OTTAWA – Canoe Kayak Canada is pleased to announce the 2021 recipients of the Club Development Award and Coach Developer Award and to congratulate all 14 coaches who have been nominated for these Awards. The winner of each award was announced during the 2021 CKC Annual Summit.

“Every day, coaches and club leaders across Canada go to great lengths to make an impact in the lives of our athletes and our sport system,” said James Cartwright, Senior Manager of High Performance and Coach Development. “We’re proud to recognize these eight 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.

Under Diane Tam’s leadership, False Creek Sprint Canoe Club (FCSCC) has become one of the top sprint canoe clubs in British Columbia. At the 2021 National Championships 3 FCSCC athletes placed on the podium and 6 athletes raced in the Finals. Additionally, the club has grown significantly at the U10, U12, U14 and U16 level with approximately 80 paddlers now participating in the program. In 2013, FCSCC had no athletes compete at the National Championships and in 2021 there were 21 athletes that represented FCSCC.

“Through her dedication, coaching style, enthusiasm and professionalism, Diane has created a thriving club. Beyond FCSCC, Diane has been instrumental in the organization and development of the sport in British Columbia. She is always willing to help athletes and clubs.”

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.

Cheyanne Farquharson led the Rideau Canoe Club to the National Sprint Championship for the third consecutive year. Her leadership, recruiting and mentorship of new female coaches was instrumental in creating a supportive and inclusive environment. Cheyanne was selected by CKC to coach at the Junior World Championships in Portugal. She has developed coaching training and safe sport resources that have been shared throughout the sport.

“Taking on the head coaching position at a large club brings with it a great number of challenges at the best of times, over the past 18 months of the Covid-19 pandemic countless more were imposed. Cheyanne impressed Ottawa Public Health with our protocols that we were identified as a model for other organizations.”

2021 Coach Excellence Nominees:

Coach Developer Award

 Club Development Award

Read more: http://canoekayak.wpengine.com/ckc-excellence-awards/

Canoe Kayak Canada has officially launched the nomination process for the 2021 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 19-21, 2021.

Click here to submit nominations.

Deadline is November 7, 2021.

For more information, contact James Cartwright.

October 22, 2021 – The Slalom High Performance Committee and Sprint High Performance Committee have approved the nominations for the 2021-2022 Sport Canada Athlete Assistance Program (AAP). Athletes who qualify for the program will receive funding from Sport Canada for training and living expenses. Below is the list of AAP funding recipients in Canoe Slalom, Canoe Sprint and the Para Canoe program.

Please note that CKC does not view AAP nomination as the determinize indicator of athlete status within our team. It is a key element of financial support, however, on-water results in training and competition, as well as other key indicators both physically and as a contributing teammate are the key elements used to evaluate our athletes.

Canoe Slalom

Canoe Sprint

Paracanoe

OTTAWA, ON (September 29, 2021) — Canoe Kayak Canada (CKC) announces the retirement of Chief Technical Officer (CTO), Graham Barton following five years with the organization after returning from Own The Podium. Ian Mortimer will be assuming the role of CTO in leading the technical side of the organization effective October 1, 2021.

“As a coach, High Performance Director, High Performance Advisor and more recently as Chief Technical Officer, I have had the pleasure of meeting and working with some amazing people,” said Barton. “I want to thank those who motivated me, those that mentored me and those who supported me. None of our success could have been possible without a great team behind the team and I want to thank all the people I have worked with over the years who through their support and hard work made Canoe Kayak Canada one of the leading organizations in Canadian sport.  It is hard to say goodbye after dedicating your life to sport.  I will miss it, but I leave with the comforting knowledge that our athletes and our system are in good hands with the new leadership team.  I wish them and all our athletes all the best as they prepare for Paris 2024 and beyond.”

With over 40 years of experience in the sport system, Barton led multiple Canadian paddling teams to international success, including the most recent Tokyo 2020 podium finishers in women’s canoe, Katie Vincent and Laurence Vincent Lapointe, and four world champions at the Senior/U23/Junior World Championships.

Barton built his legacy on the foundation that excellence is a process and a collaborative effort amongst many partners.

“We send Graham off with mixed emotions as he has done such a tremendous job re-setting and restabilizing the organization’s high performance program,” said Casey Wade, CKC’s Chief Executive Officer. “Graham left CKC in 2009 as a very talented High Performance Director and returned as a truly exceptional CTO.”

Ian Mortimer will take over from Graham Barton as of October 1, 2021. Ian, a former national team canoer, has been part of CKC’s leadership team since 2014 leading and driving the development side of the organization.

“It’s truly an honour to continue to work with our entire Canoe Kayak Canada community to build not just world class performances, but a community where all feel welcome and both paddlers young and old can work towards their goals and enjoy our sport,” said Mortimer. “The response to the COVID-19 pandemic within our community, and the resilience of our national team paddlers has been exemplary through these exceedingly tough times. It has underscored for me how special of a sport we have. By working together, our potential is sky high and I am excited for the challenge ahead and seeing our athletes break through to the very highest levels of our sport and reaching the World Championship, Olympic and Paralympic podium.”

“Ian has proven to be an emerging leader both within CKC and the Canadian sport system. He has remarkable leadership and communication skills that will be critical in empowering our team to be among the best in the world,” said Wade. “I have no doubt that Ian will continue to build a culture of excellence that is supportive of people performing at their best.”

As the Chief Technical Officer, Mortimer will head Canoe Kayak Canada’s High-Performance strategy and National Team Programs in collaboration with coaches, athletes, officials, clubs and funding partners. He will lead the strategic long-term technical plan to ensure sustainable success across the system, including our Team Red development program.

Mortimer will work as part of the senior management leadership team, including a close partnership with Head Coach, Anders Gustafsson, and our world class coaching team. It is critical that this team works to ensure success throughout the system, stemming from the grassroots and club level, and progressing to the highest levels of competition.

The CKC Board of Directors and staff wish Graham Barton the very best in his retirement and congratulate Ian Mortimer on his new role.

About Canoe Kayak Canada

Canoe Kayak Canada is the national governing body for competitive paddling in Canada. Canoe Kayak Canada has been one of Canada’s top performing summer sports with a total of 26 Olympic medals. Canoe Kayak Canada is a member-based organization which 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

Monday August 30, 2021 (Ottawa, ON) – Canada’s Para canoe team is ready for Paralympic action this week at the Sea Forest Waterway in Tokyo, Japan. Three athletes will make their Paralympic debuts including Brianna Hennessy (Ottawa, ON), Andrea Nelson (Markham, ON), and Mathieu St-Pierre (Shawinigan, QC).

Here is everything you need to know to cheer on the three athletes representing Canada on the world’s biggest stage.

MEET THE TEAM IN TOKYO

Schedule and Results

Para canoe competition in Tokyo will take place September 2-4 (Japan time).
September 1-3 (Canadian time – evenings).

Canadian paddlers will be on the start line with heats beginning at 20:30 on Wednesday, September 1^st.

The full Paralympic schedule and results can be found on the Canadian Paralympic Committee website or International Canoe Federation.

Broadcasting and Streaming

Livestream and on-demand broadcasts of each event can be found on Paralympic.ca/Tokyo-2020/live-stream-video-demand, cbc.ca/tokyo2020 and Radio-Canada.ca/jeux-paralympiques, the CBC Sports app for iOS and Android devices, the free CBC Gem streaming service, and the Radio-Canada Sports app.

Media Resources

Athlete bios, flash quotes, photos, and video highlights, are available at Paralympic.ca/tokyo-2020-media.

