stand 1,2 on the podium in Szeged, Hungary.

Other notable results include a 4^th place finish in the K1 500m event by kayaker Michelle Russell. The veteran paddler is certainly making her mark as one to watch for Paris 2024 with a consistent push for the podium, winning gold at the 2023 Santiago Pan American Games. Simon McTavish finished 6^th overall in the men’s K1 500m event.

Both men’s and women’s K4 teams benefitted from the international experience as they gear up for the start line in Paris. The men’s K4 finished 9^th in the A final with less than 2 seconds separating them from the podium.

“World Cup Szeged was a highly competitive event and the last and best chance to test ourselves against the best in the world ahead of Paris,” said CKC’s Chief Technical Office, Ian Mortimer. “We are headed home with a final Paralympic quota, four medals and strong performances across all of our disciplines, building us up towards Paris.”

The final Canoe Sprint qualification event for Paris will be held in Montreal, Quebec at the National Team Trials from June 21-23.

RESULTS
ROSTER

May

8

Two Canadian canoe/kayak slalom athletes set to make Olympic debut at Paris 2024

Canoe Slalom, International, Teams

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VALLEYFIELD, QUEBEC (May 8, 2024) – Canoe Kayak Canada and the Canadian Olympic Committee have announced the roster of Team Canada canoe/kayak slalom athletes selected to compete at the Paris 2024 Olympic Games. The athletes are:

Alex Baldoni (Pau, France)
Lois Betteridge (Ottawa, Ont.)

Baldoni and Betteridge both qualified for Paris 2024 by winning their respective C-1 events at the 2024 COPAC Canoe Slalom Americas Olympic Qualifier in mid-March. Paris 2024 will mark the Olympic debut of both athletes.

Baldoni was a finalist in men’s C-1 at the 2023 International Canoe Federation (ICF) U23 World Championships, where he placed 10th. He was a semifinalist there in men’s kayak cross, placing fifth overall. He went on to win the silver medal in men’s kayak cross and place fifth in the men’s C-1 event at the Santiago 2023 Pan American Games. In 2021, he achieved Canada’s best-ever performance in men’s canoe slalom when he placed sixth at the ICF Junior World Championships.

“The last four years have been incredible, but also very hard while training. I have worked really hard and spent countless hours on the water trying to improve on every possible aspect, whether technical, psychological, physical preparation, relaxation and recovery. Now I have finally qualified for my first Olympic Games! I am very much looking forward to experiencing such a great event and to becoming an Olympian!”

After gaining a great appreciation for Canadian values and culture while spending a month each year in Canada throughout his childhood, Baldoni, who was born and raised in France but holds dual citizenship, chose to represent his mother’s home country as part of Team Canada on the international stage.

Betteridge, who has been representing Canada at the senior ICF Canoe Slalom World Championships since 2017, continues to build on her road to Paris after winning two silver medals at Santiago 2023 in women’s C-1 and women’s kayak cross. The day after she earned her Olympic qualification, she won gold in the women’s K-1 and silver in the women’s C-1 at the 2024 Pan American Championships.

“I just returned from a training camp at the Olympic course in Paris and the venue is very impressive!” said Betteridge. “I’m really excited to see some of my friends and family sitting in the stands, cheering for Team Canada, in a country that is very passionate about canoeing. The energy at this event is going to be wild!”

In addition to competing in the women’s C-1 event in which Betteridge earned her Olympic quota spot, the 26-year-old will also compete in the inaugural Olympic women’s kayak cross competition, as well as the women’s K-1 event. Baldoni will compete in both the men’s C-1 and kayak cross events.

“We are thrilled to be racing at the Paris 2024 Olympic Games, where canoe slalom has a huge fan base!” said Team Leader and three-time Olympian, James Cartwright. “The atmosphere at the slalom venue is going to be enormous and our team has become very comfortable training and racing in France. We have been preparing in France since 2021 and it has become our second home and we are looking forward to the big show!”

Paris 2024 will mark the Olympic debut of kayak cross – an exciting new competition format in which four athletes race head-to-head through a whitewater course. Kayak cross was on the competition program for both the Lima 2019 and Santiago 2023 Pan American Games.

Canada has been competing in canoe/kayak slalom at the Olympic Games since the sport’s debut at Munich 1972. While a Canadian has yet to win an Olympic medal in canoe/kayak slalom, David Ford came closest with his fourth-place finish in the men’s K-1 event at Athens 2004. Women’s canoe was included on the Olympic programme for the first time at Tokyo 2020, making the sport gender balanced.

Canoe/kayak slalom will take place July 27 to August 5 (Day 1 to 10) at the Vaires-sur-Marne Nautical Stadium.

“A huge congratulations to Alex and Lois for their first Olympic selection on the canoe/kayak slalom team. Their speed, ability and precise boat control allowed them to overcome challenges and push their limits rapid after rapid. I am very proud of them,’’ said Bruny Surin, Team Canada’s Paris 2024 Chef de Mission. ’’Experiencing the atmosphere of the Games is unique and I wish them a rich and successful journey.“

Team Canada’s canoe/kayak slalom team for the Paris 2024 Olympic Games also includes the following coaches and support staff:

James Cartwright (Ottawa, Ont.) – Team Leader
Anthony Colin (Pau, France) – Coach
Ian Mortimer (Ottawa, Ont.) – Chief Technical Officer
Michal Staniszewski (Gatineau, Que) – Coach

Prior to being named to Team Canada, all nominations are subject to approval by the Canadian Olympic Committee’s Team Selection Committee following its receipt of nominations by all National Sport Organisations.

The latest Team Canada Paris 2024 roster can be found here.

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MEDIA CONTACTS:

Colleen Coderre, Communications Lead
Canoe Kayak Canada
C: 613-530-6217
E: ccoderre@canoekayak.ca

Tara MacBournie, Program Manager, Sport Communications
Canadian Olympic Committee
C: 647-522-8328
E: tmacbournie@olympic.ca

Apr

26

2024 Canada Cup Update

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Canoe Kayak Canada has made the difficult decision to move the 2024 Canada Cup scheduled to take place in Shawinigan, QC from June 30 to July 1, to a combined event with the planned National Team Trials #2 in Montreal.

This combined Canada Cup and National Team Trials competition will run from Friday, June 21 to Monday, June 24.

One of CKC’s objectives around holding a Canada Cup includes the participation of our Provincial and Territorial partners in a high-caliber event serving as preparation of the 2025 Canada Games. Due to low participation, CKC has chosen to move the event from Shawinigan to align with National Team Trials to better meet the objectives for this event.

CKC wishes to thank the Club de Canotage de Shawinigan for their efforts in their bid and preparations for the event. CKC knows that Shawinigan, its volunteers, and the commitment from the city is second to none and looks forward to events happening there in the future.

Further details, including the preliminary race card will be shared soon.

For any questions, please reach out to Kenna Robins, Director National Program Development at development@canoekayak.ca.

Apr

11

PADDLE TO PARIS- Canoe Kayak Canada Announces 2024 World Cup Sprint Teams, Para World Championship Team and Pan Am Qualifier Team

Canoe Sprint, Paracanoe, Teams, World Championships, World Cups

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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

OTTAWA, ONTARIO (April 11, 2024) – Over 20 Sprint and Paracanoe paddlers from across Canada have booked their tickets to the next stage of 2024 Paris Olympic and Paralympic qualification.

The National Team Trials, held at the Chula Vista Elite Training Centre, served as a selection regatta for the ICF Canoe Sprint and Para World Cup, the ICF Para World Championships and the Americas Continental Olympic Qualifier where Canada aims to secure additional quota spots for Paris 2024.

Eight Olympic and Paralympic paddlers from Tokyo were selected for the team, including Tokyo Olympian and 2022 World Champion, Connor Fitzpatrick, heading to both the Olympic quota qualifier and ICF World Cup Szeged.

“Heading into the upcoming critical events we strongly believe in the program that our coach, Andreas has built for us,” said Fitzpatrick. “We are excited for what’s ahead this year and we are all pushing as hard as we can to hopefully bring some really good results for the team this summer!”

Para paddler Erica Scarff is looking forward to more racing opportunities at the ICF Para Sprint World Championships in May, building towards Paris 2024.

“I am happy to be selected to the Para World Championship team and compete at my 9^th World Championships,” said Scarff. “I am grateful for the leadership of our coach Mark Granger and trust that the preparations will lead to exciting performances for the entire team!”

“The strength of our paddlers was very evident on the racecourse over the last three days of competition,” said Ian Mortimer, Chief Technical Officer for Canoe Kayak Canada. “We are building towards a big summer and this was an important step for the team as we push towards our top performances in Paris.”

You can tune into live World Cup coverage on the ICF website. Stay tuned for Olympic and Paralympic team selections culminating at the second set of National Team Trials in June at the Olympic Basin from June 21-23.

KEY DATES:

AMERICA’S CONTINENTAL OLYMPIC QUALIFIER & PAN AM CHAMPIONSHIPS – APRIL 23-25

ICF PARACANOE WORLD CHAMPIONSHIPS – MAY 9-11

ICF CANOE SPRINT WORLD CUP SZEGED – MAY 10-12

NATIONAL TEAM TRIALS #2 MONTREAL – JUNE 21-23

Paracanoe World Championships Club

Gabe Ferron-Bouius	Rideau Canoe Club
Brianna Hennessy	Ottawa River Canoe Club
Erica Scarff	Mississauga Canoe Club
Mathieu St-Pierre	Club de canotage du Shawinigan

Americas Continental Olympic Qualifier and Pan American Championships

Women’s Kayak Club

Maren Bradley	Rideau Canoe Club
Madeline Schmidt	Rideau Canoe Club

Men’s Kayak Club

Ian Gaudet	Banook Canoe Club
Vincent Jourdenais	Club de canoe-kayak de vitesse de Trois-Rivières

Men’s Canoe Club

Connor Fitzpatrick	Senobe Aquatic Club
Alix Plomteux	Club de Canoe-Kayak Lac-Beauport
Craig Spence	Cheema Aquatic Club

2024 Sprint World Cup Team

Women’s Canoe Club

Sophia Jensen	Cascades
Julia Lilley Osende	Mic Mac Aquatic Canoe Club
Sloan MacKenzie	Cheema Aquatic Club
Katie Vincent	Mississauga Canoe Club

Men’s Canoe Club

Connor Fitzpatrick	Senobe Aquatic Club
Tyler Laidlaw	Sack-a-Wa Canoe Club
Alix Plomteux	Club de Canoe-Kayak Lac-Beauport
Craig Spence	Cheema Aquatic Club

Women’s Kayak Club

Toshka Besharah-Hrebacka	Rideau Canoe Club
Natalie Davison	Rideau Canoe Club
Riley Melanson	Cheema Aquatic Club
Michelle Russell	Abenaki Aquatic Club
Courtney Stott	Balmy Beach Canoe Club

Men’s Kayak Club

Ian Gaudet	Banook Canoe Club
Laurent Lavigne	Club de canoe-kayak de vitesse de Trois-Rivières
Vincent Jourdenais	Club de canoe-kayak de vitesse de Trois-Rivières
Simon McTavish	Mississauga Canoe Club
Nicholas Matveev	Balmy Beach Canoe Club
Pierre-Luc Poulin	Club de Canoe-Kayak Lac-Beauport

Visit Canoe Kayak Canada’s website to get more information and make sure to follow @CanoeKayakCAN for social updates.

Subscribe to Canoe Kayak Canada’s mailing list to get all news and results directly to your email.

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 26 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.

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For more information:

Colleen Coderre
Communications Lead
ccoderre@canoekayak.ca

Emmalee Nother
Communications Coordinator
enother@canoekayak.ca

Apr

4

Canoe Kayak Canada – Recipient of Community Sport for All Funding – We Paddle program officially launched

Canoe Slalom, Canoe Sprint, CKC

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Canoe Kayak Canada (CKC) is thrilled to be a recipient of Community Sport For All grant from the Government of Canada (Sport Canada).

The Community Sport for All Initiative (CSAI) supports NSOs in establishing more accessible and locally organized sport programs aimed at reducing barriers to participation, particularly among Black, Indigenous and racialized communities as well as 2SLGBTQI+ individuals, persons with disabilities, people with low incomes and newcomers.

The funding has been allocated to 24 organizations, clubs and communities including:

Provincial Sport Organizations:

Alberta Whitewater Association (AWA)
Canoe Kayak BC (CKBC)
Canoe Kayak Saskatchewan (CKS)
Manitoba Paddling Association (MPA)

Clubs:

Banook Canoe Club
Club de Canotage de Shawinigan
False Creek Racing Canoe and Kayak Club
Gananoque Canoe Club
Greater Edmonton Racing Canoe and Kayak Club
Mississauga Canoe Club
North Bay Canoe Club
Orenda Canoe Club
Ottawa River Canoe Club
Ottawa River Runners
Otterburn Boating Club
Petrie Island Canoe Club
Pisiquid Canoe Club
Rideau Canoe Club
South Niagara Canoe Club
Sudbury Canoe Club
Sydenham Canoe Club
Wai Nui Canoe Club
Wascana Racing Canoe Club
Yorkton Canoe and Kayak Club

These clubs and communities successfully applied for the CKC CSAI program, called ‘We Paddle’. With this funding, several communities across the country will be better equipped to increase participation in their sport at the community level while removing barriers for equity-deserving groups.

“Canoe Kayak Canada is thrilled to be working with so many partners on our piloting of the We Paddle program and coach training,” says Kenna Robins, Director of National Program Development at CKC. “We have great provincial and club projects underway, including Alberta Whitewater’s project, Adaptive Paddling programming for individuals with different needs and abilities, Wai Nui Canoe Club’s introduction to paddling program for new Canadians, and many more. We are excited to be able to share all the activity going on across the country in the coming months.”

The Government’s Community Sport for All Initiative supports National Sport Organizations (NSOs) in establishing more accessible and locally organized sport programs aimed at reducing barriers to participation. Through an investment of $16.7 million, 39 NSOs can give Canadians access to and stay involved in sport.

CKC will be featuring the benefits of the CSAI program at our clubs in the coming months. For more information on the Sport Canada program, click here.

Mar

14

Canada earns two slalom quota spots for Paris 2024

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RIO DE JANEIRO, BRAZIL (March 14, 2024) – Canadian slalom paddlers win the 2024 Olympic qualifier at COPAC Canoe Slalom Pan American Championships, securing an Olympic quota spot for Canada in both women’s and men’s canoe (C1 events).

Lois Betteridge (Ottawa, ON) was the first Canadian down the course, dominating her races in both semifinals and finals, winning the event to cement a women’s C1 quota spot for Canada in Paris.

“I am over the moon excited,” said Betteridge. “I was aiming for Tokyo 2020 and didn’t make it there so being the one to secure this spot for Canada means everything.”

Alex Baldoni (Pau, France) also topped the leaderboard in the C1 event finals, locking up another quota for Canada on the men’s side.

“I’m very relieved and now the pressure is off for the rest of this event,” said Baldoni. “There were good options on the course and it worked out well for me today. Now I can focus on the work I need to do over the next couple of months.”

CKC’s High Performance Senior Manager, James Cartwright is looking forward to building upon the success in Brazil. “It was a great day for Team Canada! We have now secured both men’s and women’s canoe quotas here in Rio and we can celebrate this achievement with appreciation for all the hard work the athletes and coaching team have put forth over the last year.”

Athlete selections and nominations to Team Canada are still forthcoming for the Paris 2024 Olympic Games.

Team Canada will compete in canoe-kayak slalom competition in Paris from July 27-August 5 at the new whitewater stadium in Vaires-sur-Marne Nautical Stadium.

For full results click here.

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 26 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.

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For more information:

Colleen Coderre
Communications Lead
ccoderre@canoekayak.ca

Emmalee Nother
Communications Coordinator
enother@canoekayak.ca

Mar

7

CKC Mourns the loss of Fred Heese

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It is with great sadness that Canoe Kayak Canada recognizes the passing of Fred Heese, a Tokyo 1964 Olympian and passionate paddler.

Fred passed away on February 28 in his 81^st year after a brave battle with colon cancer.

A dedicated paddler, Fred spent his career at many clubs including Cartierville, West Rouge and Mississauga.

In 1964, he was a part of the Olympic team in Tokyo where he came back with 7^th place in C2. After his incredible sprint career, he took on a love for marathon paddling and represented Canada at the Marathon Canoe World Championships in his mid 40s.

Leading his life with his love for being on the water, into his later years he turned to competing in dragon boat where he founded the Toronto Dragon Boat Festival. Fred was both an athlete and coach, and competed at many Dragon Boat World Championships, leading Team Canada to gold. He took great pride in the sport and throughout the years recruited many athletes into the paddling community. Fred’s dedication, passion and positivity will live on throughout the future of our sport.

One of Fred’s many quotes, which he said to his son, Mark, and to those around him was “somebody’s got to win, why not you?” – a wonderful mentality for both athlete and coach alike.

Canoe Kayak Canada staff and board wishes to express our deepest sympathies to Fred’s family and all those affected by this devastating loss.

Details on the service and donations on Fred’s behalf can be found here.

Feb

28

Wascana Racing Canoe Club Awarded the 2025 Canoe Kayak Canada Sprint National Championships

Canoe Sprint, Nationals

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OTTAWA, ON / REGINA, SK (February 28, 2024) – Canoe Kayak Canada (CKC) is pleased to announce Wascana Racing Canoe Club has been awarded the 2025 Canoe Kayak Canada Sprint National Championships and Canadian Masters Championships taking place on Wascana Lake, Regina, August 26 to August 31.

 
“This marquee event brings the community together each summer for all of our Canadian sprint athletes,” said, Kenna Robins, CKC’s Director of National Program Development. “It is a showcase of the best of our sport; the emotion, the club pride and the amazing performances on the water. We’re looking forward to bringing that excitement to Wascana Lake and Regina in 2025.”

 
Paddlers from over 40 canoe clubs across the country will be setting their sights on Wascana Lake in 2025. The Championships – most recently hosted in Dartmouth, NS and set to be hosted in Welland, ON at the end of the summer of 2024, draws over a thousand athletes of all ages. It is anticipated that participants will include National, Olympic, Paralympic team athletes and upcoming paddlers competing in age group categories. The Championships were last hosted in Regina in 2019 at the world class venue on Wascana Lake which also hosted the 2005 Canada Games Canoe Kayak Competition, Canada Cup West 2022 and 2023.

“We are delighted to host this pre-eminent event in Regina”, said Dave Robertson, co-chair of the 2025 CKC Sprint National Championships Host Organizing Committee. “It will showcase our sport and audiences will be treated to best in Canada performances by athletes from across the country. The event will bring immense excitement to Regina, and hosting the event will bring the community together and demonstrate, once again, Regina’s hospitality and community spirit.”

“The City of Regina is thrilled to have been selected to host the 2025 Canadian Sprint Canoe Kayak Championships and Canadian Masters Championships,” said Mayor Sandra Masters, City of Regina. “Our city, having successfully hosted the event in 2019, is excited to welcome over 1,000 athletes from across Canada to compete for the title of National Champions on our beautiful Wascana Lake. We celebrate the importance of sport in our community and will ensure that every athlete, coach, and fan visiting our city for these championships has an exceptional experience.”

Athletes will compete for club pride, national champion titles and historic trophies in sprint canoe and kayak events across several distances. Included in the program will be Paracanoe events with athletes with physical disabilities competing in kayak and outrigger canoe competition, as well as the Paddle All races between competitors with intellectual disabilities. Burgees are presented to the overall top-ranking clubs in a tradition that began at the first Championship in 1900.

About Canoe Kayak Canada

Canoe Kayak Canada is the national governing body for competitive paddling in Canada, one of Canada’s top performing summer sports with a total of 26 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.

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For more information :

Emmalee Nother
Communications Coordinator
enother@canoekayak.ca

Dave Robertson
Nationals Event Co-Chair, Wascana Racing Canoe Club
daverobertson80@hotmail.com

Feb

26

Shawinigan to Host 2024 CKC Canada Cup New Canada Cup Format announced

Canada Cup, Canoe Sprint

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OTTAWA, ONTARIO/SHAWINIGAN, QUEBEC (February 26, 2024)– Paddlers from across Canada will be welcomed by Le Club de canotage de Shawinigan (CCS) as Shawinigan, QC is announced as host of the 2024 CKC Canada Cup from June 30 to July 1, 2024.

The event is set to attract over 200 competitors, including provincial and national team members, creating a high-level competition showcasing some of Canada’s best paddlers. The 2024 edition of Canada Cup will once again shine on the course installed on an arm of the Saint-Maurice River, along Avenue du Capitaine Veilleux.

“We are excited to be going back to Shawinigan for the 2024 Canada Cup. The area has a strong passion for canoeing, which was evident most recently at the 2022 Nationals. The Canada Cup is targeted at provincial/territorial, international, and club teams to compete in a high-quality competition specifically targeting the Train to Compete stage of Long-Term Athlete Development. It’s a great opportunity for all our developing athletes in Canada to get a chance to compete at a high-level competition,” says Kenna Robins, Director of Development. “We hope to see strong participation from clubs and provincial and Territorial teams from across the country at this great event.”

Le Club de canotage de Shawinigan is no stranger to national paddling events, most hosting Canada Cup in 2016 and 2017, as well as the 2022 Canoe Kayak Canada Sprint National Championships.

“The CCS volunteers are excited to once again welcome the larger sprint canoe-kayak community,” says Hélène Gervais, Chair of the Host Organizing Committee. “The event will have a positive impact on the community of Shawinigan which has already been hard at work to ensure that the teams enjoy their time in Mauricie with a WOW!”

CKC will be going back to hosting one Canada Cup each year in the build up towards Canada Games to align with the Team Red program, athlete development, and club objectives. We are announcing that there will be an opportunity for any CKC member organization to bid for Team Red Cup events to enhance their competition and to benefit athletes inside and outside of their organization to participate when they may not have had previous access. Team Red Cups can be multi-disciplinary and creative with respect to the host region. CKC is committed to supporting high-quality and maximum participation opportunities for all athletes.

More information will be released in the upcoming months and will be showcased on the CKC events page on our website.

About Canoe Kayak Canada

Canoe Kayak Canada is the national governing body for competitive paddling in Canada, one of Canada’s top performing summer sports with a total of 26 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.