About Para Canoe

Para canoe is a new sport within the Paralympic program, making its debut five years ago at the Rio 2016 Games. The program has been expanded for Tokyo to include both kayak and va’a boats and additional athlete slots. Canada is looking for its first Paralympic medal in the sport.

TOKYO 2020 PARALYMPIC GAMES PARA CANOE TEAM: 

Brianna Hennessy – Ottawa, ON

Andrea Nelson – Markham, ON

Mathieu St-Pierre – Shawinigan, QC

MEDIA CONTACT:

Colleen Coderre
Communications Lead
Canoe Kayak Canada
ccoderre@canoekayak.ca or 613-530-6217

OTTAWA, ONTARIO (August 29, 2021) – Canoe Kayak Canada (CKC) is pleased to announce the 2021 Sprint World Championship teams – Senior, Para, Under 23, Junior and Olympic Hopes.

Following a week of exciting racing at the 2021 Sprint National Championships at the Rideau Canoe Club, athletes were selected based on their performances in their respective events throughout the week.

The Senior World Championship team and Para team will compete in Copenhagen, Denmark from September 15-19 with several Tokyo 2020 Olympians returning to competition, including women’s C2 bronze medallist, Katie Vincent.

The U23 and Junior World Championship team will be flying out to Montemor-o-Velho, Portugal for their start of their event from September 3-6^th. Five U23 athletes will also be competing at the Senior World Championships one week later.

The Olympic Hopes Regatta will take place in Racice, Czech Republic from September 10-12^th, 2021.

“It was very exciting to see so many talented paddlers back in action here in Canada following such a long hiatus,” said Chief Technical Officer, Graham Barton. “It will be great to return to international competition with many of our Tokyo Olympians and future 2024 and 2028 Olympic hopefuls in action. We are confident our COVID safeguards, combined with the host organizing committee protocols, will offer a safe environment for all of our travelling teams.”

For more information on the upcoming ICF events, click here.

2021 SENIOR WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP TEAM

Para Canoe

U23

Junior

2021 Olympic Hopes Team 

                                               Men’s Canoe

                                                Women’s Canoe 

                                               Women’s Kayak

                                                  Men’s Kayak 

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

OTTAWA (August 26, 2021) – Canoe Kayak Canada (CKC) is pleased to announce the eight slalom athletes that have been selected to compete in the 2021 International Canoe Federation (ICF) World Cups and World Championships.

The athletes qualified at Ottawa River Runners Tailrace on August 21-22 and will compete in three international events this fall. World Cup 3 in Seu d’Urgell, Spain, World Cup 4 in Pau, France and the world championships in Bratislava, Slovakia. Junior athletes Sophie Gilfilan and Beatrice Olson will not be competing at these events due to conflicting commitments with their academic schedules.

“We are excited to be sending a young group of racers to Europe to support their development and to gain critical race experience as we shift our eyes towards Paris,” said CKC Senior High Performance Manager, James Cartwright. “All three competition venues are mainstays on the international circuit and with limited racing in the last 18 months it’s important for our athletes to get some more races in this year before the competition season ends.”

Selections for World Cups 3, 4 and World Championships

2021 ICF Slalom World Cup 3

When: September 3-5, 2021

Where: La Seu, Spain

How to Follow: Event website

2021 ICF Slalom World Cup 4

When: September 10-12, 2021

Where: Pau, France

How to Follow: Event website

2021 World Championships

When: September 22-26, 2021

Where: Bratislava, Slovakia

How to Follow: Event website

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

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

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 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 in order to be considered for the position.

Deadline for applications is midnight EST on Sept 3, 2021.

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

TOKYO, JAPAN (Saturday August 7, 2021) – Laurence Vincent Lapointe has won her second medal of Tokyo 2020, teaming with Katie Vincent to win bronze in the women’s canoe sprint C-2 500m event.

At the midway mark of the race, they were in fifth place. But they kept powering and moved themselves past Germany and Hungary to get into third place. They finished in 1:59.041, three and a half seconds behind China, who led from start to finish, and about a second and a half behind Ukraine, who won silver.

After they crossed the line, Vincent grabbed Vincent Lapointe’s shoulder in excitement, which caused them both to fall into the water with laughter.

The Canadians didn’t take the easiest route to the podium. After finishing third in their first round heat, they had to race in a quarterfinal instead of advancing directly to the semifinal. They were able to win their quarterfinal heat pretty handily, however, to move onto the next round. In the semifinal that took place just a couple of hours before the final, they finished second.

The duo came to Tokyo as the holders of the world best time in the event, which they broke twice in 2018, as well as being two-time world champions in 2017 and 2018.

Both were finalists in the C-1 200m event two days ago when Vincent Lapointe claimed silver to stand on the first ever women’s sprint canoe podium at the Olympic Games. She first teamed up with Vincent in the C-2 boat in 2015, kicking off their successful partnership. But before these Games, they hadn’t raced together internationally since a World Cup in early June 2019.

The medal was Canada’s 23rd of Tokyo 2020, surpassing the total of 22 from Atlanta 1996 and Rio 2016. The only Olympic Summer Games at which Canada won more medals was Los Angeles 1984, which was boycotted by the Soviet Union and 13 other countries.

Excerpt by Canadian Olympic Committee

TOKYO JAPAN (August 6, 2021) – Canada advances to three semifinals leading into the final day of Olympic sprint competition. Vying for a spot in the A finals, silver medalist Laurence Vincent Lapointe (Trois-Rivières Canoe-Kayak Club) Katie Vincent (Mississauga Canoe Club) will be racing in the women’s C2 semifinals.

Connor Fitzpatrick advances to semifinals with a gutsy comeback in the heats and gruelling quarterfinal in men’s C1 1000m race. Roland Varga was eliminated following a sixth place finish in the quarterfinal.

The men’s K4 500m crew will contest the semifinals with a 5^th place finish (1:24.979) in the quarterfinals today. Mark de Jonge attributes the their success in advancing the boat to the strong bond with his teammates Nicholas Matveev, Pierre-Luc Poulin and Simon McTavish. “We are all really close friends. Over the past few years we have gone through a lot together and we are happy to see that our hard work is paying off. We have a lot of trust in each other to get the job done and that is what we will do tomorrow.”

The Canadian women’s K4 500m team did not succeed in advancing to the semifinals, but will appear in the B Finals. “We are working so well together in the boat but there are 16 crews that are the best in the world so we came out here to perform our best,” said Andréanne Langlois. “It is disappointing but we are still proud of what we have done to get here.” The Canadian crew includes Alanna Bray-Lougheed, Andréanne Langlois, Madeline Schmidt, and Michelle Russell.

Tomorrow, we will mark the final day of the sprint competition with semifinals, A and B Finals. Best of luck to Team Canada!

Tune in live at CBC Olympics Live – schedule below.

More information on the canoe and kayak sprint events can be found on the Tokyo 2020 website here.

Race previews:

Friday August 6 EDT /Saturday August 7 JST

Athlete List

Alternates: Lissa Bissonette, Courtney Stott

TOKYO JAPAN (Thursday August 5, 2021) – Laurence Vincent Lapointe paddles to a silver medal (46.786) in the historic C1 200m Olympic event behind gold medalist Nevin Harrison of USA (45.932).  Ukraine’s Luidmyla Luzan came across the line in bronze medal position (47.034). Canada’s Katie Vincent (Mississauga Canoe Club) finished eighth in the tight race in a time of 47.834.

Silver for Vincent Lapointe (Trois-Rivières Canoe-Kayak Club) marks the first medal for Canada in the women’s sprint program since Caroline Brunet won bronze in 2004.

“I’m super proud of what I did today. It is so relieving and exciting. After all that I have been through, I did it!” said Vincent Lapointe.  “The Olympic Games is the peak event. I didn’t get gold but I did the best performance I could and I pushed until the end!”

Teammate Katie Vincent raced in lane 7 in the finals today. “I am proud of Laurence and hope we can keep this momentum into the C2 event. The biggest challenge will be the wind and I think that’s what got me a bit today but there are no excuses and no regrets. I am going to stay focused and not let anything stop us from doing our best.”

Nick Matveev (Balmy Beach Canoe Club) rounded out his K1 200m event finishing 6th in the B Final.

Michelle Russell (Cheema Aquatic Club) finished 7^th in the highly competitive K1 500m semifinals, and did not progress to the finals.

Brian Malfesi (Ridge Canoe and Kayak Club) and Vincent Jourdenais (Club de canoe-kayak de vitesse de Trois-Rivieres) battled hard once again in the B Final finishing 6^th in the MK 1000m event.

Tomorrow, we will tune into heats and quarterfinals for WC2 500m, MC1 1000m, WK4 500m, and MK4 500m.

Tune in live at CBC Olympics Live – schedule below.

More information on the canoe and kayak sprint events can be found on the Tokyo 2020 website here.

Race previews:

Thursday August 5/Friday August 6 JST

Friday August 6 EDT /Saturday August 7 JST

Athlete List

Alternates: Lissa Bissonette, Courtney Stott

TOKYO, JAPAN (August 4, 2021) – It was a historic moment at the SeaForest Waterway with the first-ever women’s canoe sprint races taking place today at an Olympic Games. Canada’s Katie Vincent (Mississauga Canoe Club) and Laurence Vincent Lapointe (Trois-Rivières Canoe-Kayak Club) did not let this opportunity go to waste, winning both their heats to advance directly to semifinals.

“We are writing history in women’s canoe,” said Vincent Lapointe.  “In 2010, I was there for the first world championships for women’s canoe and I am just going to keep doing my best right up until the end of this event.”

Katie Vincent commenting in the media mixed zone that she was excited for more racing. “Having not raced since 2019, to come out and know that all the work is still paying off is relieving. I am really looking forward to tomorrow and to execute a little more in the coming races.”

Mark de Jonge (Maskwa Aquatic Club) and Nick Matveev (Balmy Beach Canoe Club)

raced in the men’s K1 200m heats and quarterfinals, with only Matveev securing his advancement into the semifinals.

“I was a bit nervous as this is my first international race in this event and now that I’ve dusted off the cobwebs, I am excited to race in the semis and hopefully qualify for the finals tomorrow,” said Matveev.

Michelle Russell (Cheema Aquatic Club) earned her spot into the semifinals via the quarterfinals in the K1 500m.  “I was a little upset that that I didn’t make it directly through to semis directly from my heat but after speaking with my coach Chad and making the necessary adjustments I think it paid off in the quarterfinals.”

Brian Malfesi (Ridge Canoe and Kayak Club) and Vincent Jourdenais (Club de canoe-kayak de vitesse de Trois-Rivieres) battled hard in their quarterfinal race, missing out on A Finals by less than a second. Malfesi commented, “Every crew here is the best in the world and we know we are right in it and we will take that into the B Final and aim to win it.”

It’s a big day of semi-finals and finals so tune in live on CBC Olympics Live – schedule below.

More information on the canoe and kayak sprint events can be found on the Tokyo 2020 website here.

Race previews:

Wednesday August 4 EDT/Thursday August 5 JST

Thursday August 5/Friday August 6 JST

Friday August 6 EDT /Saturday August 7 JST

Athlete List

Alternates: Lissa Bissonette, Courtney Stott

TOKYO, JAPAN (August 3, 2021) – Team Canada brought their own heat to the Sea Forest Waterway with two boats qualifying for A Finals today and two top ten finishes. Canada competed in WK1 200m A and B Final, and the A Final in the MC2 1000m.

Andréanne Langlois (Club de canoë-kayak de Trois-Rivières) qualified through to the A Final following a 3^rd place finish (39.952) in the WK1 200m semifinals. Andréanne crossed the finish line in 9^th overall (40.473) in her first-ever international A Final performance.

“It’s easy to say that I am most proud of my result but I am actually most proud of coming back and proving to myself that I am world-class kayaker,” said Langlois.  “It is really good for my heart and good for me head to show that I was able to make an A Final. It’s the first time in my life and I knew I could do it and today I did it and it was the best time to show it!”

Michelle Russell (Cheema Aquatic Club) raced in the WK1 200m B final tying for 4^th place with Serbia, finishing the event in 13^th overall. Michelle and Andréanne will race together in the WK4 500m on Friday.

Roland Varga (Richmond Hill Canoe Club) and Connor Fitzpatrick (Senobe Aquatic Club) raced in the C2 1000m laying down a powerful performance to qualify them into the A Final. The Canadian crew battled hard to earn a 6^th place finish overall and a new Canadian record with a time of 3:27.10.

“It’s bittersweet I would say. Making the A Final was our goal and we achieved that but you always want to be better,” said Varga.  “We haven’t had a C2 crew at the Olympics since 2008 and I hope we brought men’s canoe back home to Canada and I think we proved that we belong today.”

Fitzpatrick and Varga will return on Friday to compete in the men’s C1 1000m event.

“We have two days off now to refocus and take care of the body,” said Fitzpatrick. “I hope to surprise a lot of people in the next race. We are coming back.”

Racing continues with the start of MK1 200m, WC1 200m, WK1 500m and MK2 1000m heats and quarterfinals.

More information on the canoe and kayak sprint events can be found on the Tokyo 2020 website here.

Race previews:

 Tuesday August 3 EDT/ Wednesday Aug 4 JST

Wednesday August 4 EDT/Thursday August 5 JST

Thursday August 5/Friday August 6 JST

Friday August 6 EDT /Saturday August 7 JST

Athlete List

Alternates: Lissa Bissonette, Courtney Stott

Photo Credit: COC/Leah Hennel

Team Canada kicked off racing at the steamy Sea Forest Waterway with heats and quarterfinals deciding who advances to the semifinals tomorrow, Japan time. Canada competed in WK1 200m, MC2 1000m, MK1 1000m and WK2 500m events.

Andréanne Langlois and Michelle Russell both advanced to their semifinals in the WK1 200m.

“My heat could have gone better but we haven’t raced in so long so you never know how you are going rank and it is obviously the Olympics so everyone is bringing their A game,” said Russell. “The quarterfinals offered an opportunity to improve and get a bit more race experience and take it from there.”

“My quarterfinal was more consistent throughout the whole race so I am really happy about this race,” said Langlois. “I love this distance, it is my favourite so it would be good to go out on a good note.”

Roland Varga and Connor Fitzpatrick raced in the C2 1000m today finishing 5^th in the heat, and 4^th in the quarterfinals to lock up a spot in the semifinals. The temperatures are soaring in Tokyo and a hot topic for performance here at the Olympic Games.

“I personally love the heat, and for both of us this year, the harder the conditions the better,” said Fitzpatrick.  “Our fitness is incredible and we are doing all the right things to cope with the heat. When you get out to the start line and in the gate, you don’t even think about it.”

“A week before in Montreal, we were training in a concrete jungle and we got the preparation we needed,” said Varga. “We are as prepared as possible.”

Simon McTavish raced the MK1 1000m in a very competitive field and did not advance to the semifinals yet looking ahead to the men’s K4 500m.

Alanna Bray-Lougheed and Madeline Schmidt did not advance to the WK2 500m semifinals and will regroup for the K4 500m event.

More information on the canoe and kayak sprint events can be found on the Tokyo 2020 website here.