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For more information:

Colleen Coderre
Communcations Lead
ccoderre@canoekayak.ca

Emmalee Nother
Communications Coordinator
enother@canoekayak.ca

Hélène Gervais
Team Relations
clubdecanotagedeshawinigan@gmail.com

Feb

16

Maskwa Aquatic Club and Rideau Canoe Club announced as co-winners of 2023 Canoe Kayak Canada Sprint National Championships

Canoe Sprint, Nationals

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Following collaborative discussions with Maskwa Aquatic Club and Rideau Canoe Club, Canoe Kayak Canada has determined the Maskwa Aquatic Club and the Rideau Canoe Club are declared co-winners of the 2023 Canoe Kayak Canada Sprint National Championships held in Dartmouth, Nova Scotia between August 29, 2023 to September 2, 2023.

Each club will be awarded an overall Burgee for the 2023 Championships, as a result of an ambiguity in points allocation and tabulation the result of which could have resulted in either club being named the winner.

This announcement is made by Canoe Kayak Canada as part of its commitment to inclusiveness and broader participation in all National Championship events.

Canoe Kayak Canada affirms its commitment to review and strengthen the Sprint Racing Discipline Competition Rules to ensure the full participation of all athletes, and further commits to ensure competition rules are clear and reflective of these objectives.

Jan

29

CKC Launches the 2024 Boats for All Campaign

PaddleALL

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Canoe Kayak Canada is thrilled to launch the 2024 Boats for All – a campaign to ensure our races at National Championships are inclusive for all while growing the sport across the country!

With your help, we want to raise $15,000 to purchase a fleet of accessible boats that will be used at this year’s National Championships for our PaddleAll program. These boats will then stay with the Host Division as a legacy to promote programming in the area for those with intellectual disabilities.

WHAT IS PaddleAll?

CKC’s PaddleAll programming encourages athletes with intellectual disabilities to train and race to be their best in sport. This program provides high-quality training and competition opportunities to all athletes, regardless of ability, and is important for the growth of this sport and for the paddling community. Boats for All will leave a legacy for the future of PaddleAll Programming in Canada., it will also contribute to the global goal of inclusivity within the sport of paddling. It will promote canoeing as a fully inclusive sport as represented by the recent signing of an agreement with Special Olympics International to promote the development of canoeing in the Special Olympic World Games.

WHAT IS THE CAMPAIGN?

Our mission is that every region across the country will have the standardized equipment that meets Special Olympic rules and regulations to be inclusive for all. In achieving this, we are providing legacy resources so divisions can grow their Special Olympics/PaddleAll programming. Each year the region that will be targeted to receive this equipment will be the Host Division of the Sprint National Championships.

As a continuously progressive National Sport Organization (NSO), Canoe Kayak Canada (CKC) makes every effort for our sport to be accessible to all athletes, with a vision to increase our international opportunities for our PaddleAll and Special Olympics athletes. One of our main values is inclusion, and we pride ourselves in ensuring that our activities strive to be as inclusive as possible.

Currently, CKC provides opportunities for athletes with intellectual disabilities at our Sprint National Championships under our PaddleAll program. Many regions and clubs provide great programming for our athletes and have those athletes compete at our National Championships.

One of our biggest challenges in the continued success of this event is to ensure we have enough boats of the same type so that races are fair for all participants. Our Tourist class singles event is an event where athletes may not all use the same equipment at their clubs, but at Nationals Championships we need to guarantee they have the same access to equipment, so the race is as fair as possible across the field.

These boats are versatile and can be used for many uses at a club, not just for PaddleAll programming. They will open opportunities for everyone to try paddling and can be used in many introductory programs.

MAKE A DONATION HERE

THE GOAL

To ensure our races at National Championships are inclusive for all and to grow the sport across the country, we want to raise $15,000 to purchase a fleet of accessible boats that will be used at this year’s National Championships that will then stay with the Host Division as a legacy to promote programming in the area for PaddleAll competitors, our program for those with intellectual disabilities.

THE DETAILS

Funds raised as a result of this campaign will go directly towards the purchase of an additional 10 touring boats to be used at the 2024 Sprint National Championships in Welland, ON and left as a legacy for PaddleAll races in the Western Ontario Division (WOD)
WOD will manage the use of these boats in their region
Contributions to the campaign over $20 are eligible for a tax receipt (please note that receipts will be issued post campaign)

MAKE A DONATION HERE

ABOUT CKC’S PHILANTHROPIC INITIATIVES

Paddling is for all Canadians, whether they paddle for the leaf or for the sport.

We must continue our legacy – to ensure that paddling is available to everyone across our land so that they can experience our country in a way like no other. Paddling connects us to our history. But we’re at risk of not being able to pass down its rich tradition.

There is a crisis in sport funding in Canada. One of the major barriers in access to, promotion of, and programming in paddling is a lack of funding. But thanks to the generosity of Canadians, we can continue supporting paddling at all levels and disciplines within the sport. You can help us build paddling in Canada by making a tax-deductible charitable gift.

Jan

24

It’s Okay to Not Be Okay: Bret Himmelman’s Mental Health Journey

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Being an athlete has been a big part of my identity since I started playing sports and when people ask what I do, I say I am an athlete. It is something I have always been proud of being, however, when talking about mental health it is important to separate that part of your identity. As someone who has struggled with mental health and still does, it can be incredibly difficult to recognize what your mental health needs if I don’t separate what Bret the athlete needs versus what Bret the person needs. Being a high-performance athlete and in the pursuit of excellence we are always told we need to push ourselves to the limit, but how can we push ourselves 100% if we are at a 20% mentally? In my experience, mental health has always been the hardest thing to recover from and the easiest thing to ignore. I started to open up about my own personal struggles with mental health approximately 5 years ago with the goal that if I can help one person with my story and experiences, it was worth it to be vulnerable about them. I have now lived close to half of my life with an obsessive-compulsive disorder and anxiety diagnosis and last year I realized the coping strategies that worked for me when I was 13 do not work the same today.

Throughout last year I recognized that I was filled with anxiety, and I was being consumed by obsessive thoughts, which at first, I was able to bottle up and say I will deal with this later, became overwhelming and affected me on and off the water. When ignoring my mental health started to affect my practices on the water, it led to a further spiral and pushing through it was counterproductive to my training and mental state. I kept telling myself that I am an athlete and I need to just keep getting through the day to get to my goals. Every athlete trains at a higher level when they are physically, mentally and emotionally healthy compared to when they are not, and despite knowing this, I had the tendency to gaslight myself by saying everything is okay when it is not. After struggling with this for longer than I needed to, I decided to separate what I need as a person and what I need as an athlete. I am a goal-oriented athlete and for this year I have decided to prioritise my mental health goals, and I am certain that working on these will help me get closer to my goals in training and racing. As mental health is unique to everyone, what I may give for advice may not work for everyone, but here are some things I have implemented that have been working for me.

1. When the training day is done, be done with thinking about training. Especially at training camps, the sport can be consuming and living in that mindset 24/7 can make the training blocks more exhausting than they need to be. Doing this has helped my mind relax more at night while allowing me to attack morning practice the next day more.

2. When the days are harder to get through, intervene with a favourite.
Whether that is watching a favourite movie, eating a comfort meal, or even changing a practice to one you love, a simple intervention in the middle of a difficult week can change the course for the rest of it.

3. It is okay to not be okay, camps are hard, this sport is gruelling, and there is no way to completely avoid that. This is where I have learned to focus on what I can control rather than what I can’t as we only have so much energy and attention, directing it towards what we can impact is the best use of energy.

Most of what I listed above is not ground-breaking advice, but if what I shared can help one person, either with managing their own mental health or to open up themselves, we create a conversation without stigma we can all learn and grow from. My hope is that we can have a hundred athletes in our sport share what they do to help their mental health and the more we have open conversations, the more everyone gets out of it.

Written and submitted by Bret Himmelman.

Jan

19

Alumni Spotlight – The Power of Camaraderie and Connection through Nationals

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Our story is not unique. There have been many National Champions in numerous events, disciplines and age classes over the years and many of them still connect as lifelong friends.

Many of us, like most Canadians at a young age, hoped we would play in the NHL one day. Then my brother invited some of our hockey team down to the West Rouge Canoe Club to do some off-season training. The rest is history. Canoeing was immediately a first love. It was a community, a social club, and a sports club all rolled into one. It challenged us.

For a lot of us our first Nationals experience was in Winnipeg in 1972, not long after we started paddling and we thought for a brief minute or two that we had won a bronze medal but soon found out we had been disqualified. It might have discouraged many, but most of this ragtag group of teenagers came back the following year to form a Junior Men’s War Canoe.

The crew had no real stars, well maybe one, Steve Coupland who in 1971 won Juvenile C1 silver, then won gold in the same event in 1972.

1973 was a great year. Not only were we an amazing crew, but the camaraderie I think helped us squeak out the win over a strong Banook crew.

Fifty years have passed since that win, and the friendship that connects us because of those shared experiences in 1973 still brings us together annually. There is much laughter, teasing and friendly jabs at each other. The memories have taken on a life of their own as we repeat the same stories over and over again as if we were telling them for the first time. With enthusiasm we add details that were missing from the last rendition of our accomplishment. Quickly we fall into old habits and start calling each other by our old nicknames. Mine shall go unrecorded in this article.

There is no question that paddling continues to be an important part of many of our lives, as well as some of our children’s, and even life partners. Active on and off the water, there are World Champions in Dragon Boat, National Officials, Volunteers, an Olympic Coach and High Performance Director, Committee Chairs and even a Past President of Canoe Kayak Canada.

All this would not have been possible had it not been for that day we walked into the West Rouge Canoe Club and met our mentor Glen Benison who is still competing today. He was an awesome coach and friend who managed to instill a sense of pride and direction to a bunch of skinny kids, that we still carry today.

We have lost a few members over the years, but they are not forgotten. RIP Randy and Jim. Of the remaining 13 crew members six to eight of us still get together annually.

Our 50th was no exception. To our fellow crew members whose paths have taken them elsewhere in life, let it be known that we still talk about you and remember you fondly…ok there is some laughter and some friendly jabs in your absence 😀

The motto of Canadian Canoe Association / Canoe Kayak Canada is “per aqua ad fraternitatem” (through the waters to friendship) and never has it been more true than our initiation to this amazing sport and the opportunity to start a lifelong friendship with this great group of guys. Thanks for your friendship and thanks for the memories.

Written and submitted by Graham Barton

Jan

18

CKC HONOURS COACHES WITH COACH RECOGNITION AWARDS

Awards, Canoe Freestyle, Canoe Slalom, Canoe Sprint

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Canoe Kayak Canada (CKC) is proud to honour the many coaches who have demonstrated excellence in leadership, initiative and competitive success throughout the 2023 season with the CKC Coaches Recognition Award.

This award is presented annually to coaches who have coached an athlete or crew either for nomination to a CKC National Team (Senior World Championships, Junior World Championships, Carded Athlete or National Development Team) or for a gold medal at the Canoe Kayak Canada Sprint National Championships. Congratulations to all !

Below is a complete list of Coach Recognition Award recipients for the 2023 season:

2023 Coaches

Adam Baird

Adam Mayo

Adam Oldershaw

Aidan Martell

Alexa Irvin

Andrea Nicholls

Andreas Dittmer

Andy Parry

Anna Hetzler

Anna Negulic

Ava Carew

Bethany Baert

Blake Hara

Bret Himmelman

Cayley Fortier

Chad Brooks

Cheyenne Farquharson

Chris MacPherson

Christian Hall

Csom Latorovszki

Daniel Winter

Dave Waters

Dominic Gomez-Granger

Doug Ellery

Doug Tutty

Edward Colhoun

Elliot Smith

Eric Mihalovic

Evan Landry

Frédéric Loyer

Helen Savin

Hélène Gervais

Hunter George

Igor Nikitovic

Jacob McKenna

Jacob Price

Jan Kruk

Jeff Houser

Jennifer Gratto

Jerome Seremak

Jessica MacKay

Joel Hazzan

Jocelyn Taylor

Jordi Cadena

Josh Nowen

Kalob Grady

Karen Furneaux

Karen Lukanovich

KC Dalton

Kevin McIntyre

LA Schmidt

Leeya Nagpal

Liam Smedley

Marc Creamer

Marie Rousseau-Demers

Maris Jacobs

Mark Granger

Marlee MacIntosh

Mathieu Pelletier

Michael Holroyd

Mike Kerrivan

Mike Robinson

Morgan Pugh-Toole

Nick Lamontagne

Niklas Hansen

Ornmadee Baxter-Lovo

Patrick Gagne

Patrick Lester

Peter Lombardi

Peter Nor

Philippe Laliberté

Rob Smith

Rob Stott

Robert Baert

Romy Chamberland

Rowan Hardy-Kavanagh

Sam Raiche

Samantha Morse

Savannah Sullivan

Simon Coward

Scott Feindel

Scott Oldershaw

Stan Marek

Tessa Nagai

Tony Hall

Nov

24

CKC mourns the loss of Bill Trayling

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It is with deep sadness that Canoe Kayak Canada recognizes the passing of Bill Trayling, a long-time member and head coach at the Mississauga Canoe Club.

Bill passed away on November 21 after a courageous battle with the devastating disease, ALS.

The former Sprint National Team athlete and six-time world Dragonboat champion was a passionate paddler who gave so much back to the sport. Since 2012, Bill played a significant role in support of both coach and athlete development on numerous CKC projects. He contributed his expertise as a certified Master Coach Developer, Educator and Evaluator of Canoe Kayak Canada coaching courses for well over a decade. CKC most recently awarded Bill with the prestigious Gilbert Award, which recognizes volunteers who have made significant and exemplary contributions to the Sprint Racing Discipline of Canoe Kayak Canada.

Bill also valued the importance of athlete development, focusing a tremendous amount of knowledge and expertise, through his own personal coaching passion to support athletes and coaches in leading a healthier, balanced and rewarding life. His commitment to the sport and passion for championing others’ success was unmatched.

Canoe Kayak Canada staff and board wishes to express our deepest sympathies to Bill’s family, his wife Julia, their three children, and all those affected by this devasting loss.

Details about a service or donations will be published soon and updated here.

Nov

21

Marie Rousseau-Demers and Igor Nikitovic SELECTED FOR THE 2023 CANOE KAYAK CANADA EXCELLENCE AWARDS

Awards

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OTTAWA – Canoe Kayak Canada is delighted to announce the 2023 recipients of the Club Development Award and Coach Developer Award. The awards are presented on an annual basis to coaches and club leaders who have made significant achievements in their communities. This year, 14 coaches were nominated and the winners of this year’s awards were announced during the 2023 CKC Annual Meeting of Members on November 18, 2023.

“Coaches and club leaders across Canada are an instrumental part of the success of our sport and make an impact in the lives of our athletes and our sport system each and every day,” said James Cartwright, Senior Manager of High Performance and Coach Development. “We’re proud to recognize all of this year’s nominees. Taking time to formally recognize the accomplishments of our great coaches goes a long way to say thank you and to recognize the impact these individuals have in within paddling community.”

CKC Club Development Award

The Club Development Award is presented annually to a coach, club leader or volunteer who has clearly demonstrated his or her abilities at developing a club or the sport through grassroots programs such as creating a new club or program or promoting the sport through the club.

Marie Rousseau-Demers – CKC Club Development Award

Marie is very committed to the overall development of CCKLB athletes at all levels. She is viewed as a dynamic and committed coach that takes great care to develop life skills such as confidence, self-discipline and respect for others. She encourages the older athletes to get involved with the younger ones, for example, by mixing groups and inviting them to encourage each other. Marie has worked with a nutritionist to publish a collection of healthy recipes for athletes. Her positive leadership is contagious. In addition, Marie has re-built the at CCKLB masters program, to our knowledge, this category had not existed for several years at CCKLB. Initially, about five masters athletes were enrolled. Thanks to her kindness, charisma, human approach and, above all, her sense of humour, this category has now grown to 15 paddlers.

Marie organized a training camp in Temple-sur-Lot, France, in the spring of 2023. The camp had not been held for several years. For this camp, Marie once again demonstrated her fairness and passion for the sport. To encourage everyone to participate, even those with more limited financial means and even other clubs in the region, she encouraged the youngsters to get involved in fund-raising activities. For 14 days, they benefited from an exceptional training environment on her part. We saw many benefits from this camp, including team-building, an unforgettable club dynamic for the youngsters, and the achievement of the goals of surpassing oneself and training hard. Of the youngsters Marie coached, some 30 went on to compete in the Canadian Championships in summer 2023. The Club came 4th overall (out of 42 clubs), participated in 51 finals and won a total of 32 medals.

CKC Coach Developer Award

The Coach Developer Award is presented to a coach who contributes to the training of new Canoe Kayak coaches outside of, or in addition to their regular coaching duties.

Igor Nikitovic – CKC Coach Developer Award

Igor has done so many things for Wascana Racing Canoe Club in the short time that he has coached at this club. He has guided many athletes to exceed in provincial national and international success. he has helped tremendously with growing the club and making it a safe and welcoming yet competitive environment for everyone who joins. In the past couple of years he has mentored a lot of our young summer camp coaches and while connecting with all the summer camp paddlers. Igor makes the club a great place to be around and is inspiring both new and old paddlers every day!

In the past two years Igor has sent two athletes to Olympic Hopes. At this year’s National Championships with only 8 athletes, we brought home 13 medals. In addition, Igor works with remote clubs, for example flat water north out of the Yukon so that they can have racing experience in our divisional regattas. He also works with international clubs such as Oklahoma Canoe Club and clubs in Seattle, to develop partnerships for future training and racing opportunities.

He has 29 years of coaching and had been in Richmond Hill for 10 years and Nanaimo for 6 years prior to coming to Wascana.

2023 Canoe Kayak Canada Excellence Nominees:

Brent Beck                              Georgian Bay Kayak Club
Lawrence Chin                     False Creek Racing Canoe Club
Wayne Donison                  Kawartha Whitewater Paddlers
Douglas Ellery                     Maskwa Aquatic Club
Dominic Gomez                  Lachine Racing Canoe Club
Sarah Kennedy                    Petrie Island Canoe Club
Phil Laliberté                         Otterburn Boating Club
Jacob McKenna                   Maskwa Aquatic Club
Igor Nikitovic                        Wascana Racing Canoe Club
Josh Nowen                           Cheema Aquatic Club
Mike Robinson                    Calgary Canoe Club
Marie Rousseau-Demers Club de canoe kayak de Lac-Beauport
Savannah Sullivan             Maskwa Aquatic Club
Diane Tam                              False Creek Racing Canoe Club

CKC congratulates all who were nominated and to the 2023 recipients. For more information on the CKC Excellence Awards please click here.

Oct

31

How to Follow: Canoe Sprint – 2023 Pan American Games

Official Santiago 2023 Website
Day to Day Schedules
RESULTS

0

Canada’s top Sprint paddlers are ready to race to the podium in Concepcion, Chile for the 2023 Pan American Games! From Wednesday November 1 until Saturday, November 4, this event will showcase the top Sprint athletes on their journey to Paddle to Paris. Please find below important information including schedules and how to watch live.

Quick Links:

Team Canada Pan Am Games Hub

Live Coverage of the Sprint events :
Pan Am Sports Channel
CBC Coverage

TEAM CANADA PAN AMERICAN SPRINT TEAM

Women’s Canoe
Sophia Jensen (Chelsea, Que.)
Sloan MacKenzie (Windsor Junction, N.S.)
Katie Vincent (Mississauga, Ont.)

Women’s Kayak
Toshka Besharah (Ottawa, Ont.)
Natalie Davison (Manotick, Ont.)
Riley Melanson (Dartmouth, N.S.)
Michelle Russell (Fall River, N.S.)
Maddy Schmidt (Ottawa, Ont.)
Courtney Stott (Pickering, Ont.)

Men’s Canoe
Connor Fitzpatrick (Dartmouth, N.S.)
Alix Plomteux (Lac-Beauport, Que.)
Craig Spence (Dartmouth, N.S.)

Men’s Kayak
Ian Gaudet (Dartmouth, N.S.)
Laurent Lavigne (Trois-Rivières, Que.)
Cameron Low (Toronto, Ont.)
Nick Matveev (North York, Ont.)
Simon McTavish (Oakville Ont.)
Pierre-Luc Poulin (Lac-Beauport, Que.)

Event	Athletes
MC1 1000	Connor Fitzpatrick
MC2 500	Craig Spence / Alix Plomteux
MK1 1000	Cameron Low
MK2 500	Ian Gaudet / Simon McTavish
MK4 500	Nick Matveev/ Pierre-Luc Poulin/ Laurent Lavigne/ Simon McTavish
WC1 200	Sophia Jensen
WC2 500	Sloan MacKenzie / Katie Vincent
WK1 500	Michelle Russell
WK2 500	Courtney Stott / Maddy Schmidt
WK4 500	Courtney Stott / Natalie Davison / Riley Melanson / Toshka Besharah

RACE SCHEDULE (subject to change):

Day to Day Schedules
Wednesday & Thursday – Heats and semifinals

Friday & Saturday – Finals and medals

Oct

31

MAJOR MEDAL HAUL FOR CANADIAN SLALOM PADDLERS AT THE 2023 PAN AMERICAN GAMES

Canoe Slalom, International

0

Canada’s top slalom paddlers captured five medals at the Pan American Games in Los Andes, Chile yesterday.

Lois Betteridge (Ottawa, ON) secured Canada’s first slalom medal of the day in the women’s C1 event. Betteridge made quick work of a very challenging course and weather conditions in Río Aconcagua to secure the silver behind Brazil with a time of 119.69.

“I’m super stoked. This is my second Pan Am medal, as I also won a silver at the Pan Am Games in Lima,” shared Betteridge. “It would have been nice to finish in first but being second behind one of the best in the world is pretty exciting. It was a challenging course, there were not a lot of white-water features so you need to pull really hard to get some of the moves but I dug deep today and got the job done.”

Mael Rivard (Ottawa, ON) was next up on the podium in the men’s K1 event, securing the bronze medal behind USA and Brazil. “It was a really hard race, the course was pretty hard and very shallow but I really just went for it and it worked out.”