Race previews:

Monday August 2

Tuesday August 3

Wednesday August 4

Thursday August 5

Friday August 6

Athlete List

Alternates: Lissa Bissonette, Courtney Stott

The Canoe Sprint competition kicks off at the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games for Team Canada’s athletes this evening at (8:30 pm EDT), 9:30am JST. The action continues through until Saturday August 7. Canadians will race in twelve events at the Sea Forest Waterway with heats, quarterfinals and semifinals drawing out the best paddlers in the world for the Olympic finals.

London 2012 bronze medallist, Mark de Jonge lines up for his third Olympic start in the men’s K-4 with teammates Nicholas Matveev, Pierre-Luc Poulin and Simon McTavish. Mark will also race in the Men’s K1 200m event with Nicholas Matveev.

Women’s canoe will make its Olympic debut in Tokyo, making the sprint program gender equal, with both men and women competing in four kayak events and two canoe events. Katie Vincent and Laurence Vincent Lapointe will be lining up in C1 and C2 events beginning on Tuesday August 3^rd.

Andréanne Langlois returns for her second Olympic Games and will be racing in the Women’s K1 200m heats tomorrow along with Michelle Russell.  Both Langlois and Russell will also race K4 500m with teammates Alanna Bray-Lougheed, and Madeline Schmidt.   Alanna and Madeline will line up in the Women’s K2 500m.   Rounding out the Women’s Kayak events, Michelle Russell will also race the K1 500m.

Roland Varga and Connor Fitzpatrick will take on the C2 1000m event starting today and both will race C1 1000m later in the week, while Brian Malfesi and Vincent Jourdenais will line up in the K2 1000m on Tuesday.

Frank Amyot secured Canada’s first ever Olympic medal in canoe sprint by placing first in the C1 1000m race during the 1936 Games in Berlin, Germany. Since the introduction of canoe sprint, Canada has earned 24 Olympic medals in canoe and kayak events. Tokyo 2020 marks the first Games in history to include women’s canoe.

More information on the canoe and kayak sprint events can be found on the Tokyo 2020 website here.

Race previews:

Sunday August 1

Monday August 2

Tuesday August 3

Wednesday August 4

Thursday August 5

Friday August 6

PDF Here.

Athlete List

Alternates: Lissa Bissonette, Courtney Stott

TOKYO, JAPAN (July 28, 2021) – Women’s canoe made its Olympic debut today along with the start of the men’s kayak heats at the Kasai Slalom Centre.

Haley Daniels (Calgary, AB) did not advance to the semifinals today but the significance of the historical day was not lost.

“I am so proud to be here. It was a huge fight to become an Olympic sport and I can’t believe that we are finally here. I wish that I had done better today and wish I was fighting for a medal but unfortunately I got a 50-second penalty which put me out of the running. I have had to fight for 12 years to get here so just being here is really special.”

Canadian teammate Michael Tayler (Ottawa, ON) also did not advance into the semifinals despite a valiant effort on the race course in Tokyo.

“It was a tough one out there for me today. I really gave it my all but I had a lot of challenges and injuries coming into this so I was really just happy to be on the start line today and did everything I could.”

The team will be returning home following an extended training block away from Canada. Congratulations to the entire team for their efforts in Tokyo.

“We originally set out to qualify a full roster of athletes for the Tokyo Games and we achieved that objective sending a full slalom team for first time since the Sydney 2000 Games,” added Senior High Performance Manager James Cartwright. “The journey to Tokyo was much longer and tougher than anyone ever imagined, and I am incredibly proud of the athletes and coaches for their commitment throughout the journey and for representing Canada with pride. They have been outside of Canada since February and have earned a well-deserved break before we turn our focus towards to the upcoming World Championships in Bratislava in September.”

For full results click here.

The Canadian entries are listed below.

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

TOKYO, JAPAN (July 27, 2021) – Women’s kayak semifinals and finals competition were held today at the Kasai Canoe Slalom Centre.  Canada’s Florence Maheu (Salaberry-de-Valleyfield, QC) was the seventh paddler to maneuver the challenging Tokyo course in the semifinals.

The semifinal proved to challenge many of the racers with only 9 women realizing penalty free runs. Florence made some costly mistakes on the course that caused her to finish outside of the top 10 advancement cut-off for finals.

“I am pretty disappointed. I wasn’t able to do what I wanted to do with too many mistakes. Following my heats, I had a goal to make top 15. I wanted to execute all the moves and have a clean run and I wasn’t able to achieve that today.”

Reflecting on her semifinal run, Maheu added, “I was pretty nervous and they were not easy moves so I need to feel more confident in the future and be more consistent.”

Germany’s Ricarda Funk (GER)  captured the gold medal, silver for Spain’s Maialen(ESP), and bronze for Australia’s Jessica Fox(AUS).

Maheu will make the trip home back to Canada tomorrow following a long six-month European training and competition block in Europe.  “I am quite excited to get back to Canada as it has been a long time away from home.”

Canada will compete next in the women’s canoe (Haley Daniels) and men’s kayak (Michael Tayler) slalom heats tomorrow July 28 JST time.

For full results click here.

The Canadian entries are listed below.

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

Canoe Kayak Canada and the Rideau Canoe Club Host Organizing Committee are proud to hold the 2021 Canoe Kayak Canada Sprint National Championships.   “Nationals” will be one of the first national amateur sporting events to be held in Canada as we return to sport as part of Canada’s Covid Recovery.

For many in our paddling community across Canada, this will be a first opportunity to compete at a national level.  For others, Nationals has long served as a celebration of our sport, and a homecoming for friends from coast to coast.

The 2021 Nationals will look and feel a bit different, but we are committed to making the 2021 Event a truly fantastic experience – one that will reflect how far we’ve come in being able to hold a Championship in 2021.

Our returning Olympians, the combination of National Team Trials, and so many new and young athletes racing at Nationals will all guarantee an incredible week.

As a competing athlete, official, coach, parent, grandparent, volunteer or spectator, all of you will make a difference in how our event goes.

The following information should help to ensure your visit to Ottawa is a successful one!

Here’s what you need to know:

SPECTATORS AND VIEWING AREAS

Yes!  Spectators will be allowed at the 2021 CKC Sprint Nationals.   The primary viewing area will be located on the east side of Mooney’s Bay at the finish line.   The area will include a large covered spectator viewing tent for inclement weather.  In addition, there will be food services onsite and washroom facilities.  This will be the area closest to the action, and where medal presentations will be held for our athletes.

Please note that when in the Spectator area, spectators will be required to fill out the CKC App for tracking.  Social distancing guidelines will also be in place and it is expected, masks will be required when spectators are not eating or drinking.

Informally, there will also be a spectator area at the end of the race course.   It is important to note this small park area will have limited capacity.

For people familiar with previous National Championships or Regattas held at Mooney’s Bay, the Mooney’s Bay park area will be off limits to all spectators.  This area will serve as a restricted access area for athletes only.

For these reasons, no personal spectator tents will be permitted at either the official spectator area or unofficial park viewing area at the end of the course. 

The organizing committee will be providing a large covered area at the finish line for rain and shade.   For safety and viewing purposes, there is simply not room for additional tents.

Please also note the Rideau Canoe Club will be off limits for all spectators and athletes, and will be an officials and volunteer zone only.   Spectating will not be possible from the Rideau Canoe Club (west) side of the venue)

ACCOMMODATION

The Host Organizing Committee is working with HTG Sports for hotel group booking discounts:

Individuals can book hotel rooms at the following:

https://secure.htgsports.com/HRMS.nsf/HotelConfirmedInEvent?OpenForm&ParentUNID=A8CAB83BE076F29B852585AE004E6D57&lang=en

We would encourage group bookings for clubs, and organizations booking more than 10 rooms you can use the following link:
https://secure.htgsports.com/registration.nsf/BTSRP_EventAccess?OpenForm&eventid=A8CAB83BE076F29B852585AE004E6D57&lang=en

HTG is an event partner, and the HOC would appreciate your support in booking hotels.

PARKING AND ATHLETE TRANSPORTATION

There will be onsite paid parking at Mooney’s Bay for athletes and spectators.  The HOC has secured the parking area directly beside the spectator area and entrance to the Athlete Village.   This will be the location where all athletes must enter the property, and will provide all spectators with the easiest access to spectator areas.

This will be the only facility offering a single-fee full day parking pass, and in and out privileges.

For athlete “drop-off” at the venue, a “quick stop” process will be in place to ensure athletes can enter the site as quickly and efficiently as possible.

The location can be access from Hog’s Back Road, on the south side, just east of Hog’s Back Bridge and the Canal Driveway.   Watch for volunteers.

With morning and afternoon cohorts, this will be a busy spot.  Still, we will have large volunteer team in place to ensure our athletes and spectators can get in and out quickly and safely.   This will be the only entrance into the venue.

ATHLETES VILLAGE

To ensure the safety and security of our competitors, when in competition, all athletes will stay within the secure “Athletes Village”.  This is the grass area in Mooney’s Bay Park facing the race course.   Please note that only athletes racing in a morning or afternoon cohort will be permitted access to the club areas of the athlete village.

Please note, to accommodate practice time for athletes not competing in National Team Trials on August 23, 24 and 25, there will be restricted access permitted to allow practicing athletes to grab their boat, and enter the water at the south end of the facility.  This will be done on a club by club basis in reserved time slots and coordinated through club coaches.

FOOD AND WATER FOR ATHLETES AND SPECTATORS

While there will be some food services available in the Spectator area, please note there will no food services and limited water access in the Athletes Village. 

Given Covid restrictions, shared water access via fountains and refill stations is not permitted.

While athletes will only be permitted to be in the Village area for a morning or afternoon session, it is strongly advised athletes plan ahead for both personal hydration and nutritional requirements.

There will be plenty of washroom facilities in the Athletes Village area, including both accessible and gender divided facilities.

It is with profound sadness that Canoe Kayak Canada acknowledges the passing of Edward Urquhart, Para Kayak paddler from Pickering Rouge Canoe Club.

Edward was a leader in the Para paddling community, competing for Canada at the 2018 Pan American Championship in Dartmouth. He was also a key member of the strong Canoe Kayak Ontario team and his club. This past March, he also competed at the Olympic and Paralympic Team Trials in Burnaby, British Columbia. Outside of paddling, Edward was a Canadian Para Powerlifting record holder and an accomplished long-drive and para golf athlete.

Anyone who spent time as a teammate, competitor or simply crossed paths with Eddie was inspired by his enthusiasm, determination and the joy he took in, and brought to  our sport. Canoe Kayak Canada expresses its very deepest condolences to Edwards’ wife, Andrea, and his two young sons, Eric and Joshua. We also share our condolences with the Pickering Rouge Canoe Club, Canoe Kayak Ontario, Edwards teammates and friends.

“I first met Eddie in Toronto at the 2017 Olympic/Paralympic search. He was a strong and charismatic guy that seemed just as eager to be involved in sport as I was,” said National team Para paddler, Mike Trauner.  “Like myself, Eddie very much included his family, Andrea and his two boys, Eric and Joshua as a part of his Paralympic journey which instantly made a connection between us and strongly believed in leading by example and treating all teammates as family. We have lost more than just a paddler, we have lost our brother and I hope that all CKC members remember Eddie as the man with the iron will and exceptional passion for life. We love you Eddie, may you rest in eternal peace.”

Canoe Kayak Canada’s National teams will be observing a moment of silence in remembrance of Edward, and his amazing generosity of spirit and enthusiasm for our sport, which we will endeavour to continue in his memory.

LJUBLJANA-TACEN, SLOVENIA (July 12, 2021) – Canoe Kayak Canada’s young slalom paddlers wrapped up competition this past weekend at the ICF 2021 Junior & U23 Canoe Slalom World Championships in Ljubljana-Tacen, Slovenia. This competition marked a significant milestone for Canada’s four U23 and 4 Junior athletes who battled through cancelled training and team selections due to the Covid-19 pandemic.

Alex Baldoni achieved Canada’s best-ever performance at the Junior World Championships in the men’s canoe event placing 6^th in the final. While Tacen’s difficult course design proved to challenge the field, Alex Baldoni was very consistent throughout the competition placing 8^th in the heats, 5^th in the semifinals and 6^th in the finals.

“At the beginning of my final I told myself that it was important to enjoy this moment and make the best of it,” said Baldoni. “During my race a few things didn’t go as planned and I tried hard to get back on track and even if I wanted to do better I am still very proud to have finished 6^th at my first Junior World Championship, [I am] so happy to be paddling for my country.”

“I’m thrilled to see our junior and U23 athletes gaining valuable international race experience and a few personal best performances come from this event. Our athletes have faced many challenges over the last 16 months and it’s very rewarding to see their perseverance start to pay-off,” said Tyler Lawlor, CKC team leader.

Olivia Norman placed 24th in the women’s kayak event and 31st in Extreme Slalom. Béatrice Olson gained valuable race experience placing 27th overall in the women’s junior canoe event at her first Junior World Championship competition with three more years left as a junior eligible paddler. Béatrice also placed 22nd in the Extreme Slalom event and 34th in kayak.

Alex Baldoni also competed in the men’s kayak event and got off to an impressive start early in the competition placing 3rd in the heats phase and placed 34^th after penalties. Teammate Jean-Benoit Lemay finished closely behind in 35th place in the kayak event and 23rd in the extreme slalom event.

In the men’s U23 categories Mark Zielonka placed 11th in Extreme Slalom and 51st in the kayak event, teammates Trevor Boyd placed 23rd in Extreme Slalom 46th in kayak. Mael Rivard narrowly missed the semifinal cut-off and finished 41st in kayak. Léa Baldoni finished 30th in Extreme Slalom and 33rd the kayak event.

Additional final results can be found here.

About Canoe Kayak Canada

OTTAWA (July 7, 2021) – Canoe Kayak Canada and the Canadian Olympic Committee have announced Canada’s canoe/kayak sprint team nominated to compete at the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games.

The 16 paddlers are nominated for Team Canada based on their performances at the 2019 World Canoe Sprint Championships in Hungary, the CKC Olympic trials in Burnaby, B.C. and multiple internal performance assessments conducted in Canada.

Women’s canoe will make its Olympic debut in Tokyo, making the sprint program gender equal, with both men and women competing in four kayak events and two canoe events.

Canada will be well represented in this new Olympic event by multi-time world champions Laurence Vincent Lapointe and Katie Vincent. The duo won gold at the 2018 World Championships, smashing their own world record in the C-2 500m event. Vincent Lapointe took home two additional gold medals at that event in the C-1 200m and C-1 5000m.

“I feel a lot of love and support from the community in these final moments ahead of the women’s canoe debut,” said Vincent. “When the starter says ‘go’ in Tokyo, it will be a moment I hope all Canadians and paddlers will celebrate. It is hard not to reflect on the journey to get here but beyond the results, it’s been the wildest, most rewarding year of my life. These Olympic Games will be an opportunity to celebrate and reap the rewards of our hard work, resilience and dedication. We can’t control the outcome but we can commit to doing our best and leaving it all on the water.”