Léa Baldoni (Pau, France) also won bronze in the women’s K1 event with USA and Brazil taking gold and silver respectively. “There was a lot of fighting right until the end with some touch penalties but I still had the third fastest time of the day so I’m pretty happy to bring home a medal for Canada.”

The highly anticipated Kayak Cross events marked an exciting end to the Slalom competition with four boats simultaneously launching off a ramp, placed more than two metres above the water, splashing onto the course, and battling through the course as a full-contact sport.

Alex Baldoni (Pau, France) breezed through the semi-finals to fight in the finals against Brazil. Baldoni crossed the line in 2^nd place, feeling redeemed from his disappointment of just missing the podium in the K1 event earlier that day.

“It was really hard after my K1 race to get back into focus for this race but my sister (Léa Baldoni) helped me a lot and she was there for me and that’s what makes the difference in the end,” he said.
“It wasn’t my best start off the ramp but it was really tight with Brazil and it was a very good fight so I’m really happy with this silver medal.”

Betteridge added another silver to her medal count in the women’s kayak cross event. She crossed the line in 4^th, however, once the penalties were applied against her competitors, the outcome was a 5^th medal for Canada. “To be able to stand on the podium twice today is pretty exciting. I met my goals here in Los Andes, which was to medal in both my categories. It feels unreal.”

Tokyo Olympian Florence Maheu (Salaberry-de-Valleyfield, Que.) was unfortunately knocked out in the Kayak Cross time trials on Friday.

RESULTS

TEAM CANADA PAN AMERICAN SLALOM TEAM

Alex Baldoni (Pau, France) – C1 and Kayak Cross
Léa Baldoni (Pau, France) – K1 and Kayak Cross
Lois Betteridge (Ottawa, Ont.) – C1 and Kayak Cross
Florence Maheu (Salaberry-de-Valleyfield, Que.) – Kayak Cross
Maël Rivard (Ottawa, Ont.) – K1 and Kayak Cross

Oct

23

How to Follow: SLALOM – 2023 Pan American Games

Canoe Slalom, International

0

Canada’s top Slalom paddlers are ready to ride the waves in Río Aconcagua, Los Andes, Chile for the 2023 Pan American Games! Starting Friday October 27 until Sunday, October, 29, this event will showcase the top Slalom athletes who are currently on their journey to Paddle to Paris. Please find below important information including schedules and how to watch live.

Quick Links:

Official Santiago 2023 Website
Day to Day Schedules
RESULTS

Team Canada Pan Am Games Hub

Live Coverage of the Slalom events :
Pan Am Sports Channel
CBC Coverage

TEAM CANADA PAN AMERICAN SLALOM TEAM

Alex Baldoni (Pau, France) – C1 and Kayak Cross
Léa Baldoni (Pau, France) – K1 and Kayak Cross
Lois Betteridge (Ottawa, Ont.) – C1 and Kayak Cross
Florence Maheu (Salaberry-de-Valleyfield, Que.) – Kayak Cross
Maël Rivard (Ottawa, Ont.) – K1 and Kayak Cross

RACE SCHEDULE (subject to change):

FRIDAY OCTOBER 27

Event	Athlete
MEN Kayak Cross K1 Time Trial	Maël Rivard, Alex Baldoni
WOMEN Kayak Cross K1 Time Trial	Lois Betteridge, Léa Baldoni, Florence Maheu
MEN Kayak Cross K1 Quarterfinal
WOMEN Kayak Cross K1 Quarter Final

SATURDAY OCTOBER 28

Event Athlete

MEN C1 Heats Run 1	Alex Baldoni
WOMEN C1 Heats Run 1	Lois Betteridge
MEN K1 Heats Run 1	Maël Rivard
WOMEN K1 Heats Run 1	Léa Baldoni
MEN C1 Heats Run 2
WOMEN C1 Heats Run 2
MEN K1 Heats Run 2
WOMEN K1 Heats Run 2

SUNDAY OCTOBER 29

Event Athlete

MEN C1 Semifinal
WOMEN C1 Semifinal
MEN K1 Semifinal
WOMEN K1 Semifinal
MEN C1 FINAL
WOMEN C1 FINAL
MEN K1 FINAL
WOMEN K1 FINAL
MEN Kayak Cross SF 1
MEN Kayak Cross SF 2
WOMEN Kayak Cross SF 1
WOMEN Kayak Cross SF2
MEN Kayak Cross FINAL
WOMEN Kayak Cross FINAL

Oct

17

Launch of the Abuse-Free Sport Helpline

0

Following four years of successful operation and providing an invaluable resource, the Canadian Sport Helpline will now be known as the Abuse-Free Sport Helpline.

While the name and branding are changing, the service provided by the Helpline is not:

It is free, anonymous, confidential and independent;
Professionally trained operators are available to help in both official languages, English and French;
Available via phone call, text, or email seven days a week from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. (Eastern Time).
Most importantly, the Helpline continues to be available to all Canadians, regardless of their sport, level of participation, or where they live within the country. They do not have to be participants of an Abuse-Free Sport signatory organization to access the Helpline.

Their operators with expertise in counselling, psychology and sport will listen and offer support. Additionally, they can advise the client about the reporting process and, if possible, refer them to the appropriate reporting mechanism for their individual situation.

If the matter of concern is potentially admissible to the Abuse-Free Sport program, the operators are able to assist the client with the completion of the report form and, if desired, may also refer them to the Abuse-Free Sport mental health support services.

For more information please see the their official website – https://abuse-free-sport.ca/helpline

Oct

16

Call for Candidates Sprint Racing Discipline Sprint Racing Council Chair/Commodore

Board, CKC, Jobs

0

Canoe Kayak Canada is looking for an individual to join the Sprint Racing Council and fill the role of Chair/Commodore of the Council. The Sprint Racing Council (SRC) is a technical committee of CKC that is representative of the CKC Paddling Association members active in the sprint racing discipline. It is one of three disciplines that currently make up the Paddling Discipline class of members within CKC.

The main role of the Council is to provide technical direction of the discipline and as such it operates with a relatively high degree of autonomy on technical matters specific to the discipline and to direct the sprint paddling discipline in Canada.

The Chair/Commodore of the SRC is the chief spokesperson of the Sprint Racing Discipline. He or she shall preside at all meetings of the Member clubs and of the Sprint Racing Council and shall be charged with the general supervision of the business and affairs of the Sprint Racing Discipline of CKC. As Chair/Commodore of the SRC, this person will also have a position on the CKC Board of Directors.

Candidates must meet the following minimum criteria:

Be 18 years of age or older,
Have the power under law to contract,
Be a resident of Canada,
Have not been declared incapable by a court in Canada or in another country,
Do not have the status of bankrupt, and
Satisfies the requirements of the Income Tax Act in relation to the eligibility to serve as a director of a registered charity
Be a current member in good standing of a Sprint Racing Paddling Association member of CKCIn addition, the ideal candidate will have:

Knowledge of CKC and the Sprint Racing Discipline
Experience working on CKC volunteer committees
A specific skill set or expertise that would be of benefit to the SRC and CKC
Exceptional communication and leadership skills
Knowledge of the Canadian sport system is an asset
Ability to work in both official languages is an asset
Ability to commit approximately 20-25 hours per month to the work of the SRC and the CKCBoard
Willing and able to travel if necessaryThis is a volunteer position with a two-year term.
Interested candidates are required to complete the attached form in order to be considered for the position.

Deadline for applications is Midnight EST on November 2, 2023.
Please send applications to Casey Wade, CEO, by email to cwade@canoekayak.ca

Oct

16

Call for Candidates Sprint Racing Discipline Domestic Development Committee Chair

Board, CKC, Jobs

0

CanoeKayak Canada is looking for an individual to join the Sprint Racing Domestic Development Committee and fill the role of Chair of the committee. The Domestic DevelopmentCommittee(DDC)is a sub-committee of the Sprint Racing Council. The main role of the DDC is to provide technical direction and oversight of the domestic development aspects of the discipline. The Chair of this committee is also a member of the Sprint Racing Council.

Some of the key duties of the DDC include:

Promote and foster, for the purpose of perpetuating, sprint canoe racing in Canada
In collaboration with CKC staff, advance the interests of domestic programs including LTAD initiatives
Oversee the annual National Championships in the Sprint Racing Discipline
The DDC is a vital component of the Sprint Racing Discipline and requires a dynamic, experienced individual to provide the guidance necessary to ensure the ongoing development of the sport.

Candidates must meet the following minimum criteria:
- Be 18 years of age or older,
- Have the power under law to contract,
- Be a resident of Canada,
- Have not been declared incapable by a court in Canada or in another country,
- Do not have the status of bankrupt, and
- Satisfies the requirements of the Income Tax Act in relation to the eligibility to serve
  as a director of a registered charity
- Be a current member in good standing of a Sprint Racing Paddling Association member of CKC

In addition, the ideal candidate will have:

• Experience working on volunteer committees

Knowledge of CKC and the Sprint Racing Discipline
A specific skill set or expertise that would be of benefit to the DDC and SRC
Knowledge of the Canadian sport system is an asset but not required
Ability to commit approximately 15-20 hours per month to the work of the DDC and
SRC
Willing and able to travel if necessary
This is a volunteer position with a two year term.

Interested candidates are required to complete this form in order to be considered for the position.

Deadline for applications is Midnight EST on November 2, 2023.
Please send applications to Casey Wade, CEO, by email to cwade@canoekayak.ca

Oct

5

CKC mourns the loss of Mike Scott

Alumni, Canoe Sprint, CKC

0

It is with profound sadness that Canoe Kayak Canada (CKC) mourns the loss of Mike Scott.

Mike was an iconic part of the Ottawa sports community with a strong connection and focus on padding for over 70 years. He served as a pillar in the community through being an athlete, coach, commodore, sport administrator, manager, writer and much more.

Rideau Canoe Club was where it all started in 1949. Mike raced for 11 years and as a Masters paddler he won 30 canoe titles in five different age classes. Not just giving his time as an athlete, Mike also took on roles within Rideau and was part of the board of directors for 33 years while acting as their longest serving Commodore – an incredible 25 consecutive years. Building on an extraordinary tenure at Rideau, he also served as chair of the host organizing committee for the Canadian Sprint National Championships eight times. He eventually met his late wife Lola at Rideau Canoe Club in the 1950s and were together for 60 years.

Being a place where Mike spent so much of his time and energy, while holding such a passion for the sport and the community, Rideau Canoe Club honoured Mike with a room in the club named after him – “the Mike Scott Lounge”, where he celebrated his 60th anniversary of volunteerism within the club. With such a strong connection to Rideau and all he had achieved there, Mike penned a book titled “The Rideau Canoe Club, A Century of Paddling 1902-2002”, and with his textbook sense of humour, he jokingly said “it would be his first and his last”.

Mike actively gave so much back to his community, more than just his time but also through fundraising to better the community and the infrastructure within it. He was a builder in so many ways which led to him receiving the R. Edgar Gilbert award in 1984 in the builder category, celebrating his significant and exemplary contributions to the sport of canoe and kayak.

Mike will be remembered for his generosity, compassion, friendship, humour, and contributions to the Ottawa sport community for many, many years to come.

The paddling community has truly lost an integral part of their family. The CKC staff and board of directors express and extend our deepest sympathies to Mike’s family, friends and the paddling community.

For visitation and funeral information please click here.

*with excepts taken from Ottawa Sports Pages: High Achievers by Martin Cleary

Sep

29

Para Coach Marc Creamer departs Canoe Kayak Canada

CKC, Paracanoe, Teams, Uncategorized

0

Canoe Kayak Canada announces the departure of Marc Creamer, CKC’s High Performance Para Coach. Marc shared his leadership and passion for Paracanoe and the sport as a whole for the last 7 years.

“Marc has provided strong leadership in our Paracanoe program over his seven-year tenure. Under his leadership, our Paracanoe athletes have risen to consistent world-level performance, and through positive collaboration with our partners across Canada, have seen our number of Para athletes grow,” said Ian Mortimer, CKC Chief Technical Officer, “We will certainly miss Marc as part of our leadership team, but wish him well in his new role with the Canadian Paralympic Committee”.

Marc has been an integral part of the Para paddling program within Canoe Kayak Canada, growing the National Paracanoe program and preparing the team for success through countless international competitions, including the Tokyo 2020 Paralympic Games. He was also the Team Leader for the 2016 Paralympic Team in Rio, where he supported Canada’s first Paracanoe Team in the sport’s debut.

Marc consistently went above and beyond in his role, bringing exceptional technical and leadership skills to the team. He has played a critical role in the growth and expansion of Paracanoe in Canada. His passion and excitement for the sport will be missed here at Canoe Kayak Canada, but we look forward to seeing what the future holds as he makes his transition into his new role at the Canadian Paralympic Committee.

In the upcoming months, CKC will be shaping a plan to ensure both the Paris pathway athletes have complete support, as well as planning for the next two quadrennials ahead.

Thank you to Marc for your contribution to our sport and congratulations on your new role!

Sep

28

Canada’s Santiago 2023 canoe/kayak sprint team announced

Canoe Sprint, International

0

TORONTO (September 28, 2023) – Canoe Kayak Canada (CKC) and the Canadian Olympic Committee (COC) have announced Canada’s canoe/kayak sprint team nominated to compete at the Santiago 2023 Pan American Games.

The Team Canada canoe/kayak sprint team for the Santiago 2023 Pan American Games is:

Athletes:

Women’s Canoe
Sophia Jensen – Cascades
Sloan MacKenzie – Cheema Aquatic Club
Katie Vincent – Mississauga Canoe Club

Women’s Kayak
Toshka Besharah – Rideau Canoe Club
Natalie Davison – Rideau Canoe Club
Riley Melanson – Senobe Aquatic Club
Michelle Russell – Abenaki Aquatic Club
Maddy Schmidt – Rideau Canoe Club
Courtney Stott – Balmy Beach Canoe Club

Men’s Canoe
Connor Fitzpatrick – Senobe Aquatic Club
Alix Plomteux – Club de Canoë-Kayak Lac Beauport
Craig Spence – Cheema Aquatic Club

Men’s Kayak
Ian Gaudet – Banook Canoe Club
Laurent Lavigne – Club de canoë-kayak de vitesse de Trois-Rivières
Cameron Low – Balmy Beach Canoe Club
Nick Matveev – Balmy Beach Canoe Club
Simon McTavish – Mississauga Canoe Club
Pierre-Luc Poulin – Club de Canoë-Kayak Lac Beauport

The 18 athletes qualified for Team Canada based on their performances at the 2023 ICF Canoe Sprint World Championships and the CKC Pan Am trials held in Dartmouth, Nova Scotia earlier this month.

Following a very successful world championship in late August, nine-time world champion Katie Vincent is looking forward to a new experience.

“This is my first Pan Am Games team! I’m really excited to have this opportunity, to be part of the atmosphere around Team Canada, and compete against some of the best in our sport,” said Vincent. “This is also an important stepping stone for our team on our road to Paris 2024, and to have this experience in a multi-sport environment will be invaluable next summer at the Olympics.”

Vincent is no stranger to success on the international stage, winning bronze at her first Olympic Games at Tokyo 2020 with partner Laurence Vincent Lapointe. She most recently won three gold medals and a bronze at the 2023 ICF Canoe Sprint World Championships in Duisburg, Germany. The bronze came in the women’s C-2 500m with partner Sloan MacKenzie, securing an Olympic spot for Canada in that event for Paris 2024.

“I can’t wait to share this experience with my teammates and other Team Canada athletes. Multi-sport Games have a unique ability to unite athletes from all sports around the world, so I’m really grateful to be part of this team,” Vincent added.

The Pan Am Games canoe/kayak sprint team includes two athletes who stood on the podium on home soil at the Toronto 2015 Pan American Games. Kayaker Michelle Russell contributed to Canada’s first medal of those Games –gold in the women’s K-4 500m – and captured silver in both the K-1 200m and K-1 500m events. Russell made her Olympic debut at Tokyo 2020, finishing 11th in the K-4 500m.

Olympian Pierre-Luc Poulin is looking forward to representing Canada at his second Pan American Games following his bronze medal performance in the K-2 200m event at Toronto 2015.

“Toronto 2015 was my first major Games experience so I’m excited to get back to this kind of environment and build upon our season as a lot of great things have been happening,” said Poulin. “I am hoping for some good racing and performances in Santiago and will look to pull from my experience in Tokyo to hopefully build on more great results this year.”

The team packs a significant amount of experience heading to Santiago, collecting seven medals as well as 12 Olympic quota spots across five events at the 2023 ICF Canoe Sprint World Championships last month in Duisburg, Germany.

“We are heading to Santiago with a strong team looking to cap off a successful 2023 season with top performances against a formidable Americas field”, said Ian Mortimer, CKC Chief Technical Officer. “Climbing onto the podium at the Pan American Games will be a big accomplishment in itself, while coupling that goal with the opportunity to use these events as a jumping off point into the 2024 Olympic season, we will be dialed in and ready for a strong competition in Chile.”

Canoe/kayak sprint will take place November 1-4 (Days 12 to 15) at the Laguna Grande de San Pedro de la Paz in Concepción.

“Welcome to Team Canada’s Santiago 2023 canoe/kayak sprint team! I can’t wait to witness your fearless adventures at the Pan Am Games,” said Christine Girard, Team Canada’s Santiago 2023 Chef de Mission. “May every stroke propel you closer to your dreams and may the river of success flow your way!”

Team Canada’s canoe/kayak sprint support team for the Santiago 2023 Pan American Games are:

Coaches
Chad Brooks (Lake Echo, N.S.) – Coach
Andreas Dittmer (Dartmouth, N.S.) – Coach
Anders Gustafsson (Jönköping, Sweden) – Coach
Samuel Raiche (Lachine, Quebec) – Coach

Support Staff
Emily MacKeigan (Ottawa, Ont.) – Team Manager
Ian Mortimer (Ottawa, Ont.) – Team Leader
Katie Smith (Mississauga, Ont.) – Physiotherapist

Prior to being named to Team Canada, all nominations are subject to approval by the Canadian Olympic Committee’s Team Selection Committee following its receipt of nominations by all National Sport Organizations.

The latest Team Canada Santiago 2023 roster can be found here.

-30-

MEDIA CONTACTS:

Colleen Coderre, Communications Lead
Canoe Kayak Canada
C: 613-530-6217
E: ccoderre@canoekayak.ca

Emmalee Nother, Communications Coordinator
Canoe Kayak Canada
C;905-912-1322
E: enother@canoekayak.ca

Tara MacBournie, Team Canada Santiago 2023 Sport Communications Lead
Canadian Olympic Committee
C: 647-522-8328
E: tmacbournie@olympic.ca

Sep

15

CALL FOR NOMINATIONS  – CKC EXCELLENCE AWARDS 

Awards, Uncategorized

0

Canoe Kayak Canada has officially launched the nomination process for the 2023 Excellence Awards. 

  The Club Development Award, the Coach Developer Award and Coach Recognition Awards are presented on an annual basis to coaches and club leaders who have made significant efforts or achievements in their communities.  

The Club Development Award will be presented to a coach, club leader or volunteer who has clearly demonstrated his or her abilities at developing a club or the sport through grassroots programs such as creating a new club or program or promoting the sport through the club. The Coach Developer Award will be presented to a coach who contributes to the training of new Canoe Kayak coaches outside of, or in addition to their regular coaching duties. 

The awards are presented yearly at Canoe Kayak Canada’s Special Meeting of Members. The Summit will take place this year virtually on November 18, 2023. 

Click here to submit nominations. 

Deadline is October 18, 2023. 

For more information, contact James Cartwright

Aug

22

How to Follow – 2023 ICF Sprint and Para Canoe World Championships – Duisburg, Germany

Canoe Sprint, Paracanoe, World Championships

0

Canada’s top Sprint and Paracanoe paddlers will be at the start gates in Germany for the first round of Olympic Qualifiers for next year’s Olympic and Paralympic Summer Games in Paris, France. Starting Wednesday, August 23 until Sunday, August 27, this event will showcase the top sprint athletes in both Olympic and Paralympic disciplines who are competing for the goal of a quota for Paris 2024.

Quick Links:

Official ICF Event Link
Live streaming on Recast (video recaps will be posted on Planet Canoe YouTube at a later time)
Photos from the Event

How Qualifications work*:

Sprint Kayak:

K1 – Top 6 qualify (host country gets 1 quota) – (7 athletes total, 7 boats)

K2 – Top 6 qualify (12 athletes total, 6 boats)

K4 – Top 10 qualify (40 athletes total, 10 boats) – (4 Continents must be represented in the Top 10, if they are not, the 10th to 8th spots could be reallocated to the next ranked boats from the next ranked continents to meet this requirement).

Sprint Canoe:

C1 – Top 5 qualify (host country gets 1 quota) (6 athletes total, 6 boats)

C2 – Top 8 qualify (16 athletes, 8 boats)

Paracanoe

– Top 6 in each of the 10 events, only one quota per country per event

*This is not qualifying the athletes themselves, this qualifies Canada for country quota spots. Athlete qualifications come at a later date.

Event	Athlete/Crew
W K1 200m	Toshka Besharah-Hrebacka
W K1 500m	Michelle Russell
W K1 1000m	Courtney Stott
W K1 5000m	Maddy Schmidt
W K2 500m	Courtney Stott/Maddy Schmidt
W K4 500m	Courtney Stott/Natalie Davison/Riley Melanson/Toshka Besharah-Hrebacka

M K1 200m	Nick Matveev
M K1 500m	Brian Malfesi
M K1 1000m	Cameron Low
M K1 5000m	Simon McTavish
M K2 500m	Pierre Luc Poulin/Simon McTavish
M K2 1000m	Vincent Jourdenais/Brian Malfesi
M K4 500m	Laurent Lavigne/Nick Matveev/Simon McTavish/Pierre Luc Poulin

W C1 200m	Sophia Jensen
W C1 500m	Katie Vincent
W C1 1000m	Jacy Grant
W C1 5000m	Katie Vincent
W C2 200m	Jacy Grant/Julia Lilley Osende
W C2 500m	Katie Vincent/Sloan MacKenzie
W C4 500m	Julia Lilley Osende/Sloan Mackenzie/Sophia Jensen/Jacy Grant

Mixed C2 500m	Katie Vincent and Connor Fitzpatrick

M C1 200m	Tyler Laidlaw
M C1 500m	Andrew Billard
M C1 1000m	Connor Fitzpatrick
M C1 5000m	Connor Fitzpatrick
M C2 500m	Craig Spence/Alix Plomteux
W KL1 200m	Brianna Hennessy
W VL2 200m
W VL3 200m	Erica Scarff
M KL3 200m	Gabriel Ferron-Bouius
M VL2 200m	Mathieu St. Pierre
M VL1 200m	Ben Brown

K2 F UNIFIED FINAL RACHEL COHEN AND MADDY SCHMIDT
DEMO II H K1 200M MATTHEW CASEY
II F K1 200M DEMO RACHEL COHEN
K2 H UNIFIED FINAL MATTHEW CASEY AND LAURENT LAVIGNE

Race Schedule:

WEDNESDAY AUGUST 23

HEATS

MORNING

C1 MEN 200M Tyler Laidlaw – SF

C1 WOMEN 200M Sophia Jensen – SF

K1 500M MEN Brian Malfesi – Finished 5th in heat

VL2 WOMEN 200M Brianna Hennessy – in Finals

KL3 MEN 200M Gabe Ferron-Bouius – SF

C2 WOMEN 200M Jacy Grant/Julia Lilley Osende – SF

C1 MEN 500M Andrew Billard – SF

K4 WOMEN 500M Courtney Stott/Riley Melanson/Nat Davison/Toshka Besharah-Hrebacka – SF

K4 MEN 500M Nick Matveev/Pierre Luc Poulin/Simon McTavish/Laurent Lavigne – SF

VL3 WOMEN 200M Erica Scarff – in Final

KL1 MEN 200M. Mathieu St.Pierre – 8th in Heat

AFTERNOON

K1 MEN 200M Nick Matveev- SF

HEATS

C2 WOMEN 500M Sloan MacKenzie/Katie Vincent – SF

K1 WOMEN 500M Michelle Russell – SF

VL2 MEN 200M Mathieu St.Pierre – SF

K2 MEN 1000M Brian Malfesi/Vincent Jourdenais – SF

C1 WOMEN 1000M Jacy Grant – in Final

K1 WOMEN 1000M

C1 MEN 1000M Connor Fitzpatrick – SF

K1 MEN 1000M Cameron Low – 6th in heat

THURSDAY AUGUST 24

MORNING

K1 WOMEN 200M Toshka Besharah-Hrebacka – SF

HEATS

C1 WOMEN 500M Katie Vincent – in FInal

K2 MEN 500M Pierre Luc Poulin/Simon McTavish – SF

C2 MEN 500M Craig Spence/Alix Plomteux – SF

K2 WOMEN 500M Courtney Stott/Maddy Schmidt – SF

KL1 WOMEN 200M Brianna Hennessy – in Final

C2 MIX 500M Jacy Grant/Sloan MacKenzie/Julia Lilley Osende/Sophia Jensen – SF

VL1 MEN 200M. Ben Brown – SF

K2 W UNIFIED FINAL Rachel Cohen/Maddy Schmidt – GOLD
II M K1 200M DEMO. Matthew Casey – DNF
II W K1 200M DEMO – Rachel Cohen – 4th
K2 M UNIFIED FINAL – Matthew Casey/ Laurent Lavigne – GOLD

AFTERNOON

K1 MEN 200M Nick Matveev – Final B

SEMIS

C2 WOMEN 500M Katie Vincent/Sloan MacKenzie – Final

SEMIS

K1 WOMEN 500M Michelle Russell – Final A

A/B SEMIS

VL2 MEN 200M Mathieu St.Pierre – Final A

SEMIS

C2 MEN 1000M

SEMIS

K2 MEN 1000M Brian Malfesi/Vincent Jourdenais – Final A

SEMIS

C1 WOMEN 1000M

SEMIS

K1 WOMEN 1000M

SEMIS

C1 MEN 1000M Connor Fitzpatrick – Final A

SEMIS

K1 MEN 1000M Cameron Low – Final C

VL1 MEN 200M. Ben Brown – Final

A/B SEMIS

FRIDAY AUGUST 25

MORNING

VL2 WOMEN 200M

SEMIS

C1 MEN 200M Tyler Laidlaw – Final B

SEMIS

C1 WOMEN 200M Sophia Jensen – Final

SEMIS

K1 MEN 500M

SEMIS

KL3 MEN 200M Gabe Ferron-Bouius – FInal B

SEMIS

C2 WOMEN 200M Jacy Grant/Julia Lilley Osende – Final

SEMIS

C1 MEN 500M Andrew Billard – Final B

SEMIS

K4 WOMEN Courtney Stott/Rilewy Melanson/Nat Davison/ Toshka Besharah-Hrebacka FINAL B

SEMIS

K4 MEN Pierre Luc Poulin/Simon McTavish/Nick Matveev/Laurent Lavigne FINAL B

SEMIS

VL1 MEN 200M Ben Brown – 9th

FINAL

AFTERNOON

K1 MEN 500M

FINAL

VL2 WOMEN 200M QUALIFIED Brianna Hennessy SILVER

FINAL

C1 MEN 200M Tyler Laidlaw – 3rd

B FINAL

C1 WOMEN 200M QUALIFIED Sophia Jensen – 6th

A FINAL

K2 WOMEN 200M

A FINAL

VL3 WOMEN 200M QUALIFIED Erica Scarff SILVER

FINAL

KL3 MEN 200M Gabe Ferron-Bouius – 8th

FINAL

C2 WOMEN 200M Jacy Grant/Julian Lilley Osende –

FINAL

C1 MEN 500M Andrew Billard – 4th

FINAL B

K4 WOMEN 500M QUALIFIED Courtney Stott/Riley Melanson/Nat Davison/Toshka Besharah-Hrebacka – 1st

FINAL B

K4 MEN 500M QUALIFIED Nick Matveev/Pierre Luc Poulin/Simon McTavish/Laurent Lavigne – 1st

FINAL B

SATURDAY AUGUST 26

MORNING

K1 WOMEN 1000M

FINAL

K2 MEN 1000M Brian Malfesi/Vincent Jourdenais – 5th

FINAL

C1 WOMEN 1000M Jacy Grant – SILVER

FINAL

VL2 MEN 200M Mathieu St. Pierre – 8th

FINAL A

K1 MEN 200M Nick Matveev – 2nd

FINAL B

C1 MEN 1000M

FINAL A

K1 MEN 1000M Cameron Low – 3rd

FINAL C

K1 WOMEN 500M QUALIFIED Michelle Russell 6th

FINAL A

C2 WOMEN 500M QUALIFIED Katie Vincent/Sloan MacKenzie – BRONZE

FINAL A

K1 WOMEN 200M Toshka Besharah-Hrebacka – FINAL

SEMIS

C1 WOMEN 500M

SEMIS

K2 MEN 500M Pierre Luc Poulin/Simon McTavish – FINAL

SEMIS

C2 MEN 500M Craig Spence/Alix Plomteux – B FINAL

SEMIS

K2 WOMEN 500M Courtney Stott/Maddy Schmidt – B FINAL

SEMIS

KL1 200M

SEMIS

C2 MIXED

SEMIS

SUNDAY, AUGUST 27

KL1 WOMEN 200M Brianna Hennessy – BRONZE

FINAL

K1 WOMEN 200m Toshka Besharah Hrebacka – 4th

A FINAL

C1 WOMEN 500M Katie Vincent – GOLD

A FINAL

K2 MEN 500M Pierre Luc Poulin/Simon McTavish – 9th

A FINAL

C2 MEN 500M Craig Spence/Alix Plomteux 2nd

B FINAL

K2 WOMEN 500M Courtney Stott/Maddy Schmidt – 7th

B FINAL

C4 WOMEN 500M Sloan MacKenzie/Jacy Grant/Julia Lilley Osende/Sophia Jensen – BRONZE

A FINAL

C2 MIXED 500M Katie Vincent/Connor Fitzpatrick – GOLD

A FINAL

C1 WOMEN 5000M Katie Vincent – GOLD

A FINAL

C1 MEN 5000M Connor Fitzpatrick – DNS

A FINAL

K1 WOMEN 5000M Maddy Schmidt – SILVER

A FINAL

K1 MEN 5000M Simon McTavish – 4th

A FINAL

Aug

10

Call for Candidates – Board of Directors – Paddling Association Representatives

Board

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CanoeKayak Canada is looking for two individuals to join the organization’s Board of Directors. This position is representative of the Paddling Association members of CKC and will be instrumental in providing a member perspective to the discussions and decision-making of the organization.

The Board of Directors is comprised of a minimum of 10 and a maximum of 11 people. Below outlines how these positions are elected or appointed by the two classes of membership within CKC:

Each of the 3 Paddling Disciplines have 2 positions which they elect or appoint from their discipline members for a total of 6 positions
The Paddling Association members elect 4 positions from amongst the entire CKC membership

Candidate must meet the following minimum criteria:

Be 18 years of age or older,
Have the power under law to contract,
Be a resident of Canada,
Have not been declared incapable by a court in Canada or in another country,
Do not have the status of bankrupt, and
Satisfies the requirements of the Income Tax Act in relation to the eligibility to serve as a director of a registered charity
Be a current member in good standing of a Paddling Association member of CKC

In addition, the ideal candidate will have:

Experience in serving on Not For Profit Boards of Directors
Knowledge of CKC and its member disciplines
A specific skill set or expertise that would be of benefit to the organization
Knowledge of the Canadian sport system is an asset but not required
Ability to commit approximately 10 – 15 hours per month to the work of the Board
Willing and able to travel if necessary

This is a volunteer position with a term of three years.

Interested candidates are required to complete this form (scroll to the bottom section) in order to be considered for the position.

Deadline for applications is midnight EST on September 5, 2023.

Please send applications to Chair of the CKC Nominating Committee, care of Kathy Hare by email to khare@canoekayak.ca

Jul

20

CKC names two athletes to the Sprint Canoe World Championship Team to compete in PaddleALL Events

Canoe Sprint, PaddleALL, World Championships

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OTTAWA, ON (July 20, 2023) – Canoe Kayak Canada (CKC) is thrilled to announce the athletes nominated to the Sprint Canoe World Championship team to compete in the PaddleALL events (ICF Intellectual Impairment II events).

Rachel Cohen (Balmy Beach Canoe Club) and Matthew Casey (Cheema Aquatic Club) have been selected to the World Championship team based on their winning K1-200m performances at the Canada Cup East event in Ottawa, Ontario.

PaddleALL programming in our Canoe Kayak community in Canada has, for nearly two decades, encouraged athletes with intellectual disabilities to train and race to be their best in sport. Last year, the International Canoe Federation (ICF) in partnership with Canoe Kayak Canada hosted its first-ever PaddleALL (Intellectual Impairment II) exhibition races at a world championship event. Canoe Kayak Canada continues to work with its partners and members across Canada to push for Special Olympics Canada recognition and to have the opportunity to send our Canadian athletes to the Special Olympics World Games.

“Rachel and Matthew are strong additions to our team heading into the World Championships,” said Ian Mortimer, Chief Technical Officer of Canoe Kayak Canada. “In both the K1 and Unified Events we will be targeting podium performances, which is a reflection of not just these two athletes, but the strength of our PaddleALL community across Canada, who deserve this chance to compete on the world stage.”

Rachel Cohen started her paddling journey in 2017 with the Pickering Rouge Canoe Club in 2017 and currently paddles with the Balmy Beach Canoe Club in Toronto, Ontario. Capitalizing on her multi-sport experience, Rachel found swift enjoyment and success in the kayak, winning a silver medal at the 2022 ICF World Championships exhibition race. As captain of her swim team, Rachel has also been selected to compete in the Special Olympics Provincial Summer Games in 2024. She was also inducted into the Toronto Sport Hall of Honour in 2022 as the Special Olympics Athlete of the Year.

Hailing from Fall River, Nova Scotia, Matthew Casey has been paddling at the Cheema Canoe Club for over 11 years now and also brings a wealth of sports experience, including hockey, golf and cycling. Qualifying for this World Championship team holds extra meaning for Matthew as he was sidelined by a broken arm at the 2022 World Championships, preventing him from competing on home waters. Off the water, Matthew loves volunteering his time with the PaddleALL program, supporting the next generation of athletes.

Rachel and Matthew will compete amongst the world’s best sprint paddlers at the ICF Canoe and Para Canoe World Championships in Duisburg, Germany from August 23-27.

The Rosters:

ICF Canoe World Championships

Intellectual Impairment II

Matthew Casey – Cheema Aquatic Club
Rachel Cohen – Balmy Beach Canoe Club

Men’s Kayak

Vincent Jourdenais – Club de canoë-kayak de vitesse de Trois-Rivières
Laurent Lavigne – Club de canoë-kayak de vitesse de Trois-Rivières
Cameron Low – Balmy Beach Canoe Club
Brian Malfesi – Ridge Canoe and Kayak Club
Nicholas Matveev – Balmy Beach Canoe Club
Simon McTavish – Mississauga Canoe Club
Pierre-Luc Poulin – Club de Canoë-Kayak Lac-Beauport

Men’s Canoe

Andrew Billard – Maskwa Aquatic Club
Connor Fitzpatrick – Senobe Aquatic Club
Alix Plomteux – Club de Canoë-Kayak Lac-Beauport
Tyler Laidlaw – Sackawa Canoe Club
Craig Spence – Cheema Aquatic Club

Women’s Kayak

Toshka Besharah-Hrebacka – Rideau Canoe Club
Natalie Davison – Rideau Canoe Club
Riley Melanson – Banook Canoe Club
Michelle Russell – Abenaki Aquatic Club
Maddy Schmidt – Rideau Canoe Club
Courtney Stott – Balmy Beach Canoe Club

Women’s Canoe

Jacy Grant – Cheema Aquatic Club
Sophia Jensen – Cascades
Julia Lilley Osende – Mic Mac Aquatic Canoe Club
Sloan MacKenzie – Cheema Aquatic Club
Katie Vincent – Mississauga Canoe Club

ICF Para Canoe World Championships

Men Kayak

Gabriel Ferron-Bouius – Rideau Canoe Club

Men Va’a

Mathieu St.Pierre – Club de canotage du Shawinigan
Benjamin Brown – Maskwa Aquatic Club

Women Kayak

Brianna Hennessy – Ottawa River Canoe Club

Women Va’a

Brianna Hennessy – Ottawa River Canoe Club
Erica Scarff – Mississauga Canoe Club

Visit Canoe Kayak Canada’s website to get more information and make sure to follow @PlanetCanoe and @CanoeKayakCAN for more live updates.

Subscribe to Canoe Kayak Canada’s mailing list to get all news and results directly to your email.

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.

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For more information:

Colleen Coderre
Communications Lead
ccoderre@canoekayak.ca

Emmalee Nother
Communications Coordinator
enother@canoekayak.ca

Jul

13

CKC mourns the loss of Dima Buzdugan

0

It is with deep sadness that Canoe Kayak Canada recognizes the tragic passing of Dima Buzdugan, member of the Richmond Hill Canoe Club.

Dumitru passed away on Monday July 10^th, at the Welland General Hospital. Canoe Kayak Canada wishes to express its deepest sympathies to Dima’s family, his wife and two children, and all those affected by his sudden loss.

In lieu of flowers, donations can be made through a GoFundMe that has been set up in Dumitru’s honour.

Jul

6

Minden welcomes the Canadian National Whitewater Championships and Minden Open ICF Ranking Race

Canoe Freestyle, Canoe Slalom, Nationals

0

MINDEN, ONTARIO (JULY 6, 2023) – Canada’s best whitewater paddlers will be gathering at the Minden Whitewater Preserve on the Gull River from August 21st to 27th to compete for National titles in Canoe and Kayak Slalom, Freestyle, Downriver, and Kayak Cross. International athletes will be present to compete for International Canoe Federation ranking points at the Minden Open Race which will run concurrently.

More than a hundred athletes will be competing in multiple disciplines over the course of the week, keeping competition fierce as the provinces battle for points towards the Brian Greer Cup, the Provincial Team title. With International Canoe Federation ranking points also up for grabs, athletes from other nations are expected to attend, further deepening the field and adding to the excitement.

All are invited to this free event, which includes the thrilling new whitewater discipline of kayak cross. Pitting four athletes head-to-head, kayak cross is a must see as it is set to make its Olympic Games debut next year in Paris.

“We are excited to welcome athletes from across the country and around the world to Minden,” said Eric Betteridge, Organizing Committee Co-Chair. “This world class venue has been the site of many National Championships as well as the 2015 Pan Am Games and three World Cup events. This will be a great opportunity for our younger athletes to gain valuable experience competing against national and international athletes, as it is an international ranking race.”

“I am beyond excited to see that Nationals are being held in Minden after a four-year hiatus. It is such a great venue with a challenging whitewater course. I have many memories from Minden either from attending team selection or Nationals and it is always a lot of fun competing there. Good luck to everyone!” – Florence Maheu, National Whitewater Slalom Team, Olympian.

Location: Minden Whitewater Preserve, 1020 Bethel Rd, Minden, ON

Schedule:

Aug 23: AM – Kayak Cross Time Trial; PM – Kayak Cross Elimination

Aug 24: AM – Freestyle; PM – Development Race

Aug 25: AM- Down River Classic; PM – Down River Sprint

Aug 26: Slalom Age Group Races (Heats 1 and 2)

Aug 27: Slalom Open Races (Semi-finals and Finals)

For updates and more information follow Whitewater Ontario on Instagram and Facebook or visit the event 2023 Whitewater Nationals website.

About Whitewater Ontario

Whitewater Ontario is a volunteer-driven organization uniting, supporting, and sustaining the inclusive development of the whitewater paddling community and resources within the province. The Minden Whitewater Preserve, where the 2023 Nationals are being held, is one of the many focal points for recreational and competitive paddling in the province. Ontario is well represented on national teams by Slalom, Freestyle and Downriver athletes. Most recently Ontario Slalom athletes brought home two silver medals from the 2023 Pan Am Championships and are representing Canada on the World Cup Circuit. Canadian Freestyle athletes are some of the best in the world – recently, Freestyle athletes brought home 5 silver medals from the 2022 World Championships and World Cups. Ontario Slalom, Freestyle and Downriver athletes comprise a large proportion of the National teams representing Canada at Senior, Junior and U23 World Championships.

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For more information :

Eric Betteridge

Co-Chair 2023 Whitewater Nationals Organizing Committee

613-806-2532

Eric.Whitewater@gmail.com

Jun

30

Olympic Kayakers announce their retirement from sprint paddling

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Tokyo teammates Andréanne Langlois and Alanna Bray-Lougheed are packing up their paddles and announcing their official retirement from competitive sprint paddling following successful careers representing Canada on the world’s largest sporting stages.

Andréanne and Alanna have a combined 20 years of paddling experience racing at an elite level and even more national and international medals to showcase their successes. In 2019, the kayaking duo brought home gold in the women’s K-2 500m and K-4 500m at the Pan American Games in Lima, Peru.

Alanna Bray-Lougheed (30) grew up in Oakville, Ontario and kick started her paddling career at the Burloak Canoe Club. She was named to the national team for the first time in 2015 after winning the K-2 200m and K-2 500m national titles with Lizzy Bates and going on to win multiple national titles in the years to come. In 2017, Alanna broke into the international scene, competing in both World Cup and World championships in multiple K-2 distances with Natalie Davison.

In 2019, she raced to gold at the 2019 Pan Am Games with Langlois in the K-2 500m, and helped the women’s K-4 500m team paddle to their third consecutive gold.

Alanna made her Olympic debut at Tokyo 2020 where she competed in the K-2 500m with Madeline Schmidt and in the K-4 500m with Langlois.

“Making the Olympic team after a year with big ups and downs and having them postponed, was definitely a highlight of my career,” shared Bray-Lougheed. “But it was the training camps leading up to big competitions that are memories I will cherish the most. Joking around in the boat bays, completing a hard practice and chatting about it afterwards over dinner with teammates, and the feeling of working together towards the big goal.”

Hailing from Trois-Rivières, Quebec, Andréanne (30) first represented Canada as a 16-year-old at the 2009 ICF Junior World Championships. She continued to climb up the ranks to compete at the World Cup level in 2016. Andréanne qualified for her first Olympic Games in Rio finishing 8^th in the K-4 500m and 14^th in the K-1 200m events.

“My first Olympics is my most cherished memory,” said Langlois. “I had the opportunity to be surrounded by my heroes and idols. It was an amazing experience to be with people with so much experience. I will never forget it.”

She went on to compete at the world championships in 2017 and qualifying for Pan American Games in 2019, bringing home an impressive 4 medals for Canada.

In her second Olympic appearance at Tokyo 2020, Langlois reached the A final of the K-1 200m and the B final of the K-4 500m.

At the 2022 ICF World Championships, held in Dartmouth, Nova Scotia, she wrapped up her paddling career with a bronze medal finish in the K2 200m final with partner Toshka Besharah – Hrebecka.

“The highlight of my career was winning a medal in my own country with my girl, Toshka. It was an amazing experience to share it with new eyes and be able to do my favorite distance with a friend. It was an opportunity of a lifetime.”

While both Alanna and Andréanne are starting new chapters in their life working in healthcare, they both intend on staying connected to the community that helped shaped them into the people they are today.

“I plan on staying involved in the sport in some capacity, such as a mentor and volunteer and I hope to continue competing at Nationals,” said Bray-Lougheed. “I just recently moved from Halifax to Toronto to start a new job as a Registered Dietitian in the NICU at Sunnybrook Hospital. I’m really excited to start a new chapter and know my time as an athlete will serve me well in this new career.”

CKC wishes Andréanne and Alanna all the best on their new journeys and look forward to seeing them on the dock cheering on the next generation of Canadian paddlers!

Jun

29

CKC names Sprint Canoe World Championship Teams – Senior, Under 23 and Junior events Olympic hopefuls also selected to compete in Poland

Canoe Sprint, International, Paracanoe, Teams, World Championships

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OTTAWA, ON (July 29, 2023) – Canoe Kayak Canada (CKC) announces the 2023 rosters of sprint paddlers nominated to compete at the Senior, Junior, U23 ICF Canoe World Championships and the Olympic Hopes Regatta this summer.