Team veteran Mark de Jonge, who won K-1 200m bronze at London 2012, will compete in his third Olympic Games. The Nova Scotia -born paddler qualified for Tokyo while competing in the men’s K-4 Olympic trials race-off with teammates Nicholas Matveev, Pierre-Luc Poulin and Simon McTavish.

“It’s a huge relief to finally be nominated to the Canadian Olympic Team after five years of preparation and a lot of uncertainty over the past year,” said de Jonge. “I’m so proud of our team for staying strong through the rough patches and I am confident that our resilience and hard work will pay off when we compete in Tokyo.”

Andréanne Langlois will be returning for her second Olympic Games, after competing at Rio 2016 in two kayak events – K-1 200m and K-4 500m. Langlois won four medals at the Lima 2019 Pan American Games including two gold in the women’s K-2 and K-4 events.

“I believe we have an extremely strong team going to Tokyo,” said Canoe Kayak Canada’s Chief Technical Officer, Graham Barton. “We have been able to keep our athletes on the water throughout a challenging 18 months and while our Olympic nominees have not been able to compete internationally during that time, our assessments at Olympic Team Trials and throughout our preparation indicate that we are on track in each of our events. Tokyo will just be one more bubble experience that we have become accustomed to, so it won’t be a distraction. I know they are looking forward to the start of competition on August 2 and will proudly represent the maple leaf.”

Canadian paddlers have been winning Olympic medals since the sport made its debut at Berlin 1936. Canada’s biggest medal haul came at Los Angeles 1984 where six medals were won, including two gold, from Larry Cain in the C-1 500m and Alwyn Morris and Hugh Fisher in the K-2 1000m. Cain added a silver in the C-1 1000m while Morris and Fisher also won bronze in the K-2 500m. These were also the first Olympic Games at which Canadian women won kayak medals, taking silver in the K-2 500m and bronze in the K-4 500m, 36 years after women’s kayak events were first included on the Olympic program. The most notable women’s kayaker, Caroline Brunet, won three straight medals in the K-1 500m at Atlanta 1996, Sydney 2000 and Athens 2004.

Team Canada’s most recent Olympic medals in canoe/kayak sprint came at London 2012 where Adam van Koeverden won his fourth Olympic medal in men’s kayak. Mark De Jonge won a bronze in men’s K-1 200m while Mark Oldershaw won bronze in the C-1 1000m.

Canoe/kayak sprint will take place August 2 to 7 (Days 10 to 15) at the Sea Forest Waterway.

Canadian sprint event entries will be finalized closer to the event start date.

“Fun fact, the C- in C-1 and C-2 doesn’t stand for Canoe, it stands for Canadian! I’m so stoked that we have such strong paddlers, including for the first time, female canoeists, in the Canadian and Kayak events!”, said Team Canada’s Tokyo 2020 Chef de Mission, Marnie McBean.

The athletes nominated are:

Women’s Canoe

Katie Vincent (Mississauga Canoe Club)

Laurence Vincent Lapointe (Trois-Rivières Canoe-Kayak Club)

Men’s Canoe

Connor Fitzpatrick (Senobe Aquatic Club)

Roland Varga (Richmond Hill Canoe Club)

Women’s Kayak

Alanna Bray-Lougheed (Burloak Canoe Club)

Andréanne Langlois (Club de canoë-kayak de Trois-Rivières)

Courtney Stott (Balmy Beach Canoe Club)

Lissa Bissonnette (Point-Claire Canoe Kayak Club)

Madeline Schmidt (Rideau Canoe Club))

Michelle Russell (Cheema Aquatic Club)

Men’s Kayak

Brian Malfesi (Ridge Canoe and Kayak Club)

Mark de Jonge (Maskwa Aquatic Club)

Nicholas Matveev (Balmy Beach Canoe Club)

Pierre-Luc Poulin (Lac-Beauport Canoe Club)

Simon McTavish (Mississauga Canoe Club)

Vincent Jourdenais (Club de canoe-kayak de vitesse de Trois-Rivieres)

The coaches nominated are:

Anders Gustaffson (Jönköping, Sweden)

Chad Brooks (Lake Echo, Nova Scotia)

Jon Pike (Dartmouth, Nova Scotia)

Mark Granger (Lachine, Québec)

Mathieu Pelletier (Trois-Rivières, Québec)

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 Tokyo 2020 roster can be found here and the qualification tracker 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

Josh Su, Specialist, Public Relations

Canadian Olympic Committee

C: 647-464-4060

E: jsu@olympic.ca

Ottawa, July 2, 2021 – As provinces across Canada continue positive steps forward in recovering from the COVID-19 Pandemic, Canoe Kayak Canada and the Rideau Canoe Club announced today that they will move forward with plans to host the 2021 Canoe Kayak Canada Sprint National Championships on Mooney’s Bay from August 23^rd–29^th, 2021.

“The Host Organizing Committee recognizes the invaluable impact Nationals will have for the mental health of our young athletes.  This event will provide much needed motivation for these athletes in their training throughout the summer” said Dr. Anna Wilkinson, Co-Chair, 2021 CKC Sprint National Championships Host Organizing Committee. “We have leveraged the experience gained by Canoe Kayak Canada in running Olympic Trials to create a comprehensive plan for a safe event should the Province of Ontario continue on the current path to re-opening.”

“Over the past several months, we have remained in constant contact with officials at the City of Ottawa and have  worked to develop protocols that will ensure a safe event aligned with public health measures,” said Canoe Kayak Canada Director of Development, Ian Mortimer.  “While we understand if there is an unfortunate step back in a national Covid recovery we may not be able to host the event, we are extremely hopeful, and are planning accordingly.  Athletes across the country have missed nearly two years of competition, and for their benefit, we are committed to doing everything we can to host a safe national event”.

While final race and event details will reflect public health guidelines at the time of the event, athletes can expect some modifications to a traditional “Nationals”.   Race events and qualifications will be limited to singles boats, and the National Championships will incorporate the previously postponed 2021 National Team Trials.   In addition, age specific cohorts (i.e. U18, U17, U16) have been introduced to provide more qualifying opportunities for athletes across the country.

The Sprint National Championships will also serve as an important selection opportunity for athletes to earn a nomination to one or more international competitions in September.  “The Junior & U23 Worlds, Olympic Hopes Regatta and the Senior World Championships are all extremely important competitions for our athletes preparing for Paris 2024 in what is a shortened Olympic cycle due to Covid.”  said Chief Technical Officer, Graham Barton. “With Tokyo in the rear-view mirror and no international competitions for these athletes for two full summers, the global competition experience this Fall lays the foundation for success in Paris and Los Angeles.”

The Host Organizing Committee and Canoe Kayak Canada have developed a safety plan consistent with public health guidelines.  Current plans will ensure participants will be in zones with controlled access to allow for proper physical distancing. To accomplish this, race days will be split by age and gender to ensure a limited number of competitors in the event area at any given time.   As there may not be spectator areas, Canoe Kayak Canada is planning a livestream similar to what was produced for the 2021 Olympic Team Trials in Burnaby, BC earlier this year.  The venue will also be designed to allow for modifications if changes to public health guidelines change over the next two months.

It is still expected Canada’s returning Olympic Canoe and Kayak athletes will be able to return from Tokyo and compete in Ottawa for their home clubs.   As many as 50 Clubs, from across Canada will have athletes competing in qualifying regattas across Canada to earn the right to compete in Ottawa.