The world’s best sprint paddlers will contest for 2024 Olympic and Paralympic quota spots at the ICF Canoe and Para Canoe World Championships in Duisburg, Germany from August 23-27.

“As a team we are looking to qualify as many quota spots as possible and we intend to work really hard to be ready to do just that,” said Connor Fitzpatrick, 2022 World Champion in C-2 mixed 500m event. “I hope to put myself in the fight for a quota spot against the best in the world.”

Olympic bronze medallist Katie Vincent, will look to reclaim and defend her world championship titles, winning three gold medals and a bronze at the 2022 ICF Worlds in Dartmouth, Nova Scotia. Team Canada took home a total of eight medals last year including a silver and bronze from 2020 Paralympian Brianna Hennessy. Canada also ranked 4^th overall in the country medal standings.

Canada will be proudly represented by 32 emerging paddlers at the Junior and U23 World Championships team, including siblings Peter, Maren and Stuart Bradley from the Rideau Canoe Club.

“Being able to race alongside my two brothers internationally is something I never would have imagined when we got into this sport,” said Maren Bradley. “The three of us are each other’s biggest fans so I am really looking forward to cheering them on and also having them there to motivate me at showtime! Such an amazing opportunity for our whole family.”

The ICF Junior and U23 Canoe Sprint World Championships will take place from July 5-9 in Auronzo, Italy.

The Olympic Hopes Regatta will take place September 7 – 10 in Poznan, Poland featuring 24 of Canada’s top U16 and U17 paddlers in an iconic event that showcases the next generation of Olympic talent.

“We are proud of the efforts of all of the athletes who raced for nominations this past weekend and look forward to working with those athletes nominated to compete on the world stage,” said CKC’s Chief Technical Officer, Ian Mortimer. “The events this summer are an exciting opportunity for us to showcase our talent as a nation, and we know the entire community at home will be cheering them on.”

The selection event was held at the National Team Trials at the Olympic Basin in Montreal, Quebec from June 23-26.

The Rosters:

Senior ICF Canoe World Championships

Men’s Kayak

Vincent Jourdenais – Club de canoë-kayak de vitesse de Trois-Rivières
Laurent Lavigne – Club de canoë-kayak de vitesse de Trois-Rivières
Cameron Low – Balmy Beach Canoe Club
Brian Malfesi – Ridge Canoe and Kayak Club
Nicholas Matveev – Balmy Beach Canoe Club
Simon McTavish – Mississauga Canoe Club
Pierre-Luc Poulin – Club de Canoë-Kayak Lac Beauport

Men’s Canoe

Andrew Billard – Maskwa Aquatic Club
Connor Fitzpatrick – Senobe Aquatic Club
Tyler Laidlaw – Sackawa Canoe Club
Alix Plomteux – Club de Canoë-Kayak Lac Beauport
Craig Spence – Cheema Aquatic Club

Women’s Kayak

Toshka Besharah-Hrebacka – Rideau Canoe Club
Natalie Davison – Rideau Canoe Club
Riley Melanson – Senobe Aquatic Club
Michelle Russell – Abenaki Aquatic Club
Maddy Schmidt – Rideau Canoe Club
Courtney Stott – Balmy Beach Canoe Club

Women’s Canoe

Jacy Grant – Cheema Aquatic Club
Sophia Jensen – Cascades
Julia Lilley Osende – Mic Mac Aquatic Canoe Club
Sloan MacKenzie – Cheema Aquatic Club
Katie Vincent – Mississauga Canoe Club

ICF Para Canoe World Championships

Men’s Kayak

Gabriel Ferron-Bouius – Rideau Canoe Club

Men’s Va’a

Benjamin Brown – Maskwa Aquatic Club
Mathieu St.Pierre – Club de canotage de Shawinigan

Women’s Kayak

Brianna Hennessy – Ottawa River Canoe Club

Women’s Va’a

Brianna Hennessy – Ottawa River Canoe Club
Erica Scarff – Mississauga Canoe Club

ICF U23 Canoe World Championships

Men’s Kayak

Alex Canning – Banook Canoe Club
Ian Gaudet – Banook Canoe Club
Jérémy Lantz – Club de canoë-kayak de vitesse de Trois-Rivières

Men’s Canoe

Peter Bradley – Rideau Canoe Club
Viktor Hardy – Club de Canoë-Kayak Lac Beauport
Zachary Kralik – Mississauga Canoe Club

Women’s Kayak

Maren Bradley – Rideau Canoe Club
Sarah Nagy – Richmond Hill Canoe Club
Brooklyn Wodehouse – Richmond Hill Canoe Club

Women’s Canoe

Marlee MacIntosh – Maskwa Aquatic Club
Jessica MacKay – Maskwa Aquatic Club
Evie McDonald – Rideau Canoe Club

ICF Junior (U18) World Championship

Men’s Kayak

Thomas Beauregard – Rideau Canoe Club
Carson Corey – Burloak Canoe Club
Braden Lawrence – Senobe Aquatic Club
Ryan Naroditsky – Rideau Canoe Club
Carter Naugler – Senobe Aquatic Club

Men’s Canoe

Stuart Bradley – Rideau Canoe Club
Jack Chambers – Mississauga Canoe Club
Nikita Ciudin – Calgary Canoe Club
Étienne Gamache – Club de canotage Otterburn
Nicholas Shirokov – Mississauga Canoe Club

Women’s Kayak

Chloe Bryer – Burloak Canoe Club
Florence Hamel – Club de canoë de Lachine
Callie Loch – Rideau Canoe Club
Ivy Murphy – Banook Canoe Club
Alina Tverie – Club de canoë de Lachine

Women’s Canoe

Élizabeth Desrosiers-McArthur – Club de Canoë-Kayak Lac Beauport
Ruby Muhl – Rideau Canoe Club
Julia Price – Rideau Canoe Club
Zoe Wojtyk – Rideau Canoe Club
Abby Wojtyk – Rideau Canoe Club

Olympic Hopes Regatta

Men’s Kayak

U17

Luke Enns – Toba Canoe and Kayak Club
Carter Naugler – Senobe Aquatic Club
Henrik Neuspiel – Rideau Canoe Club

U16

Conrad Hoogerboord – Senobe Aqautic Club
William Jennings – Maskwa Aquatic Club
Dyllan Redwood-Wheeler – Carleton Place Canoe Club

Men’s Canoe

U17

Duncan Giles – Senobe Aquatic Club
Alexander McNeil – Maskwa Aquatic Club
Cole Norman – Rideau Canoe Club

U16

Justin Boyko – Calgary Canoe Club
Shawn Ge – Burloak Canoe Club
Baer Robertson – Wascana Canoe Club

Women’s Kayak

U17

Chloe Bryer – Burloak Canoe Club
Florence Hamel – Club de canoë de Lachine
Callie Loch – Rideau Canoe Club

U16

Marie Chamberland – Club de canotage du Lac-Sergent
Amelia Frank – Pisquid Aquatic Club
Maura Macumber – Maskwa Canoe Club

Women’s Canoe

U17

Isabel Lowry – Carleton Place Canoe Club
Ruby Muhl – Rideau Canoe Club
Julia Price – Rideau Canoe Club

U16

Abbie Haines – Carleton Place Canoe Club
Emma Marshall – Balmy Beach Canoe Club
Victoria Tran – Maskwa Aquatic Club

Visit Canoe Kayak Canada’s website to get more information and make sure to follow @PlanetCanoe and @CanoeKayakCAN for more live updates.

Subscribe to Canoe Kayak Canada’s mailing list to get all news and results directly to your email.

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.

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For more information:

Colleen Coderre
Communications Lead
ccoderre@canoekayak.ca

Emmalee Nother
Communications Coordinator
enother@canoekayak.ca

Jun

28

Canada’s canoe/kayak slalom team announced for Santiago 2023

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Canada’s canoe/kayak slalom team announced for Santiago 2023

OTTAWA (June 28, 2023) – Canoe Kayak Canada and the Canadian Olympic Committee have announced Canada’s canoe/kayak slalom team selected to compete at the Santiago 2023 Pan American Games.

The Team Canada slalom paddlers for the Santiago 2023 Pan American Games are:

Athletes
Alex Baldoni (Pau, France)
Léa Baldoni (Pau, France)
Lois Betteridge (Ottawa, Ont.)
Florence Maheu (Salaberry-de-Valleyfield, Que.)
Maël Rivard (Ottawa, Ont.)

The five athletes qualified for Team Canada at the Pan American Championships held in Três Coroas, Brazil in late April where they collected a total of five silver medals.

“Being named to the Santiago team is very exciting,” said Lois Betteridge, silver medallist in the women’s C-1 at the Lima 2019 Pan American Games. “Getting to compete for the second time, as part of Team Canada is something very special. It feels amazing to be going as part of a strong team and I hope to be able to contribute to the success of Canada at the Pan American Games!”

No stranger to the major Games atmosphere, Florence Maheu competed in the women’s K-1 event at the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games, finishing 23rd overall. Santiago 2023 will be her first Pan American Games appearance. It will be the first major Games for Maël Rivard as well as siblings Alex and Léa Baldoni. Dual citizens reigning from Pau, France, the brother and sister duo are proud to be representing their mother’s side of the family as a part of Team Canada on the international stage.

Canoe/kayak slalom made its Pan American Games debut at Toronto 2015. Canada has since won seven Pan Am Games medals in the sport. Kayak cross, an exciting new competition format in which four athletes race head-to-head through a whitewater course, made its Pan American Games debut at Lima 2019 and will make its Olympic debut at Paris 2024.

Team Canada will have athletes competing in all of the canoe/kayak slalom events.

“The whole team is delighted for the opportunity to represent Canada in Santiago this fall,” said Canoe Kayak Canada Senior High Performance Manager and three-time Olympian in canoe slalom, James Cartwright. “This season is going to be a marathon with our Olympic qualifications starting in September in London and I know our athletes will also be very motivated to perform as part of Team Canada in Santiago!”

Canoe/kayak slalom will take place October 27-29 (Day 7 to 9) at the Río Aconcagua, Los Andes.

“I’m truly excited to welcome five new athletes on Team Canada who will represent us in canoe/kayak slalom,” said Christine Girard, Team Canada’s Santiago 2023 Chef de Mission. “With a good mix of experienced and newer athletes, the team will surely take our breath away on the whitewater course! An amazing venue and opportunity to showcase this thrilling sport.”

Team Canada’s canoe/kayak slalom coaching staff for the Santiago 2023 Pan American Games are:

Coaches
Anthony Colin (Mansle, France) – International Coach
Michal Staniszewski (Gatineau, Que.) – Next Gen Coach

Prior to being named to Team Canada, all nominations are subject to approval by the Canadian Olympic Committee’s Team Selection Committee following its receipt of nominations by all National Sport Organizations.

The latest Team Canada Santiago 2023 roster can be found here.

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MEDIA CONTACTS:

Colleen Coderre, Communications Lead
Canoe Kayak Canada
C: 613-530-6217
E: ccoderre@canoekayak.ca

Emmalee Nother, Communications Coordinator
Canoe Kayak Canada
C: 905-912-1322
E: enother@canoekayak.ca

Tara MacBournie, Team Canada Santiago 2023 Sport Communications Lead
Canadian Olympic Committee
C: 647-522-8328
E: tmacbournie@olympic.ca

Jun

21

Waterways Canada leading the way in empowering Indigenous Youth

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Paddling brings people of all backgrounds and ages together, it waves away our differences and connects us to the water, land, and nature that surrounds us. It’s hard to describe the feeling you have in your boat, but we all know exactly what that feeling is.

Today, on Indigenous Peoples Day, it is important to remember that paddling is far more than competition, it is a pillar of life for First Nations, Inuit and Métis peoples on Turtle Island and Indigenous peoples all over the world. We are all incredibly fortunate to share in the benefits and beauty of this sport on a cultural, spiritual, physical, and emotional level.

One organization that is leading the way to empower Indigenous youth and their communities through canoe-based outdoor recreation programs is Waterways Canada (Waterways). Waterways is an indigenous-led non-profit organization based in Manitoba that was created in the summer of 2020 by a group of individuals, two of which are indigenous competitive paddlers themselves. Their mission is to connect indigenous youth with their culture, lands and community while nurturing their mental, physical, emotional, and spiritual well-being. Through their collaborative canoe programs, they provide indigenous youth with the tools they need to lead healthy lives and conquer any challenges they may face.

The programming Waterways provides enables Indigenous youth to connect to the water and rekindle their connection to elements of their culture that are critically endangered, such their indigenous languages. Many of their programs have grown exponentially since they began, with a high demand within Indigenous communities to get outside and embrace paddling while enriching their souls with their culture that was once lost. Waterways is proud to have programming in over 20 communities across Manitoba, celebrating and connecting Indigenous youth and communities through the sport of paddling.

To continue to grow this empowering and essential programming it requires significant funding. This year, Waterways was fortunate enough to receive a donation from a donor through the GiftPact Foundation that CKC helped facilitate that will enable this year’s programming to flourish and encourage Indigenous youth in Manitoba to continue to engage in their culture and identity through paddling. From supporting year-round planning to purchasing equipment, every dollar helps empower Indigenous youth to get out on the water and discover what they love about themselves, their culture, and canoeing.

There is a huge importance for indigenous youth and their communities to have an outlet and a place to connect with the land, their families, and their communities to rekindle their connection to their culture. For indigenous peoples, paddling is a way of life, a way of discovering their ancestry, learning powerful life lessons, and passing on their knowledge for generations to come. Waterways is an organization that is building a space for indigenous peoples to do just that, and it is something to celebrate today and every day.

For more information on Waterways and the work that they do, please visit Waterways Canada. You can also support Waterways through the Ultimate Canoe Tripping Raffle until July 4^th, 2023. Tickets are available here.

We encourage you to take the time today to honour, reflect, learn, and celebrate the history, culture, and resistance of all Indigenous peoples across Turtle Island.

Photos Provided by: Waterways Canada

May

25

Canoe Kayak Canada Announces U23 and Junior Slalom Teams

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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

OTTAWA, ON (May 25, 2023) – Canada’s best under-23 and junior slalom paddlers have been named to the CKC World Championship teams this season. Fourteen athletes secured their spot throughout the selection process competing in international races in France and Spain and at the Kananaskis selection race in Alberta, Canada.

“I’m excited to welcome our paddlers back to our program and to kick off the 2023 season” said James Cartwright, Senior High Performance Manager. It’s inspiring to see the level of paddling in these young athletes, our junior and U23 team is competitive, and I look forward to seeing what they will accomplish in Krakow.”

Rising U23 slalom star Maël Rivard (Ontario) is looking forward to the big season ahead saying, “I am stoked to be returning to Krakow for U23 World Championships this summer. The venue is great for racing and I know it well. Excitement levels will be high with the European Games wrapping up in Krakow just before. This event will be an important competition in my preparation for the Senior World Championships in September.”

Béatrice Olson (Ontario) will represent Canada in her last year of eligibility as a junior this upcoming season. “I am very excited to be part of the team that will be going the 2023 Junior World Championships,” shared Olsen. “I have been to Krakow a few times before and have always enjoyed racing there because of the challenging stoppers on the course. This will be my last year as a junior so my focus will be on delivering my best performance of the season.”

Members of the team will attend several international competitions in Slovenia, Czech Republic and Slovakia alongside the development squad in the lead up to the world championship event. The development athletes will attend the international competitions and return to Canada before the U23 and Junior World Championships. The International Canoe Federation Slalom U23 and Junior World Championships will take place from August 16-20 in Krakow, Poland.

You can find the list of events at Canoe Kayak Canada.

*Qualified for both U23 and Junior teams, competing at Junior World Championships.

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.

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For more information:

Colleen Coderre
Communications Lead
ccoderre@canoekayak.ca

Emmalee Nother
Communications Coordinator
enother@canoekayak.ca

May

17

Putting policies into practice with Allison Forsyth

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CKC is committed to protecting the health, safety, and physical and mental well-being of every individual that is involved in the Canadian paddling community. CKC takes any situation involving misconduct, maltreatment, and prohibited behaviour very seriously. As part of our programming, we are offering to our community a series of workshops.

These sessions will be led by Allison Forsyth, COO, Partner ITP Sport & Recreation, Olympian, and World Championship bronze medalist skier. Allison is a survivor of abuse in the Canadian sport system and is passionate about providing audience relevant education in a real, conversational, and interactive ways. These sessions will provide you with real life scenarios and help all participant groups work through the realities and challenges of Safe Sport implementation, behaviour shifts, and identifying potential predatorial abuse. If you have taken online training before, rest assured that training is considered and these sessions will elevate your knowledge, your duty to protect and be protected, and how to navigate the nuances from commonly seen micro-aggressions and when and how to report maltreatment.

Allison does not take sides. She believes in Safe Sport for all, and whether you are a parent, athlete, coach, official, or administrator, she leads with empathy for your position in this movement and is positive and supportive in her approach.

Safe Sport is a critical component of the future of sport in our country and in every sport organization. These sessions will also support you in your understanding of the why behind that and how you can contribute to this new, safer era of sport.

We look forward to welcoming you to learn more! Please share with all your members to encourage participation in the session that best speaks to the role you/they play in our community!

Athletes

(over 15 years of age)

Athletes are encouraged to join both sessions (if they can) as they will follow a slightly different framework.

Postponed until August 2023

TBD

Session #2 of 2

90-minute workshop

Review and deeper discussion.

*EN/FR slides & simultaneous interpretation for the main presentation (first half)

Athletes Date TBD

* Note that the sessions will be run in English but slides will be sent in both languages. Simultaneous interpretation will be offered for the sessions as indicated above (please note that this will only be for anything offered in the main discussion and presentation and not in any potential breakout rooms). Should this change, participants will be notified.

May

2

Summer Job Opportunity – CKC Events Officer

Canoe Sprint, CKC, Jobs

0

Canoe Kayak Canada is the national governing body for competitive paddling in Canada, one of Canada’s top performing summer sports with a total of 26 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.

The Events Officer will be responsible for assisting with the delivery of domestic canoe kayak events playing a key role in planning, coordinating, monitoring, executing, and reporting on National level competitions. Additional responsibilities will include developing task charts for event execution, administrative, travel support, coordination and implementation of hosting guidelines for National events and servicing relationships with Host Organizing Committees (HOC).

If you or someone you know is interested in this role and would like to apply, please check out the full job description here.

DEADLINE TO APPLY IS MAY 10, 2023

Apr

27

Canoe Kayak Canada Announces 2023 World Cup Sprint Teams Olympians and Paralympians prepare to paddle to the podium

Canoe Sprint, Paracanoe, World Cups

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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

OTTAWA, ONTARIO (April 27, 2023) – Over 20 sprint paddlers from across Canada have booked their tickets to the 2023 ICF Canoe Sprint and Para World Cup in Szeged, Hungary.

The World Cup team trials, held at the Chula Vista Elite Training Centre, served as a selection regatta for the ICF Canoe Sprint and Para World Cup running from May 11-14.

“The sprint competitive season is off to a strong start with strong performances from our squad at our selection trials,” said Chief Technical Officer, Ian Mortimer. “With World Championships and Pan Am Games ahead this season, the World Cup will be an exciting opportunity for us to test ourselves on the International stage.”

Eight Olympic and Paralympic paddlers from Tokyo were selected to the team, including 2022 two-time world champion, Katie Vincent.

“We are really excited to be heading over to Hungary for the World Cup,” said Vincent. “With lots of veterans on our team, I think our experience will be our strength in this pre-Olympic year. Everyone on the team has learned a lot from each other in the past year and this world cup event will be a great representation of our collaboration and growth as we continue to develop on the road to Paris!”

Paralympian Brianna Hennessy is looking forward to another powerful paddling season, following a busy winter season and cross-training with the National wheelchair rugby team.

“I am extremely grateful for the winter training with my coaches and teammates who have supported and helped me push through some difficult times for my family recently,” said Hennessy. “I am honoured to have been selected for the team and am humbled to have another opportunity to compete on the world stage alongside so many phenomenal athletes that I admire in both kayak and canoe.”

You can tune into live World Cup coverage on the ICF website. Stay tuned for World Championship team selections happening at the second set of trials in June at the Olympic Basin from June 23-25.

To learn more about selection criteria, click here.

2023 Sprint World Cup Team

Para Club

Gabe Ferron-Bouius	Rideau Canoe Club
Brianna Hennessy	Ottawa River Canoe Club
Erica Scarff	Mississauga Canoe Club
Mathieu St-Pierre	Club de canotage du Shawinigan

Women’s Canoe Club

Sophia Jensen	Cascades
Julia Lilley Osende	Mic Mac Aquatic Canoe Club
Sloan MacKenzie	Cheema Aquatic Club
Katie Vincent	Mississauga Canoe Club

Men’s Canoe Club

Connor Fitzpatrick	Senobe Aquatic Club
Tyler Laidlaw	Sack-a-Wa Canoe Club
Alix Plomteux	Club de Canoe-Kayak Lac-Beauport
Craig Spence	Cheema Aquatic Club

Women’s Kayak Club

Toshka Besharah-Hrebacka	Rideau Canoe Club
Maren Bradley	Rideau Canoe Club
Riley Melanson	Cheema Aquatic Club
Michelle Russell	Cheema Aquatic Club
Madeline Schmidt	Rideau Canoe Club

Men’s Kayak Club

Laurent Lavigne	Club de canoe-kayak de vitesse de Trois-Rivières
Simon McTavish	Mississauga Canoe Club
Nicholas Matveev	Balmy Beach Canoe Club
Pierre-Luc Poulin	Club de Canoe-Kayak Lac-Beauport

Visit Canoe Kayak Canada’s website to get more information and make sure to follow @CanoeKayakCAN for social updates.

Subscribe to Canoe Kayak Canada’s mailing list to get all news and results directly to your email.

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 26 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.

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For more information:

Colleen Coderre
Communications Lead
ccoderre@canoekayak.ca

Emmalee Nother
Communications Coordinator
enother@canoekayak.ca

Apr

5

Canoe Kayak Canada Announces 2023 Senior Slalom Team

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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

OTTAWA, ON (April 5, 2022) – Canada’s top slalom paddlers have been named to the CKC Senior World Cup and World Championship teams this season. Seven athletes secured their spot at the Pyrenees Cup selection races in Pau, France and La Seu d’Urgell, Spain.

“I’m excited to welcome our paddlers back to our program this summer to race the world cups and world championships,” said James Cartwright, Senior High Performance Manager. “We have what is going to be the longest international competition season ahead of us this summer ending with the Pan American Games in Santiago in late October. Our team is very motivated to return to another full season of international racing as we move right back into Olympic Qualification for the Paris 2024.”

There are many familiar faces returning to the international circuit including slalom siblings, Alex and Léa Baldoni from Ontario.

“I’m very glad I will have the chance this year again to represent Canada in the international events,” shared Léa Baldoni. “The 2023 season means a lot to me because it’s the first step towards 2024 Olympic qualification.”

Tokyo Olympian, Florence Maheu is also returning to competition in the women’s kayak as well as the new and exciting event, slalom kayak cross. The extreme event is slated to make its’ Olympic debut at 2024 Paris Olympic Games.

“Im really looking forward to competing in two disciplines on the World Cup circuit,” said Maheu. ”I’m starting to feel more comfortable in the new kayak cross discipline and I’m looking forward to seeing how the recent equipment changes I have made in kayak cross are displayed on the international scene ahead of Olympic qualification.”

The U23 and junior World Championship teams will be announced following the 2023 Kananaskis selection event in May. Additionally, any remaining senior quota positions may be filled at that time.

The ICF Canoe Slalom World Cup circuit begins on June 2 in Augsburg, Germany.

You can find the list of events at Canoe Kayak Canada.

2023 CKC Senior Slalom Team

World Cups and Senior World Championships

Women’s Kayak

1. Lois Betteridge, ON

2. Léa Baldoni, ON

3. Florence Maheu, QC

Women’s Canoe

1. Lois Betteridge, ON

Women’s Kayak Cross

1. Lois Betteridge, ON

2. Florence Maheu, QC
3. Léa Baldoni, ON

Men’s Kayak

1. Alex Baldoni, ON

2. Trevor Boyd, AB

3. Mael Rivard, ON

Men’s Canoe

1. Alex Baldoni, ON

2. Daniel Parry, ON

Men’s Kayak Cross

1. Trevor Boyd, AB

2. Alex Baldoni, ON

3. Daniel Parry, ON

4. Mael Rivard, ON

Visit Canoe Kayak Canada’s website to get more information and make sure to follow @CanoeKayakCAN for social updates.

Subscribe to Canoe Kayak Canada’s mailing list to get all news and results directly to your email.

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.

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For more information:

Colleen Coderre

Communications Lead

ccoderre@canoekayak.ca

Emmalee Nother

Communications Coordinator

enother@canoekayak.ca

Mar

3

Paddle One Paddle All, Thanks for Answering our Call!

PaddleALL, PaddleALL

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Thanks to our incredible community, our Boats for All campaign closed on Monday, raising $15,657! This campaign had 72 donors, the highest amount of support we’ve seen in a campaign and beat our goal of $15,000, allowing us to purchase at least 10 touring boats that will be used at this year’s National Championships in Nova Scotia. This fleet of accessible boats will stay with the Host Division as a legacy to promote programming in the area for PaddleAll competitors, our program for those with intellectual disabilities.

“You have truly supported us in building the Paddle All/Special Olympic programming for this nation-wide initiative. Our athletes will have boats that they will be proud to paddle in because of your generosity,” said LA Schmidt, Commodore. “Thank you, Canoe Kayak donors from across Canada. We are building our Paddle All program through your generous donations and the matching assistance from First Lake Solutions – thank you all so much. When we work together as a team, great things happen!”

A special thank you to First Lake Solutions who came forward with a matching challenge that helped us surpass our goal!

“First Lake would like to thank all of the donors for their generosity in making this campaign a success,” said Rob LeForte, Founder of First Lake Solutions. “We applaud CKC for taking the initiative to make canoe kayak accessible to people from all backgrounds.”

Our sincerest gratitude in helping us create an inclusive and welcoming community for all paddlers and creating a legacy for years to come.

Feb

21

CKC Sprint Members Electronic Vote – CanMas Date Change – Membres de Vitesse de CKC Vote électronique – Changement de date Canmas

0

Feb

3

CKC Honours Coaches with Coach Recognition Awards

Awards

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Canoe Kayak Canada (CKC) is proud to honour the numerous coaches who have demonstrated excellence in leadership, initiative, and competitive success throughout the 2021 and 2022 seasons with the CKC Coach Recognition Award.

This award is presented annually to coaches who have coached an athlete or crew to either the nomination to a CKC National Team (Senior World Championships, Junior World Championships, Carded Athlete, or National Development Team) or a gold medal at the Canadian Canoe Kayak Championships. A big congratulations to all!

Below is a full list of the Coach Recognition Award recipients for the 2021 and 2022 season:

2021 Coaches	2022 Coaches
Adam Mayo	Adam Mayo
Adam Oldershaw	Adam Oldershaw
Aiden Stead	Adam Richard
Anders Gustafson	Aiden Stead
Andreas Dittmer	Alexander Brodbeck
Andy Parry	Anders Gustafson
Anna Hetzler	Andrea Nicholls
Chad Brooks	Andreas Dittmer
Cheyanne Farquharson	Andy Parry
Chloe Martin	Anna Hetzler
Chris Chaisson	Bret Himmelman
Chris MacPherson	Chad Brooks
Chris Mehak	Cheyanne Farquharson
Christian Hall	Chloe Martin
Conrad Hutter	Chris Chaisson
Corey Firth	Chris MacPherson
Diane Tam	Chris Mehak
Dominic Gomez	Christian Hall
Dominic Gomez-Granger	Darrell Wiebe
Doug Tutty	Diane Tam
Elliot Smith	Dominic Gomez-Granger
Éric Mihalovic	Doug Tutty
Frederic Jobin	Drayton Coolen
Frédéric Loyer	Edit Fried
Hélène Gervais	Elliot Smith
Hunter George	Éric Mihalovic
Igor Nikitovic	Francois St-Aubin
Isaac Finkelstein	Frederic Jobin
Jacob McKenna	Frédéric Loyer
Jan Kirk	Hélène Gervais
Jerome Seremak	Hunter George
Joel Hazzan	Igor Nikitovic
Kalob Grady	Jacob Mckenna
KC Fraser	Jan Kruk
Kevin McIntyre	Jean-Benoit Lemay
Kyle Jeffery	Jerome Seremak
Liam Smedley	Jerome Seremak
Marie Rousseau-Demers	Joel Hazzan
Michael Holroyd	Josh Nowen
Mike Kerrivan	Kalob Grady
Rebecca Fanok	KC Fraser
Reid Farquharson	Kevin McIntyre
Rob Baert	Liam Smedley
Rob Smith	Marcel Potocny
Rob Stott	Marie Rousseau-Demers
Robert Baert	Michael Holroyd
Robin Kendall	Mike Kerrivan
Ryan Blair	Nick Lamontagne
Scott Oldershaw	Olivia Pucci
Sébastien Bettez	Pat Lester
Tessa Nagai	Peter Lombardi
Toshko Kalpakov	Rebecca Fanok
	Reid Farquharson
	Riley Gray
	Rob Baert
	Rob Smith
	Rob Stott
	Robin Kendall
	Ryan Blair
	Scott Oldershaw
	Sébastien Bettez
	Tessa Nagai
	Tony Hall

Feb

2

CKC Safe Sport Screening Campaign

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CKC Ramping up the season to win!

What is it?

This is a campaign to encourage all individuals (please see “Who?” below) to complete their CKC Safe Sport Screening in the beginning of 2023, well in advance of the 2023 competitive season, so that nothing will impact participation in any CKC activity.

There are a few steps involved in completing the screening process. Please see the section “How?” to review those steps.

Who needs to complete the Safe Sport Screening?

All individuals who are members of CKC Staff, Board, Councils, and Committees.
All CKC Officials.
Any individual from a CKC member club or organization (PTSO, Division)
- that has adopted CKC Policies, and/or
- who will participate in a CKC sanctioned event in 2023 (including but not limited to: Nationals, Trials, Canada Cup, Time trial event, Training Camp, Project Coach position, International CKC team event), and/or
- will be a member of an HOC for a CKC event

Why?

To ensure all participants have completed their CKC Safe Sport Screening in advance of the 2023 season. Please note, that if you’ve completed the screening in 2022 and it is still valid, you will fall under the “renewal” process below.
When?

Target completion date for all individuals (for this campaign): March 31, 2023.
Prizes will only be available to those who complete their screening by March 31, 2023.
(But note that the screening process can be completed at any time during the year!)

How to Enter?

How to enter:

Contact your club or organization registrar for your RAMP login page
- (Note for clubs/organizations: Instructions for RAMP setup can be found here)
Once signed in, complete your Safe Sport Screening!
- (All instructions for individuals can also be found on our website here.)

How to get set up in RAMP?

Setup >>> Clubs/Organizations: Instructions for Ramp setup for Clubs and organizations can be found here.

Step 1-3: INDIVIDUALS: All instructions for individuals can also be found on our website here.

* for the components of a CRC or where to get one, please see the website under Step 2

PRIZES!

Yes, individuals having completed their safe sport screening for 2023 in RAMP will be entered into a draw for a prize. A total of 50 prizes will be given out.

To be eligible, you must have completed the full screening process prior to March 31, 2023.

If you have any questions please reach out to: development@canoekayak.ca

Good luck everyone and let’s get ready to WIN!!

Feb

1

Canoe Kayak Canada Remembers Don May

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It is with profound sadness that Canoe Kayak Canada recognizes the passing of Don May on January 27^th, 2023 at the age of 93. Don was a treasured member of the paddling community and a leader in sport with over 60 years of service provincially, nationally, and internationally.

Don took part in every element of paddling. He started as an athlete, often sharing stories about his past endeavors, replaying each and every stroke while relishing in some of his favourite races including paddling in War Canoe with his lifelong friend and teammate, Ray Knight as coxswain in 1953 when they won Senior Men’s War Canoe 1-Mile at Nationals in Ottawa. Don often recounted these memories with friends, family, and members of the community with pride and joy.

Don leaves a legacy of passion, dedication, and leadership in the sport of canoeing. He served as the Canadian Canoe Association (CCA) Commodore, Western Ontario Division Flag Officer, national official, was a founding member of the West Rouge Canoe Club and Ak-O-Mak Canoe Club, long-time member of the Toronto Sailing & Canoe Club, including winning the CCA Burgee in 1952 and past president of the Dominion Day Regatta Association (DDRA).

He received many well-deserved accolades which he was honoured to accept including winning captain of the first ever official Senior Women’s C15 at CCA in 1965 with Sudbury/Ak-O-Mak, receiving the R. Edgar Gilbert Award as a Builder in 1985, DDRA Achievement Award in 2005 for his over 50 years of contributions, along with donating the Don May Trophy to CKC for U16 Men’s C4 1000m in 2006.

Don had an insatiable enthusiasm for paddling and many in the community, both young and old, looked up to him for his knowledge, praise, and a good story. He will be dearly missed by all.

Canoe Kayak Canada wishes to express our deepest condolences to Don’s family, his friends and colleagues in the canoeing community. We also want to thank Don for his incredible lifetime contribution to canoeing.

Visitation and funeral information can be found here.

Jan

20

Club Workshops

February 2024 – February Q&A With RAMP Staff – System Questions And Information

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Below are a series of information sessions to provide Clubs a chance to learn about these initiatives coming in 2023.

To sign up please see the registration links below:

No Links Available

RAMP SUPPORT GROUP

As we begin to work within RAMP and become more and more familiar, we wanted to establish an area where Registrars or Club admin can collaborate or ask questions. Since each club is going through the same systems, we thought it would be helpful to discuss with your colleagues.

To sign up please see registration links below.

Ramp support – June

National Team Trials registration support

Led by CKC

Club Registrars 

June 12

8:00pm EST 

In English & French

Registration Link

Ramp support – July

Nationals registration support

Led by CKC

Club Registrars 

July 17

8:00pm EST 

In English & French

Registration Link

ZOOM RECORDINGS:

Passcode: .sAZ2Unh

April 2024 – Q&A with RAMP Support Staff

Passcode: ^7d6BiqM

Dec

16

Member Update: Abuse-Free Sport (OSIC) effective today

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Effective today, Friday, December 16, 2022, Canoe Kayak Canada (CKC) has access to services provided by the Office of the Sport Integrity Commissioner (OSIC), which serves as the central hub of Abuse-Free Sport, the new independent program to prevent and address maltreatment in sport

Complaints will now be filed with either Abuse-Free Sport or the Independent Third Party for CKC. A complete overview on how to file a complaint to either Abuse-Free Sport or The ITP is outlined in this section of the CKC website.

CKC has also adopted the most recent version (6.0) of the Universal Code of Conduct to Prevent and Address Maltreatment in Sport (UCCMS). Member organizations who have already adopted the CKC Policy Suite are not required to make any updates to their Safe Sport Policies at this time.

Safe Sport Policy

There is more information about the Abuse-Free Sport program HERE, on the OSIC HERE, and on CKC’s page HERE.

For questions related to CKC Safe Sport, contact Kenna Robins.

Dec

1

CKC Launches the Boats for All Campaign

PaddleALL

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UPDATE!

Thanks to your support, we’ve raised just over a third of our goal for our Boat For All campaign! We are excited to announce that we will be extending the campaign thanks to First Lake Solutions who has come forward with a matching challenge to help us reach our goal of $15,000. For every donation made in the next 2 weeks, First Lake Solutions will match it 100% up to $5,000. Please consider supporting our goal to make our sport more accessible to ALL athletes.

Canoe Kayak Canada is thrilled to launch Boats for All – a campaign to ensure our races at National Championships are inclusive for all while growing the sport across the country!

With your help, we want to raise $15,000 to purchase a fleet of accessible boats that will be used at this year’s National Championships that will then stay with the Host Division as a legacy to promote programming in the area for those with intellectual disabilities in our PaddleAll program.

WHAT IS PADDLEALL?

CKC’s PaddleALL programming encourages athletes with intellectual disabilities to train and race to be their best in sport. This program provides high-quality training and competition opportunities to all athletes, regardless of ability, and is important for the growth of this sport and for the paddling community. Boats for All will leave a legacy for the future of PaddleAll Programming in Canada., it will also contribute to the global goal of inclusivity within the sport of paddling. It will promote canoeing as a fully inclusive sport as represented by the recent signing of an agreement with Special O International to promote the development of canoeing in the Special O World Games.

THE CAMPAIGN

Our mission is that every region across the country will have the standardized equipment that meets Special Olympics rules and regulations to be inclusive for all. In achieving this, we are providing legacy resources so Divisions can grow their Special Olympics/PaddleAll programming. Each year the region that will be targeted to receive this equipment will be the Host Division of the Sprint National Championships.

As a continuously progressive National Sport Organization (NSO), Canoe Kayak Canada (CKC) makes every effort for our sport to be accessible to all athletes, with a vision to increase our international opportunities for our PaddleAll and Special Olympics athletes. One of our main values is inclusion, and we pride ourselves in ensuring that our activities strive to be as inclusive as possible.

Currently, CKC provides opportunities for athletes with intellectual disabilities at our Sprint National Championships under our PaddleAll program. Many regions and clubs provide great programming for our athletes and have those athletes compete at our National Championships.

One of our biggest challenges in the continued success of this event is to ensure we have enough boats of the same type so that races are fair for all participants. Our Tourist class singles event is an event where athletes may not all use the same equipment at their clubs, but at Nationals Championships we need to guarantee they have the same access to equipment so the race is as fair as possible across the field.

These boats are versatile and can be used for many uses at a club, not just for PaddleAll programming. They will open up opportunities for everyone to try paddling and can be used in many introductory programs.

MAKE A DONATION HERE

THE GOAL

To ensure our races at National Championships are inclusive for all and to grow the sport across the country, we want to raise $15,000 to purchase a fleet of accessible boats that will be used at this year’s National Championships that will then stay with the Host Division as a legacy to promote programming in the area for PaddleAll competitors, our program for those with intellectual disabilities.

THE DETAILS

Funds raised as a result of this campaign will go directly towards the purchase of 10 touring boats for the Atlantic Division to be used at the 2023 Sprint National Championships and left as a legacy for PaddleAll races in the Atlantic Division
ADCKC will manage the use of these 10 boats in their region
Contributions to the campaign over $20 are eligible for a tax receipt (please note that receipts will be issued post campaign)

ABOUT CKC’S PHILANTHROPIC INITIATIVES

Paddling is for all Canadians, whether they paddle for the leaf or for the sport.

We must continue our legacy – to ensure that paddling is available to everyone across our land so that they can experience our country in a way like no other. Paddling connects us to our history. But we’re at risk of not being able to pass down its rich tradition.

There is a crisis in sport funding in Canada. One of the major barriers in access to, promotion of, and programming in paddling is a lack of funding. But thanks to the generosity of Canadians, we can continue supporting paddling at all levels and disciplines within the sport. You can help us build paddling in Canada by making a tax-deductible charitable gift.

For the sport. For the leaf.

Nov

19

JESSICA RILEY, JEROME SEREMAK AND PATRICK LESTER SELECTED FOR THE 2022 CANOE KAYAK CANADA EXCELLENCE AWARDS

Canoe Slalom, Canoe Sprint

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OTTAWA – Canoe Kayak Canada is delighted to announce the 2022 recipients of the Club Development Award and Coach Developer Award. The awards are presented on an annual basis to coaches and club leaders who have made significant achievements in their communities. This year, 16 coaches were nominated and the winners of this year’s awards were announced during the 2022 CKC Annual Summit.

“Coaches and club leaders across Canada are an instrumental part of the success of our sport and make an impact in the lives of our athletes and our sport system each and every day,” said James Cartwright, Senior Manager of High Performance and Coach Development. “We’re proud to recognize all of this year’s nominees. Taking time to formally recognize the accomplishments of our great coaches goes a long way to say thank you and to recognize the impact these individuals have in within paddling community.”

CKC Club Development Award

The Club Development Award is presented annually to a coach, club leader or volunteer who has clearly demonstrated his or her abilities at developing a club or the sport through grassroots programs such as creating a new club or program or promoting the sport through the club.

Jessica Riley has had a tremendous impact on both her community and the sport of Canoe Kayak. Jessica’s commitment to her programs have garnered growth and excellence at Yorktown Canoe and Kayak Club.

Through Jessica’s commitment, Yorkton Canoe and Kayak Club is a thriving community-based club that has regained its foothold as a training facility with high performance athletes who train year around. By developing and coaching a diverse range of competitive, recreational, and adaptive programs, Jessica has rebuilt the membership into a club that enrols over 500 people in programs annually.

CKC Coach Developer Award

The Coach Developer Award is presented to a coach who contributes to the training of new Canoe Kayak coaches outside of, or in addition to their regular coaching duties.

Jerome Seremak is an incredible force in coaching at the Manitoba Canoe and Kayak Club. He is described by many as one of the most motivating, caring, and hard-working coaches in the community. With a deep passion for paddling, he not only aids in athlete progression but truly cares for each athlete he leads.

Patrick Lester is a mentor and leader in the Ontario Coaching community serving various roles on the CKO Sprint High Performance Committee, as the Eastern Ontario Divisional Coaching Representative, as a 2022 Canada Games Coach and an integral part of Carleton Place Canoe Club (CPCC).

As a coach, Pat inspires all athletes, young and young at heart at Carleton Place Canoe Club. He believes in his athletes and cares about them both professionally and personally. From the parents on the shoreline watching their children to those on the water, Pat has made CPCC a second home for all

2022 Canoe Kayak Canada Excellence Nominees:

Sébastien BETTEZ – CANOE KAYAK TROIS-RIVIÈRES

Laura CLEMENHAGEN – COLLINGWOOD PADDLING CLUB

Lori DAVIS – ROCKY CANOE CLUB

Kim GAUDET – BANOOK CANOE CLUB

Peter HODGSON – COLLINGWOOD PADDLING CLUB

Jeff HOUSER – PISIQUID CANOE CLUB

Patrick LESTER – CARLETON PLACE CANOE CLUB

Kevin McINTYRE – BANOOK CANOE CLUB

Jessica RILEY – YORKTON CANOE AND KAYAK CLUB

Graham SCHIEBEL – CALGARY CANOE CLUB

Angie SCHRODERUS – ROCKY CANOE CLUB

Jerome SEREMAK -MANITOBA CANOE AND KAYAK CLUB

François St.AUBIN -WHITEWATER ONTARIO

Katy STEWART – RICHMOND HILL CANOE CLUB

Savannah SULLIVAN – MASKWA AQUATIC CLUB

Robin THOMSON – ATLANTIC DIVISION CANOE KAYAK CANADA

CKC congratulates all who were nominated and to the 2022 recipients. For more information on the CKC Excellence Awards please click here.

Nov

8

2022/23 Openings for Upcoming Elections

Alumni, Board, Canoe Freestyle, Canoe Slalom, Canoe Sprint, CKC

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committee, council, election

CKC wants to provide an overview of all the Committee/Council Openings that will be fulfilled during the Summit Time Frame (Nov/Dec).