Ottawa Tourism has also announced that it will continue in a lead partner role for the event.  “The 2021 Canoe Kayak Canada Sprint National Championships will mark an important milestone for Ottawa as sporting events return to our community”, said Michael Crockatt, President and CEO of Ottawa Tourism.  “Ottawa Tourism is proud to play a leadership role in supporting this event, and we look forward to working with the Rideau Canoe Club, Canoe Kayak Canada, and local community business partners, to make the Championships a success”

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About the Rideau Canoe Club

The Rideau Canoe Club is one of Canada’s oldest canoe clubs, and one of the City of Ottawa’s longest continually operating sports facilities.   Rideau Canoe Club Paddlers have been racing on the Rideau Canal and Mooney’s Bay since 1902.   We acknowledge the Rideau Canoe Club resides on the traditional unceded land of the Algonquin Anishnabeg peoples, and the waters on which our paddlers compete has been used for centuries as a route to connect Indigenous peoples across North America.

Over the past 118 years, the Rideau Canoe Club has produced 10 Olympians, and Rideau athletes have won the Sprint Canoe and Kayak National Club Championship Burgee 9 times.  In 2019, 10 Rideau athletes competed for Canada internationally, and won 8 medals at the Commonwealth Games, Junior World Championships and Olympic Hopes Regatta.  Rideau is currently the two-time defending National Champions, having won the 2019 Burgee in Regina, SK.

For more information contact:

Scott Bradley

Co-Chair, 2021 Canoe Kayak Canada Sprint National Championships

scott.bradley@rideaucanoeclub.ca

343.549.5333

The following is an update for our sprint racing community regarding plans for hosting the CKC Sprint Nationals Championships and Selection Trials scheduled for August 23^rd to 29^th.

The event will be named the 2021 Canadian Sprint Canoe Kayak Championships.

Decision Making Overview

The parameters around these events related to COVID-19 prevention measures and restrictions continue to be an evolving reality. The intention with this communication is to provide an overview of the current status and the COVID-19 review of these events.

The following stakeholders were engaged for expertise and feedback in the risk review process: Chief Medical Officer, CKC legal counsel, Volunteer Leadership and Athlete Reps, our partner Host Organizing Committee, government authorities and of course CKC staff.

Our Decision Timelines

Completed (June 8, 2021) – Meeting #1 with Covid Task Force and Athlete Reps for consultation

Completed (June 28, 2021) – Meeting #2 with Covid Task Force and Athlete Reps for consultation

June 30/July 1, 2021 – Decision on 2021 National Championships and next steps

Location decision

After completing our Risk Assessment of the event, CKC is moving forward with the plan for the 2021 Canadian Sprint Canoe Kayak Championships to be held at the Rideau Canoe Club in Ottawa, Ontario.

An important note for our members: we have received positive feedback from appropriate authorities on our protocols, safety plan, and event but we have yet to receive formal approval of the event from Ottawa Public Health and therefore the city.

We would like to thank CKQ for their continued support through the process of securing Montreal as the backup location and all the processes and protocols there.  We would also like to thank the Atlantic Division for offering to host this regatta.

Purpose

Due to Covid-19 and unique for 2021 Canadian Sprint Canoe Kayak Championships will not only crown national champions but will also be used as part of the AAP Selection process and to identify athletes for the following international competitions:

• Junior & Under 23 World Championships (September 3-6, Portugal
• Olympics Hopes Regatta (September 10-12, Czech Republic)
• Sprint and Paracanoe Senior World Championships (September 16-19, Denmark)

The events that will be part of these Championships can be found in Appendix A.

Logistics Travel/Accommodation booking

We believe that the formal approval will come as the restrictions ease into July and therefore we recommend that any flights needing to be booked should be assured they are refundable or to wait until we have an official approval of the event.  Information around hotel booking will come out shortly from the Organizing Committee and the recommendation would be to ensure that any accommodation booked for the event would be fully refundable until we have official approval.

The Rideau Host Organizing has partnered with HTG to coordinate Hotel Books for the event. The following links can be used to book rooms in convenient hotels.

Below is the link that allows everyone to book one room and up to 10 at a time: Individual booking link

For larger clubs want to book more than 10 rooms we request they use this link which allows them to request as many as they need: Large block link

Based on Proximity to the race course and parking, we would advise using the airport hotels on Hunt Club/Gibford/Paul Anka Drive – The Hampton Inn, Homewood Suites and Holiday Inn Express.  There are restaurants in the parking lot, and a mall not far away.  The other strong recommendation is the Sandman Hotel on Hunt Club. Further details will follow from the Host Organizing Committee.

Schedule & Events

Events & Race card

The events to be raced at the 2021 Nationals are in Appendix A. The proposed race card is in Appendix B.

Qualification & Entries

Entries will be granted based on divisional qualification, followed by an allotted number of random entries allocated as per modified Nationals rulebook, followed by a small number of wild cards to be in reserve to be able to allocate based on a performance recommendation and extenuating circumstances (if necessary, details to be communicated in the coming weeks).  Please refer to Appendix C for the initial proposal.  The number of entries is also based on the proposal submitted and yet to be approved by Public Health.  In the case adjustments need to be made given the number allowed onsite we will update with the final qualification in the coming weeks.

Race Fees

Due to the increased costs around COVID safety protocols, the combination of the events and other circumstances to ensure this event proceeds to the highest possible standard, the race fees will be $100 per entered event, to a maximum of $400 per competitor.  This is a unique circumstance, and one we hope will be unique to this year with the COVID protocols.

Rules for the National Championships

Modified ICF rules during the competition will be applied to the races at the 2021 Canadian Sprint Canoe Kayak National Championships, even in those events that are solely run as a Nationals event to allow for consistency of application for officials, coaches and athletes across the full competition.  Advancement from heats to semi finals to finals will be according to modified ICF rules where those events are indicated.  Where there are no semifinals, standard or modified rules according to the rulebook will be applied and will be communicated in the coming weeks.

Further updates to the rules being applied for all aspects of the competition, or the modification of those rules, for the 2021 Canadian Sprint Canoe Kayak National Championships will be communicated in the coming weeks.

Coaches per cohort

With the limitations on number of participants on site in a zone, there may be cases where the number of coaches desired may not be able to be accommodated.  This will be communicated as to the allowed numbers per club onsite for each cohort.  This may also depend on the numbers of athletes qualified per club in that cohort.  At a minimum the designated club spokesperson should be onsite in some capacity if there are club athletes competing during that time.

Trophy return

ALL trophies that were awarded at the 2019 Canadian Sprint Canoe Kayak National Championships must be returned at the 2021 Canadian Sprint Canoe Kayak National Championships, even if the event will not be contested in this year.  It is mandatory that we receive all trophies by the time the 2021 event commences.  Please inform Kenna Robins (krobins@canoekayak.ca) if there is any servicing that needs to be done on any trophies in advance of the 2021 event.

CanMas

While we are unable to host a CanMas event in conjunction with the 2021 Canadian Sprint Canoe Kayak National Championships in August, we will continue our efforts to see if another date may be possible in the fall.  More details will follow on an event and a final decision will be made around August 1^st and information will follow to the community.

Protocols

All athletes competing at the 2021 Canadian Sprint Canoe Kayak National Championships, as well as any other participants, parents &/or guardians will be required to sign an “Acknowledgement of Risk” waiver for participating in the 2021 Canadian Sprint Canoe Kayak Championships.  Information will follow in a future communication.

Based on learnings from the Olympic and Paralympic Team Trials and ICF Protocols used for International regattas, CKC will be instituting robust COVID-19 protocols for this regatta. These protocols will be aligned with public health directives for the host community and will include:

• A PCR negative test to be completed within 72 hours of arriving at competition site.
• Daily attestations by all participants prior to their arrival on-site and for the complete duration of the competitions. Process of communication and how these forms will be completed and tracked to be finalized.
• Specific isolation and testing protocols to handle any suspected cases, in conjunction with public health.