WHITEWATER:

Whitewater Council	Canoe Polo Rep	Appointed by Canoe Polo Committee
	CS Development Committee Chair	Elected by the Whitewater council
	Standing Committee Chair	Elected by the Whitewater council
	Freestyle Rep	Appointed by the Freestyle Committee

* Contact Scott Best if you have any questions sbest@canoekayak.ca

Slalom HPC	Member at Large	Elected by the Whitewater council
Slalom HPC	Member at Large	Elected by the Whitewater council

* Contact Scott Best if you have any questions sbest@canoekayak.ca

Slalom Development Committee	CS-DC Chair	Elected by the Whitewater council
	Coach Rep #1	Elected by the Whitewater council
	Coach Rep #2	Elected by the Whitewater council
	3 positions for Provincial Reps	Elected by the Whitewater council

* Contact Scott Best if you have any questions sbest@canoekayak.ca

Freestyle Committee	East Rep	Elected by the Whitewater council
	2 West Rep	Elected by the Whitewater council
	Athlete Rep	Elected by Freestyle National Team
	Chairperson	Elected by the Freestyle Committee

* Contact Scott Best if you have any questions sbest@canoekayak.ca

SPRINT:

Sprint Racing Council	Athletes Rep	Elected by National Team Athletes
Sprint Racing Council	Divisional Reps (1 per Division)	Appointed by respective Divisions (1 each)

* Contact Jessica Kenney if you have any questions jkenney@canoekayak.ca

Sprint National Officials Committee

Member at Large

(2 open positions)

Elected by the Level 4/5 officials in good standing

DOC Representative

Appointed by the DOC (Divisional Officials Coordinators)

* Contact Jessica Kenney if you have any questions jkenney@canoekayak.ca

Domestic Development Committee	Coaches Rep	Elected at Summit Coaches Meeting
Domestic Development Committee	Member	Appointed by the SRC

* Contact Jessica Kenney if you have any questions jkenney@canoekayak.ca

High Performance Committee	Athletes Rep	Elected by National Team Athletes
High Performance Committee	Member	Appointed by SRC

* Contact Jessica Kenney if you have any questions jkenney@canoekayak.ca

Athlete Committee	SRC Rep	See SRC above
	HPC Rep	See HPC above
	Para Rep	Elected by Para National Team Athletes

* Contact Jessica Kenney if you have any questions jkenney@canoekayak.ca

Coaches Technical Committee

DDC Rep

(see DDC above)

* Contact Jessica Kenney if you have any questions jkenney@canoekayak.ca

CKC COMMITTEES:

Alumni Committee

Chair

Appointed by CKC – please contact Sam Rogers

* Contact Sam Rogers if you have any questions philanthropy@canoekayak.ca

Oct

13

CANOE KAYAK CANADA JOINING ABUSE-FREE SPORT ON DECEMBER 16

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Canoe Kayak Canada (CKC) is pleased to announce that it has signed an agreement to join Abuse-Free Sport, the new independent program to prevent and address maltreatment in sport.

CKC and its stakeholders will have access to the services of the Office of the Sport Integrity Commissioner (OSIC), which serves as the central hub of Abuse-Free Sport, following a transition period which will end no later than December 16, 2022.

“CKC recognizes that safe sport is everyone’s responsibility. We’re fully committed to doing our part to support a growing national movement that is changing the culture of sport in this country. As part of that commitment, we’re pleased to sign on to Abuse-Free Sport and to soon have the OSIC to administer our safe sport complaints,” said Casey Wade, CKC’s Chief Executive Officer said. “The sport community has been asking for just this kind of consistent national program. It’s an important step forward for everyone involved in sport in Canada.”

Canoe Kayak Canada has adopted the Universal Code of Conduct to Prevent and Address Maltreatment in Sport (UCCMS), which is a requirement before it can become part of the Abuse-Free Sport program, and is making the required policy changes. The transition period will include further updating of our safe sport policies, information sharing to our members, and completing consent forms from individuals designated as UCCMS Participants.

Prior to December 16, 2022, participants who have experienced or witnessed abuse will continue to have access to independent third-party services through W&W Dispute Resolution Services – safesport_wwdrs@primus.ca.

There is more information about the Abuse-Free Sport program HERE, on the OSIC HERE, and on CKC’s page HERE.

About Canoe Kayak Canada

Canoe Kayak Canada is the national governing body for competitive paddling in Canada, one of Canada’s top performing summer sports with a total of 26 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. 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.

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MEDIA CONTACT:

Colleen Coderre
Communications Lead
613-530-6217
ccoderre@canoekayak.ca

Oct

6

Sprint Competition Development Coaching Online Workshop

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More info and the application form can be found here

Sprint Competition Development Coach Pathway can be found here

Oct

4

Call for Nominations – CKC Excellence Awards

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Canoe Kayak Canada has officially launched the nomination process for the 2022 Excellence Awards.

The Club Development Award, the Coach Developer Award and Coach Recognition Awards are presented on an annual basis to coaches and club leaders who have made significant efforts or achievements in their communities.

The Club Development Award will be presented to a coach, club leader or volunteer who has clearly demonstrated his or her abilities at developing a club or the sport through grassroots programs such as creating a new club or program or promoting the sport through the club. The Coach Developer Award will be presented to a coach who contributes to the training of new Canoe Kayak coaches outside of, or in addition to their regular coaching duties.

The awards are presented yearly at Canoe Kayak Canada’s Annual Summit. The Summit will take place this year virtually on November 18-19, 2022.

Click here to submit nominations.

Deadline is November 7, 2022

For more information, contact James Cartwright.

Sep

8

2023 National Freestyle Team Announcement

Canoe Freestyle

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Canoe Kayak Canada is pleased to announce the 2023 National Freestyle Team, who will represent Canada at the 2023 ICF Canoe Freestyle World Championships in Columbus, Georgia from October 9^th – 14^th, 2023.

Twenty-one athletes were named to the 2023 National Freestyle Team who will represent Canada on their quest for the podium. For full list of the Canada Cup results, which were used for the 2023 Team Trials qualification, you can visit here.

Additionally, this fall our Freestyle athletes will be competing at the ICF Freestyle World Cup events from October 3 to 5 and 7 to 9, 2022, also taking place in Columbus, Georgia. These events are open to both National Team members and non-National Team members.

Athletes will be supported at both the World Cups and World Championships by National Team Coach Kalob Grady.

2023 National Freestyle Team:

Discipline	Athlete	Province
OC1	Nick Troutman Zachary Zwanenberg	Ontario Ontario
C1 Men	Nick Troutman Zachary Zwanenberg Marc-Antoine D’Avignon	Ontario Ontario Quebec
C1 Women	Sophie Gilfillan	Ontario
K1 Junior Women	Sophie Gilfillan Jesse Stibbe Sasha Sachs	Ontario Ontario Ontario
K1 Junior Men	Philipe Laniel Joshua Mendes Justin MacArthur	Quebec Ontario Quebec
K1 Senior Women	Katie Kowalski Sydney Nixon Maddie Long Savannah Westeinde Julie Dion	Ontario Ontario Ontario Ontario Quebec
K1 Men	Kalob Grady Nick Troutman Joel Kowalski Sam Duff Devyn Scott	Ontario Ontario Ontario Ontario Ontario
Squirt Men	Marc Richard Matt Hamilton Ian Thomson	Nova Scotia Ontario Ontario
Squirt Women	Julie Dion	Quebec

For more information on the 2023 World Freestyle Championships, click here.

Those interested in competing at the World Cup events should contact Scott Best at (sbest@canoekayak.ca).

For any additional questions regarding Freestyle kayaking in Canada, please contact Canoe Kayak Canada Freestyle Chair Lee Vincent at (freestylechair@canoekayak.ca).

Sep

2

CKC Men’s Kayak Coach – Job Posting

For the full job description and how to apply, please click here.

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This is a permanent position, based in Canoe Kayak Canada’s Montreal National Training Centre. The intended start date of this position is October 1^st, 2022.

As a reflection of CKC’s commitment to Inclusion, as one of the core values committed to in our 2024 Strategic Plan, we continue to look to fill technical roles within our organization with individuals from underrepresented groups within our technical leadership team. Furthermore, our commitment to adherence to our Safe Sport standards and policies often requires key persons of authority who identify as Male and Female in coaching situations. Any and all questions about this permanent position should be directed to Ian Mortimer, Chief Technical Officer – imortimer@canoekayak.ca

The CKC Men’s Kayak Coach hereinafter referred to as ‘The Coach” is part of a coaching team responsible for the development of sprint racing member athletes capable of achieving world-class performances while contributing to the physical, psychological and social development of each athlete entrusted into their care. This position will be based out of Montreal, Quebec at the National Training Center and requires extensive travel to meet international training and competition commitments.

Skills / Background

Be a coach with a successful track record of coaching athletes to the national and / or international level and / or extensive international experience as an athlete.
Be comfortable and enthusiastic in delivering programing as part of a team in close collaboration with other coaches and IST, with the HC making final decisions on programing, entries and other key technical decisions.
Show evidence of working effectively within a team, possessing excellent planning, interpersonal, management and organizational skills, and can motivate and inspire others
Have good written and oral communication skills
The ability to work in both official languages is considered an asset
Evidence of the ability to think innovatively and use experience and knowledge from other sports or fields to accomplish excellence
Key personal qualities include adaptability, commitment, drive, innovation
Strong computer literacy and coaching software

Deadline is September 23, 2022.

Sep

1

VIII INTERNATIONAL CONGRESS OF COACHES ON SPRINT CANOEING, SLALOM, KAYAK POLO

Canoe Polo, Canoe Slalom, Canoe Sprint

0

Aug

15

Call for Candidates – Board of Directors Paddling Association Representatives

Application Form can be found here.

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Canoe Kayak Canada is looking for one individual to join the organization’s Board of Directors. This position is representative of the Paddling Association members of CKC and will be instrumental in providing a member perspective to the discussions and decision-making of the organization.

The Board of Directors is comprised of a minimum of 10 and a maximum of 11 people. Below outlines how these positions are elected or appointed by the two classes of membership within CKC:

Each of the 3 Paddling Disciplines have 2 positions which they elect or appoint from their discipline members for a total of 6 positions
The Paddling Association members elect 4 positions from amongst the entire CKC membership

Candidate must meet the following minimum criteria:

Be 18 years of age or older,
Have the power under law to contract,
Be a resident of Canada,
Have not been declared incapable by a court in Canada or in another country,
Do not have the status of bankrupt, and
Satisfies the requirements of the Income Tax Act in relation to the eligibility to serve as a director of a registered charity
Be a current member in good standing of a Paddling Association member of CKC

In addition, the ideal candidate will have:

Experience in serving on Not For Profit Boards of Directors
Knowledge of CKC and its member disciplines
A specific skill set or expertise that would be of benefit to the organization
Knowledge of the Canadian sport system is an asset but not required
Ability to commit approximately 10 – 15 hours per month to the work of the Board
Willing and able to travel if necessary

This is a volunteer position with a term of three years.

Interested candidates are required to complete the attached form in order to be considered for the position.

Deadline for applications is midnight EST on September 5, 2022.

Please send applications to Chair of the CKC Nominating Committee, care of Kathy Hare by email to khare@canoekayak.ca

Aug

15

Call for Candidates – Athlete Director at Large

Application form cane be found here.

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Canoe Kayak Canada is looking for one individual to join the organization’s Board of Directors as the Athlete Director-at-Large. This position is instrumental in providing an athlete’s perspective to the discussions and decision-making of the organization.

As a full member of the Board of Directors, the Athlete Director-at-Large will have all of the duties and responsibilities of a Director and will participate in all Board meetings, discussions and decisions.

Candidates must meet the following minimum criteria:

Be 18 years of age or older,
Have the power under law to contract,
Be a resident of Canada,
Have not been declared incapable by a court in Canada or in another country,
Do not have the status of bankrupt, and
Satisfies the requirements of the Income Tax Act in relation to the eligibility to serve as a director of a registered charity
Be an active or retired (within the last five years) member of a senior national team in any of the canoe racing disciplines

In addition, the ideal candidate will have:

Experience in serving on Not For Profit Boards of Directors
A specific skill set or expertise that would be of benefit to the organization
Knowledge of the Canadian sport system is an asset but not required
Ability to commit approximately 10 – 15 hours per month to the work of the Board
Willing and able to travel if necessary

This is a volunteer position with a two year term.

Interested candidates are required to complete the form below in order to be considered for the position.

Deadline for applications is midnight EST on Sept 5, 2022.

Please send applications to Chair of the CKC Nominating Committee, care of Kathy Hare by email to khare@canoekayak.ca

Aug

3

2022 ICF Canoe Sprint World Championship Results

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DAY 5

DAY 4

DAY 3

DAY 2

DAY 1

Jul

25

PaddleALL Teams announced for the 2022 ICF Canoe Sprint and Paracanoe World Championships

Canoe Sprint, World Championships

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DARTMOUTH, NOVA SCOTIA (July 25, 2022) – Canoe Kayak Canada (CKC), Canoe ‘22 and the International Canoe Federation (ICF) are pleased to announce the official PaddleALL teams that will be competing at the 2022 ICF Canoe Sprint and Paracanoe World Championships in Dartmouth, Nova Scotia, Canada.

Both domestic and international athletes with intellectual disabilities will have the incredible opportunity to showcase their speed alongside the world’s most talented paddlers on Lake Banook.

Exhibition races are set to kick off on Thursday, August 4^th and will feature three Canadian teams from Ontario, Prince Edward Island and the host province of Nova Scotia. Joining them on the water will be two athletes from Team Germany – multi-medalists from the Special Olympics World Summer Games.

“We are so happy, excited and proud to bring many of our PaddleALL athletes to the World Championships in Dartmouth. What an event it will be to watch,”said LA Schmidt, Special Olympics Assistant Coach & CKC Sprint Commodore. “PaddleALL communities across Canada will come together to show everyone their amazing talent as well as welcoming International athletes from Germany to race with us.”

CKC’s PaddleALL programming encourages athletes with intellectual disabilities to train and race to be their best in sport. PaddleALL will leave a legacy for future programming in Canada and continue to encourage athletes to strive to achieve their greatest potential in sport.

Representing Team Canada:

From Nova Scotia:

Emmett Burnie – Cheema Canoe Club

Matthew Casey – Cheema Canoe Club

Liam Conrad – Cheema Canoe Club

Payton Dicks – Cheema Canoe Club

Leighanne Porter Salvaterra – Senobe Aquatic Club

Milo Sankay – Cheema Aquatic Club

Victoria Scattolon – Senobe Aquatic Club

Sam Starr – Senobe Aquatic Club

Ashley Thomas – Cheema Aquatic Club

Xavier Tyler – Cheema Canoe Club

Drew Warkentin – Maskwa Aquatic Club

From Ontario:

Jeffrey Campbell – Balmy Beach Canoe Club

Darryl Clark – Carleton Place Canoe Club

Rachel Cohen – Pickering Rouge Canoe Club

Samuel Galazka – Rideau Canoe Club

Nathan Gillen – Pickering Rouge Canoe Club

Abigail Latour – Pickering Rouge Canoe Club

Annie Leonard – Burloak Canoe Club

Sarah Madore – Ottawa River Canoe Club

Melanie Manion – Ottawa River Canoe Club

Quinn Martin – Pickering Rouge Canoe Club

Gohulan Rajalingam – Balmy Beach Canoe Club

Logan Ryan – Ottawa River Canoe Club

Stone Shearer – Peterborough Canoe and Kayak Club

Fletcher Sloan – Rideau Canoe Club

Kevin Tobin – Ottawa RiverCanoe Club

From Prince Edward Island

Alyssa Chapman – Brudenell Canoe Kayak Club

Representing Team Germany:

Sebastian Girke

Leona Johs

Inquiries can be directed to Kenna Robins Senior Manager, National Program Development krobins@canoekayak.ca or Jessica Kenney Project Manager, National Program Development jkenney@canoekayak.ca.
Visit Canoe Kayak Canada’s website to get more information and make sure to follow @PlanetCanoe and @CanoeKayakCAN for more live updates.

Subscribe to Canoe Kayak Canada’s mailing list to get all news and results directly to your email.

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.

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For more information:

Colleen Coderre
Communications Lead
ccoderre@canoekayak.ca

Jul

12

CKC mourns the loss of Alan McCleery

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It is with sadness, mixed with admiration for a long paddling life well lived, that Canoe Kayak Canada recognizes the passing of Alan McCleery.

Alan’s paddling journey began in Montreal in the 1940’s, paddling at the famed Grand Truck Paddling club on the St. Lawrence River. Here, he first experienced National level success winning his first CCA Championships in Junior Men’s C-4 in 1949, lifting the John W. Black Trophy as a twenty year old.

A dynamic partnership for Al began when he partnered with Loui Lukanovich, then a member of the Sudbury Canoe Club, for the 1956 trials at Rideau. They won the 10,000m race by a half a mile, and seemed set for an Olympic nomination however, that same evening, Alan was advised Lou was not eligible to compete for Canada. He was 10 days away from the 5 year residency requirement.

In 1957, Lou and Al reunited in Montreal with their sights set on the 1960 Olympics, and both joined Cartierville Boating Club, as Grand Trunk was greatly impacted by the construction of the St. Lawrence Seaway and was closing down.

With both Al and Lou moving to Cartierville, the balance of power in Montreal area clubs moved with them, with an outstanding group of paddlers developing together through the 1950s on the Rivière des Prairies (Back River) in Montreal.

McCleery reached international success as part of the 1960 Olympic Team, putting to rest the disappointment of 1956 when they competed in Rome at Lago Albano with Lukanovich in the K2 1000m.

The partnership of McCleery & Lukanovich transitioned to an incredible coach and paddler duo at Cartierville where they were key pieces of the unprecedented, and still unmatched, dynasty of the Carterville Boating Club winning 8 consecutive National Championships Overall Burgees between 1958 and 1965.

Later, Al moved with his family to Ottawa, where he became a fixture at the Rideau Canoe Club training every morning in his classic green K1. Al continued to race masters through the 1980s and 1990s. Al and his wife Joan, would also make regular trips to Indian Harbour Beach Florida, where he would join the throngs of paddlers training on the Banana River, earning an international reputation for his endurance and commitment to a daily paddle through his stay at “training camp”.

Al had many incredible stories from his long career of paddling and was quick to share these with anyone who picked up a conversation with him. These stories included a remarkable first-hand account of a piece of canoe racing history. Through the early decades of the 20^th century, Double Bladed Fours were raced in a boat very similar to a Canadian C-4 we would know today in a high kneel position, with a long paddle used to take strokes on both sides. As a young paddler, Al was competing at an American Canoe Association Regatta in the Double Bladed Fours Crew at Sugar Island in the 1000 Islands on the St Lawrence River when an American crew paddled up to the start sitting in line in the middle of the boat. The crew took off on everyone in this new configuration, and a piece of North American paddling history was made.

He also was happy to share the story of him paddling along the shore in training for the Olympic Games in 1960 and looking up to see a figure all in white looking down at them along the shores of Lago Albano, and him realizing it was the Pope, whose country residence Castel Gandolfo was located directly on the lake.

Al was an incredible figure in our sport who inspired countless other paddlers as a coach, teammate, mentor or simply as the friendly kayaker who said good morning as he paddled by in his K1.

CKC wishes to offer our condolences to Alan’s family, his dear friend and K2 partner Lou Lukanovich, and all those who were friends of Al across the paddling community.

Al will continue to inspire many for years to come.

Read Alan McCleery’s Obituary with Funeral Details here.

Jul

6

CKC names Sprint National Teams for U23, Junior Worlds and Olympic Hopes Regatta

Canoe Sprint, World Championships

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junior U23 world championship, sophia jensen, Sprint

OTTAWA, ON (July 6, 2022) – Canoe Kayak Canada (CKC) is thrilled to announce the roster of sprint paddlers nominated to compete at the 2022 Junior and U23 World Championships and the Olympic Hopes Regatta.

The Junior and U23 World Championship team includes 12 athletes who were additionally named to the senior team, including U23 World Champion Sophia Jensen. Junior and U23 athletes will be heading to Szeged, Hungary from August 31^st to September 4^th vying for a coveted place on the podium while competing on the world stage.

“I am so excited to once again be a part of such an amazing group of athletes, congrats to all,” said Jensen. “As a team, let’s enjoy every moment, finish every race with no regrets and have fun in Hungary.”

The Olympic Hopes Regatta will take place only four days later, from September 8^th through 11^th, in Bratislava, Slovakia featuring Canada’s top U16 and U17 paddlers in an iconic event that showcases the next generation of Olympic talent.

Additional Olympic Hopes Regatta nominations will be made based on the National Championship rankings following that event taking place in Shawinigan, Quebec from August 23rd to 28^th.

Below are the nominated teams:

U23 World Championship

Men’s Kayak

Alex Canning – Banook Canoe Club

Cameron Low – Balmy Beach Canoe Club

Ian Gaudet – Banook Canoe Club

Men’s Canoe

Alix Plomteux – Club de Canoë-Kayak Lac Beauport

Andrew Billard – Maskwa Aquatic Club

Tyler Laidlaw – Sack-a-Wa Canoe Club

Matthew O’Neill – Rideau Canoe Club

Women’s Kayak

Maren Bradley – Rideau Canoe Club

Riley Melanson – Cheema Aquatic Club

Sarah Nagy – Richmond Hill Canoe Club

Toshka Besharah-Hrebacka – Rideau Canoe Club

Women’s Canoe

Jacy Grant – Cheema Aquatic Club

Julia Lilley Osende – Mic Mac Aquatic Canoe Club

Sloan Mackenzie – Cheema Aquatic Club

Sophia Jensen – Cascades

Junior (U18) World Championship

Men’s Kayak

Alex Erith-Ellwood – Senobe Aquatic Club

Carson Corey – Burloak Canoe Club

Eli Nowlan – Senobe Aquatic Club

Jérémy Lantz – Club de Canoë-Kayak de Vitesse de Trois Rivières

Men’s Canoe

Austin Pigeon – South Niagara Canoe Club

Peter Bradley – Rideau Canoe Club

Viktor Hardy – Club de Canoë-Kayak Lac Beauport

Zachary Kralik – Mississauga Canoe Club

Women’s Kayak

Alina Tverie – Lachine Canoe Club

Charlotte Brais – Lachine Canoe Club

Eva Looper – Burloak Canoe Club

Florence Hamel – Lachine Canoe Club

Women’s Canoe

Elizabeth Desrosiers-McArthur – Club de Canoë-Kayak Lac Beauport

Janina Winnicki – Rideau Canoe Club

Mila Souilliere – Rideau Canoe Club

Ruby Muhl – Rideau Canoe Club

Zoe Wojtyk – Rideau Canoe Club

Olympic Hopes Regatta

Men’s Kayak

U17

Carson Corey – Burloak Canoe Club

Thomas Beauregard – Rideau Canoe Club

U16

Adam Jonsson – Balmy Beach Canoe Club

Carter Naugler – Cheema Aquatic Club

Men’s Canoe

U17

Nicholas Shirokov – Mississauga Canoe Club

Nikita Ciudin – Calgary Canoe Club

U16

Alexander MacNeil – Maskwa Aquatic Club

Grayson Schrotter – Mississauga Canoe Club

Women’s Kayak

U17

Alina Tverie – Lachine Canoe Club

Brianna Smith – Maskwa Aquatic Club

Ivy Murphy – Banook Canoe Club

U16

Callie Loch – Rideau Canoe Club

Florence Hamel – Lachine Canoe Club

Women’s Canoe

U16

Julia Price – Rideau Canoe Club

Ruby Muhl – Rideau Canoe Club

Visit Canoe Kayak Canada’s website to get more information and make sure to follow @PlanetCanoe and @CanoeKayakCAN for more live updates.

Subscribe to Canoe Kayak Canada’s mailing list to get all news and results directly to your email.

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.

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For more information:

Colleen Coderre
Communications Lead
ccoderre@canoekayak.ca

Jul

5

2022 Canadian Sprint Canoe and Paracanoe World Championship Teams announced

Canoe Sprint, Paracanoe, Teams, World Championships

0

brianna Hennessy, dartmouth, erica scarff, katie vincent, nova scotia, paracanoe, Sprint, World Championships

OTTAWA, ONTARIO (July 5, 2022) – Canoe Kayak Canada (CKC) is thrilled to announce the 2022 Canoe and Paracanoe Sprint Senior World Championship teams heading to Dartmouth, Nova Scotia to compete at home against the most powerful paddlers on the planet.

Following a week of exciting racing at the National Team trials at the Olympic Basin, athletes were selected based on their combined performances at National Team Trials #1 in Dartmouth, Nova Scotia and the second set of trials held in Montreal from June 24-27.

The Canadian Canoe and Paracanoe Sprint team World Championship team will compete at Lake Banook in Dartmouth, Nova Scotia from August 3-7 with a strong contingent of medal potential paddlers and several Tokyo 2020 Olympians returning to competition, including hometown athlete, Connor Fitzpatrick.

“I am very excited to be racing a world championship event on my home lake,” said Fitzpatrick. “It’s been a dream to race at an international level competition on this lake and I am happy I will be part of it. Racing in front of a supportive Nova Scotia paddling community is going to be exciting for the entire city!”

The event program includes races in women’s, men’s, and paracanoe categories of canoe and kayak in single, doubles and quad boat races. A total of 32 different finals will be raced in 200, 500, 1000, and 5000 meter distances.

Olympic bronze medallist and 2021 World Champion, Katie Vincent will be on the start line in Dartmouth. At World Cup 2 in Poland earlier this season, Katie secured a gold medal in the new C4 500m event, silver in the C1 200m, 5km long distance event, and the C2 mixed 500m with partner Connor Fitzpatrick. She finished just off the podium in 4th place in the women’s C2 500m with Sloan Mackenzie.

“It’s incredibly exciting to be part of the home team this year at the World Championships on Lake Banook,” said Vincent. “I hope, as a whole team, we can carry the momentum from our successful World Cup tour and create some memories that will inspire the next generation of paddlers all across Canada!”

The Canadian Paracanoe Sprint team will feature 2 returning Tokyo Paralympians, including Mathieu St-Pierre, Brianna Hennessy, as well as Erica Scarff, who competed in the 2016 Paralympics in Rio. Six Paracanoe athletes will be making their international debut in Halifax, making it the largest contingent of Canadian Paracanoe paddlers qualified for World Championships.

“I am honoured to have been selected to represent Canada at the World Champs this year,” said Paralympian, Brianna Hennessy. “Canoe’22 is very near and dear to me, as we will be racing on home turf in Halifax, Nova Scotia! I am so excited to be part of welcoming countries through the spirit of sport, from all over the world, to Mi’kma’ki, the traditional and ancestral territory of the Mi’kmaq people!”

The highly anticipated International Canoe Federation Canoe Sprint and Paracanoe World Championships (Canoe ’22) will be a landmark international event for Halifax Regional Municipality. “Not only is this a great opportunity to celebrate sport and our world class Canadian athletes but it’s also a chance for us all to reconnect with friends and neighbours in the spirit of celebrating and showcasing our beautiful community,” said Jill D’Alessio, Chair of the host society.

“It is an honour to be part of this team as we head out on our home course in the beautiful natural arena of Lake Banook in a few short weeks,” said Ian Mortimer, CKC Chief Technical Officer. “The community in Dartmouth, and the entire country, are ready to cheer on our athletes and I know our team will be looking to inspire the next generation of young paddlers and those who might want to take up the sport. It will be a special time in Nova Scotia.”

2022 SENIOR WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP TEAM

Men’s Kayak

Laurent Lavigne – Club de Canoë-Kayak de Vitesse de Trois Rivières

Cameron Low – Balmy Beach Canoe Club

Nick Matveev – Balmy Beach Canoe Club

Brian Malfesi – Ridge Canoe & Kayak Club

Simon McTavish – Mississauga Canoe Club

Pierre-Luc Poulin – Club de Canoë-Kayak Lac-Beauport

Men’s Canoe

Édouard Beaumier – Club de Canoë-Kayak de Vitesse de Trois Rivières

Andrew Billard – Maskwa Aquatic Club

Peter Bradley – Rideau Canoe Club

Connor Fitzpatrick – Senobe Aquatic Club

Bret Himmelman – Maskwa Aquatic Club

Tyler Laidlaw – Sack-a-Wa Canoe Club

Alix Plomteux – Club de Canoë-Kayak Lac-Beauport

Matthew O’Neill – Rideau Canoe Club

Craig Spence – Cheema Aquatic Club

Women’s Kayak

Toshka Besharah-Hrebacka – Rideau Canoe Club

Natalie Davison – Rideau Canoe Club

Andréanne Langlois – Club de Canoë-Kayak de Vitesse de Trois Rivières

Riley Melanson – Cheema Aquatic Club

Michelle Russell – Cheema Aquatic Club

Madeline Schmidt – Rideau Canoe Club

Courtney Stott – Balmy Beach Canoe Club

Women’s Canoe

Jacy Grant – Cheema Aquatic Club

Sophia Jensen – Cascades

Sloan MacKenzie – Cheema Aquatic Club

Julia Lilley Osende – Mic Mac Aquatic Canoe Club

Katie Vincent – Mississauga Canoe Club

Men’s Paracanoe

Yves Bourque – Club de canotage du Shawinigan

Benjamin Brown – Maskwa Aquatic Club

Gabriel Ferron-Bouius – Rideau Canoe Club

Miguel Garcia Sanchez – Balmy Beach Canoe Club

Stefan Samolia – Balmy Beach Canoe Club

Mathieu St-Pierre – Club de canotage du Shawinigan

Dave Waters – Maskwa Canoe Club

Women’s Paracanoe

Brianna Hennessy – Ottawa River Canoe Club

Erica Scarff – Mississauga Canoe Club

For more information on Canoe ‘22, click here.

Visit Canoe Kayak Canada’s website to get more information and make sure to follow @PlanetCanoe and @CanoeKayakCAN for more live updates.

Subscribe to Canoe Kayak Canada’s mailing list to get all news and results directly to your email.

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.

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For more information:

Colleen Coderre
Communications Lead
ccoderre@canoekayak.ca

Jun

1

CKC Women’s Canoe Coaching Grants Campaign

Canoe Slalom, Canoe Sprint, Paracanoe

0

THE CAMPAIGN

Coaches are an integral part of an athlete’s journey through sport. Unfortunately, women coaches are under-represented in club coaching roles that work with older performance athletes, Provincial/Territorial coaching positions and within CKC’s technical leadership team. We want to change that. Representation and role models are integral to retaining women who are already in the field. Gaining valuable and performance-oriented experience is a gap for many women coaches in our CKC system. As Canadian Women & Sport has laid out, coaches are the most visible and influential leaders in sport – they shape the day-to-day lived experiences of participants and influence the growth and development of sport.

To address these gaps and to bring long term benefits that equal representation within coaching offers, CKC continues to support specific apprentice coach roles for women coaches at international competitions to gain valuable experience. CKC is also committed to filling roles in its technical leadership team with qualified women coaches with the long-term goal of a gender-balanced coaching staff.

Make a Donation Here

THE GOAL

Our goal is to raise $15,000 to support three women coaches to participate as apprentice coaches at key international competitions in 2022, including U23 Junior Worlds and the Olympic Hopes Regatta. These opportunities allow coaches to gain experience at the international level and bring a key element of representation to our technical leadership team.

The funds will also be used to support women coaches who are transitioning into our technical leadership team as positions become available. These efforts align with our long-term goal of a gender-balanced technical leadership team.

Thanks to a very generous anonymous donor, all donations will be matched 100% up to $5,000.

THE DETAILS

Every $1 raised will be matched 1:1 up to $5,000
Funds raised as a result of this campaign will go directly towards supporting at least three women canoe coaches with a professional development grant
Contributions to the campaign over $20 are eligible for a tax receipt (please note that receipts will be issued post campaign)

ABOUT CKC’S PHILANTHROPIC INITIATIVES

Paddling is for all Canadians, whether they paddle for the leaf or for the sport.

We must continue our legacy – to ensure that paddling is available to everyone across our land so that they can experience our country in a way like no other. Paddling connects us to our history. But we’re at risk of not being able to pass down its rich tradition.

There is a crisis in sport funding in Canada. One of the major barriers in access to, promotion of, and programming in paddling is a lack of funding. But thanks to the generosity of Canadians, we can continue supporting paddling at all levels and disciplines within the sport. You can help us build paddling in Canada by making a tax-deductible charitable gift.

For the sport. For the leaf.

May

20

PaddleALL officially launches at 2022 ICF Canoe Sprint and ParaCanoe World Championships

0

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

DARTMOUTH, NOVA SCOTIA (May 20, 2022) – Canoe Kayak Canada (CKC), Canoe ‘22 and the International Canoe Federation (ICF) are pleased to host PaddleALL exhibition races during the 2022 ICF Canoe Sprint and Paracanoe World Championships in Dartmouth, Nova Scotia, Canada. CKC’s PaddleALL programming encourages athletes with intellectual disabilities to train and race to be their best in sport.

“We are thrilled to be welcoming PaddleALL competitors for the first time ever at an ICF World Championship event,” said Kenna Robins, CKC’s Senior Manager of National Program Development. “Paddling is truly a sport for everyone and we are very proud and excited to be able to showcase these deserving athletes at this world-class event later this summer.”

The official launch of PaddleALL programming will not only leave a legacy for the future of PaddleALL programming in Canada, it will also contribute to the global goal of inclusivity within the sport of paddling.

“This project dovetails with ICF’s desire to promote canoeing as a fully inclusive sport as exemplified by our recent signing of an agreement with Special O International to promote the development of canoeing in the Special O World Games,” said ICF Paracanoe Committee Chair, John Edwards.

The exhibition races will kick off on Thursday, August 4^th around midday and will be open to international and domestic entries.

“Canoe ’22 is proud to see the PaddleALL event included in the ICF World Championships,” said Canoe ’22 Host Society Chair, Jill D’Alessio. “Providing high-quality training and competition opportunities to all athletes, regardless of ability, is so important for the growth of this sport and for the paddling community.”

Stay tuned for registration details coming soon.

Any questions or comments can be directed to Kenna Robins Senior Manager, National Program Development krobins@canoekayak.ca or Jessica Kenney Project Manager, National Program Development jkenney@canoekayak.ca

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.

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For more information:

Colleen Coderre
Communications Lead
ccoderre@canoekayak.ca

Emmalee Nother
Communications Coordinator
enother@canoekayak.ca

May

10

Canoe Kayak Canada Announces 2022 International Slalom Teams

Canoe Slalom, World Cups

0

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

OTTAWA, ON (May 10, 2022) – Canada’s top slalom paddlers raced last weekend at the National Team Trials and Pan American Championships from May 6-8 in Oklahoma City, USA.

The trials, hosted by the American Canoe Association, served as a selection event for all of the ICF Slalom World Cups, Senior, U23 and Junior World Championships being held over the course of the summer.

“I’m excited to welcome our veterans back and also to see some new paddlers join our program this summer to race the world cups and world championships,” said James Cartwright, Senior High Performance Manager. “We have a very busy season ahead and our team is very motivated to return to a full season of international racing after a tough few years in a pandemic.”

There are many familiar names returning to the international circuit including Tokyo Olympian, Florence Maheu from Kayak Valleyfield, QC.

“I am definitely excited to get back to racing,” said Maheu. “I needed to reset after the Olympics in July which meant that I decided not to compete in World Championships. I feel ready to tackle the season ahead and looking forward to next steps towards 2024 Olympic selection.”

The ICF Canoe Slalom World Cup circuit begins on June 10 in Prague, Czech Republic.

You can find the list of events at Canoe Kayak Canada.

2022 CKC Slalom International Teams

World Cups 1, 2, 3 and SR WCH

Junior World Championship

U23 World Championship

Women’s K1

1. Florence Maheu, QC

2. Léa Baldoni, ON

3. Lois Betteridge, ON

Women’s K1

1. Béatrice Olson, ON

Women’s K1

1. Léa Baldoni, ON

Women’s C1

1. Lois Betteridge, ON

Women’s C1

1. Sophie Gilfillan, ON

Women’s C1

Women’s Extreme

1. Léa Baldoni, ON

2. Florence Maheu, QC

3. Sophie Gilfillan, ON

4. Lois Betteridge, ON

Women’s Extreme

1. Sophie Gilfillan, ON

2. Béatrice Olson, ON

Women’s Extreme

1. Léa Baldoni, ON

Men’s K1

1. Trevor Boyd, AB

2. Mael Rivard, ON

3. Alex Baldoni, ON

Men’s K1

1. Daniel Parry, ON

2. Nathan Christensen, BC

3. Isaac Zimmerman, ON

Men’s K1

1. Trevor Boyd, AB

2. Mael Rivard, ON

3. Alex Baldoni, ON

Men’s C1

1. Alex Baldoni, ON

2. Daniel Parry, ON

Men’s C1

1. Daniel Parry, ON

Men’s C1

1. Alex Baldoni, ON

Men’s Extreme

1. Trevor Boyd, AB

2. Alex Baldoni, ON

3. Daniel Parry, ON

4. Nathan Christensen, BC

Men’s Extreme

1. Daniel Parry, ON

2. Nathan Christensen, BC

3. Isaac Zimmerman, ON

Men’s Extreme

1. Trevor Boyd, AB

2. Alex Baldoni, ON

3. Mael Rivard, ON

To view the full list of results from National Team Trials, click here.

Visit Canoe Kayak Canada’s website to get more information and make sure to follow @CanoeKayakCAN for social updates.

Subscribe to Canoe Kayak Canada’s mailing list to get all news and results directly to your email.

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.

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For more information:

Colleen Coderre
Communications Lead
ccoderre@canoekayak.ca

Emmalee Nother
Communications Coordinator
enother@canoekayak.ca

May

9

Canoe Kayak Canada Announces 2022 World Cup Sprint Teams

Canoe Sprint, Paracanoe, Teams, World Cups

0

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

DARTMOUTH, NOVA SCOTIA (May 9, 2022) – Over 100 sprint paddlers from across Canada competed in the first set of National Team Trials from May 2-5 in Dartmouth, Nova Scotia last week. The regatta was held on iconic Lake Banook, home of the 2022 ICF Canoe Sprint World Championships. Lake Banook also serves as a home base for three Atlantic Division Canoe Kayak Clubs – Banook Canoe Club, Mic Mac Amateur Aquatic Club and Senobe Aquatic Club.

The trials, hosted by the Atlantic Division of Canoe Kayak Canada (ADCKC), served as a selection regatta for the ICF Sprint World Cup Racice, ICF Canoe Sprint World Cup and Para World Cup Poznan events being held later this month.

“Team Trials on Lake Banook were a fantastic way to kick of our competitive Sprint Racing season with races on the course which will host the World in August,” said Chief Technical Officer, Ian Mortimer. “As we begin the push to Paris it was very promising to see strong paddling from new and veteran senior athletes within our team.”

Eight Olympic and Paralympic paddlers from Tokyo were selected to the team, including 2020 Olympic bronze medallist Katie Vincent.

“It was really nice to start off the season last week on Lake Banook,” said Vincent. “Though it was a lot colder than Tokyo, there was a lot of world-class paddling coming from our team. It was an excellent start to our road to Paris and I am looking forward to the World Championships coming to Dartmouth this August. It’s going to be incredible to have the support of our local paddling community cheering for us this summer on Canadian waters. I get chills just thinking about it.”

The ICF Canoe Sprint World Cup circuit begins on May 20-22 in Racice, Czech Republic followed by ICF Para Canoe and Canoe Sprint World Cup in Poznan, Poland from May 26-29.

2022 Sprint World Cup Team

Para Club

Brianna Hennessy	Ottawa River Canoe Club
Erica Scarff	Mississauga Canoe Club
Mathieu St-Pierre	Club de canotage du Shawinigan

Women’s Canoe Club

Sophia Jensen	Cascades
Julia Lilley Osende	Mic Mac Aquatic Canoe Club
Sloan MacKenzie	Cheema Aquatic Club
Katie Vincent	Mississauga Canoe Club

Men’s Canoe Club

Andrew Billard	Maskwa Aquatic Club
Connor Fitzpatrick	Senobe Aquatic Club
Bret Himmelman	Maskwa Aquatic Club
Tyler Laidlaw	Sack-a-Wa Canoe Club
Alix Plomteux	Club de Canoe-Kayak Lac-Beauport
Craig Spence	Cheema Aquatic Club

Women’s Kayak Club

Toshka Besharah-Hrebacka	Rideau Canoe Club
Natalie Davison	Rideau Canoe Club
Andréanne Langlois	Club de canoe-kayak de vitesse de Trois-Rivières
Riley Melanson	Cheema Aquatic Club
Michelle Russell	Cheema Aquatic Club

Men’s Kayak Club

Laurent Lavigne	Club de canoe-kayak de vitesse de Trois-Rivières
Simon McTavish	Mississauga Canoe Club
Brian Malfesi	Ridge Canoe & Kayak Club
Nicholas Matveev	Balmy Beach Canoe Club
Pierre-Luc Poulin	Club de Canoe-Kayak Lac-Beauport

To view the full list of results from NTT1, click here.

Visit Canoe Kayak Canada’s website to get more information and make sure to follow @CanoeKayakCAN for social updates.

Subscribe to Canoe Kayak Canada’s mailing list to get all news and results directly to your email.

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.

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For more information:

Colleen Coderre
Communications Lead
ccoderre@canoekayak.ca

Emmalee Nother
Communications Coordinator
enother@canoekayak.ca

May

1

CKC Alumni Council Member Profile

CKC Alumni Council Member ProfileEN

0

alumni, alumni council, alumni council member

Aug

6

Paddling Goes Full Circle

0

By: Andrea Waters (Corbin)

Orenda Canoe Club was founded in 1977. I began paddling in 1980 at the age of eight at this small grass-roots club in Lake Echo, Nova Scotia. Who knew that 4 years later I would be winning my first medal at Nationals and Orenda would be making their mark on the national stage? Orenda Canoe Club would finish in the top five at Nationals only a few years later (1985/86), and won the Nationals Championship Burgee in 1987, 1988, and 1989. These years marked my memories of childhood and forever ensured paddling would be a part of my identity. I was very fortunate to have had the coaching and mentoring of a fabulous group of coaches; Tony Hall, Mary Hall, Peter Fardy, Wade Farquharson, and Rob Stott all played a role in my development.

The first time I earned a spot at Nationals in K1, I was still wearing a life-belt (Bantam age) and was often training in the club’s heaviest boat and augmenting a footboard with duct tape and foam to support my short stature. I remember this moment as at Qualifying we drew for the “wooden lancer” and I won! My luck and hard work continued as despite being an underdog I earned my spot in the Midget Ladies K1 race in Toronto. This would be the first year I filled my race card at Nationals. I thrived on being the underdog and loved racing. In Calgary, I would place top five in Midget Women’s K1 1000m in a race filled with future Olympians. Orenda had three of the top finishers and we would go on to win K4 that year. I was part of many winning teams between 1984-1989, and my favourite memories are always K-4 and war canoe. We had a special group of girls at Orenda who defined “coming together for a common goal”. We also had coaches who invested in a group of girls who had never paddled before and helped them become Champions. I learned how to work as a team, how to persevere and come from behind, the value of sport and physical activity in overall health and wellness, and the importance of comradery from a very young age. They remain ingrained today.

Many of these formative years were spent on the NS Provincial training team as we worked toward Canada Games. I would stroke the NS K4 to a silver medal in 1989. After Canada Games I began coaching at Senobe Aquatic Club, where I would eventually take on the role of Head Coach. I also completed my NCCP Level III which earned me a coaching position with the 1993 NS Canada Games Team.

In 1995, I graduated from Dalhousie University and began a career as a Recreation Therapist working in rehabilitation. I currently work at the IWK Health Centre in Kids’ Rehabilitation and started my journey at Shriners Hospital in Philadelphia. I have spent almost 25 years working with adult and paediatric populations. I use sport and recreation as a modality for treatment. In 2008, I was approached to lend support to a new Canadian initiative, “Paddle All”. My experiences with canoe/kayak and rehabilitation have now merged. I have gone full circle, and it has been an amazing experience to be back in a sport community I love. I have facilitated seminars for coaches and officials sponsored by CKC and co-wrote the NCCP module “Coaching Persons with a Disability”. I also sit on the CKC Paracanoe/Paddle All Committee.

In 2009, I helped classify athletes with an impairment who were participating in Paracanoe races at Worlds in Dartmouth (the first international Paracanoe event). I have been volunteering with the International Canoe Federation for the past 10 years and each year classify at international events. I have had the opportunity to apply my skills as a rehab practitioner and my knowledge of canoe/kayak. I have also built many fantastic relationships with athletes, classifiers, and sport leaders around the world. I have facilitated classifier training in Poland, Australia, Brazil, Cuba, and Mexico. I have also been filling the role of Chair of the COPAC Paracanoe Committee since 2015. Part of this role is to help develop Paracanoe in the Americas with the end goal resulting in one day Paracanoe racing at the ParaPan Games.

I have invested a lifetime of work into improving sport and recreation access and opportunities for persons with a disability. Being able to bring my love for canoe/kayak into this work by volunteering with Paracanoe sport development has been very rewarding. I hope to see Canada continue to advance Paracanoe as a priority initiative. Paddles Up!

Aug

13

In 1995, Canada was the first country to include women-in-canoe at its Nationals