Updated communications and webinars will be provided once protocols and expectations are complete, and it will be mandatory that all participants and parents/guardians understand what is expected prior to the arrival of any participants.

CKC Intake Process & Training

All athletes entering in Trials events must complete a full CKC intake process, complete the ICF mandatory online anti-doping course, and if over the age of 15 to have completed the CAC Safe Sport training, athlete stream, to be eligible for team nomination for the Junior & Under 23 World Championships (September 3-6, Portugal), Olympics Hopes Regatta (September 10-12, Czech Republic) and Senior World Championships (September 16-19, Denmark). This process will include the following forms:

• National Team Intake
• Medical & Emergency Form
• Code of Conduct
• Acknowledgement of Risk for Team Travel
• U18 Travel Form (as applicable)
• ADEL International-Level Athletes Education Program
• For athletes over the age of 15: CKC Safe Sport training, athlete stream (see CKC Safe Sport section below for information)

ParaCanoe Athletes

Any Paracanoe athletes with intent, if selected, to be a part of the World Championship team need complete the Intent to Compete form, along with completed classification forms to Marc Creamer at mcreamer@canoekayak.ca by July 17^th.  Athletes that have a confirmed or review status, through ICF, only need to complete the Intent to Compete form.  Please consult the ICF Master Classification List as required.

International Team Selection

Selection Criteria

The approved updated selection criteria will be available on the CKC website.  A separate communication will be sent to the community once the selection criteria is posted.

International Competition Team Fee

CKC will be organizing travel logistics for the teams travelling to the Junior & Under 23 World Championships (September 3-6, Portugal), Olympics Hopes Regatta (September 10-12, Czech Republic) and Sprint and Paracanoe Senior World Championships (September 16-19, Denmark).

To help in covering these costs, athletes will be required to pay a prorated team fee based on the following priority order: Sprint and Paracanoe Senior World Championships, followed by Junior & U23 World Championships, followed by Olympic Hopes. CKC continues to fund the majority of international team competition costs, team fees will help to contribute in covering  travel logistic costs such as, flights, ground transport, accommodation, meals, participation fee, etc. The athlete may be responsible to cover additional COVID-19 related costs in addition to the team fee, such as Covid testing, quarantine, etc.

Please refer to the updated selection criteria for each team for the fees.

International Team Travel

CKC continues to monitor the international travel landscape, as well as the Government of Canada Official Global Travel Advisories.

Based on the current information available, additional travel requirements for team travel may include COVID-19 testing and quarantine on return to Canada. Athletes will be responsible for organizing pre-departure COVID-19 tests, as required pending travel requirements. CKC will help facilitate pre-travel COVID-19 testing where possible and will support with scheduling COVID-19 testing for return to Canada, as required. Athletes will be responsible to uphold any Government of Canada quarantine requirements for return from international travel. Additional considerations for team travel with minors are being reviewed in conjunction with the CKC Safe Sport Policy.

Note for the Junior & Under 23 World Championships (September 3-6, Portugal): Athletes will need to be prepared to depart to Portugal directly from the 2021 Sprint National Championships.

Applications for Coaches and Team Managers

CKC will be sending out an invitation for Coaches and Team Managers to submit applications to attend and support at the Junior & Under 23 World Championships (September 3-6, Portugal) and Olympics Hopes Regatta (September 10-12, Czech Republic). These professional development opportunities will be volunteer roles with possible honorarium support to the club for time away, as applicable. Travel costs and insurance to be covered by CKC. Information will be emailed directly to clubs, coaches and PTSOs.

CKC Safe Sport Policy

Please be reminded that any club coach, volunteer or official attending the 2021 Canadian Sprint Canoe Kayak Championships fall under our CKC Safe Sport policy and therefore must be screened and trained according to your position.  If you have already completed this for your club, please make sure to send along your confirmation of screening and training to Laurel MacAdam at lmacadam@canoekayak.ca prior to August 1^st.  Any questions on the process please email Kenna Robins at krobins@canoekayak.ca.

For any athletes, 15 years of age and older, hoping to be selected to a CKC team for one of the international competitions, it will be a requirement to have completed the CAC Safe Sport training, athlete stream.  It is recommended considering the tight turn-around for logistical purposes, that this training be completed prior to the National Championships.

Appendix A: Events being held at the 2021 Canadian Sprint Canoe Kayak Championships

* for all selection information please refer to the corresponding Selection Criteria on the CKC website

Read here.

Appendix B: Proposed race schedule

*schedule may change and a final version will be published in the coming weeks.

Read here.

Appendix C: Draft Qualification Process

* the rules applicable to this qualification process, including random entries will be sent in a follow-up document with all competition rules that will be used at this event.

** the application of how a performance/extenuating circumstance would be used will be communicated in the coming weeks.

Read here.

OTTAWA, ON (June 25, 2021) – Canoe Kayak Canada is pleased to launch our updated (2021) Sprint Code of Safety. This Code of Safety revision has been in development over many months and contains updates based on feedback received from various community members and CKC Committees. The updated Sprint Code of Safety is effective immediately.

In the fall of 2020, CKC requested feedback from the paddling community regarding the previous version of the Sprint Code of Safety which was approved by the Sprint Racing Council in 2019. We would like to extend our thanks to all those who reviewed the document and provided your feedback.

The major updates to the Sprint Code of Safety are outlined below.

Read the full Sprint Code of Safety here.

Major Updates:

1. Definitions section. Where the words that have been defined in this section throughout the document they will be Capitalized and Italicized.
2. Decision making process:
   1. During training, coaches will make safety-related decisions and enforce rules, during competitions, the Chief Official, with input from the Regatta Safety Officer and Competition Committee will make safety-related decisions and enforce rules
3. Section 3.1
   1. (g) Recommendations on Safety Motorboats during competitions.
4. Section 3.2.1
   1. (a) updated section to allow for a waiver to be signed and submitted by our Paracanoe athletes prior to each event instead having to demonstrate their strapping release onsite.
5. Section 3.2.2: Environmental section (Winds & Rough Water Conditions, Extreme Heat and Humidity, Air Quality
6. Section 4.1:
   4. Updated 4.1 (k) to include the use of the radio
   5. Added a link to considerations for “near water safety”
7. Section 4.2.2:
   1. (g): added language around Minors
   2. (i): added language around including the use of the radio
8. Section 4.2.4: Separated into Club & Regatta Safety officers

Canoe Kayak Canada (CKC) is excited to announce Together to Tokyo – a community-wide campaign designed to celebrate and encourage our incredible Olympic and Paralympic teams, while connecting and inspiring our country. Together to Tokyo will run from June-September 2021 and will bring together paddling disciplines, CKC members, current paddlers, alumni, family, friends and the entire community in support of our amazing athletes and their accomplishments.

Together to Tokyo offers multiple opportunities for community members to get involved and win limited edition Together to Tokyo prize packs. Activities include:

• Webinars lead by CKC Alumni and current paddlers to inspire our community.
• Trivia for community members to celebrate our sport.
• Together to Tokyo Party Kits for club/organization driven initiatives and viewing parties to encourage our Olympic and Paralympic teams.
• Posting photos or messages of support on social media to connect our paddling community.

Check with your club/organization to find out how to pre-order Together to Tokyo merchandise. Limited quantities may also be purchased at a later date through the CKC Boutique.

Stay tuned for additional information regarding Together to Tokyo activities and check out the Together to Tokyo webpage for updates and information as we get closer to the Olympic and Paralympic Games.

#TogetherToTokyo

OTTAWA (June 3, 2021) – Canoe Kayak Canada and the Canadian Olympic Committee have announced Canada’s canoe/kayak slalom team nominated to compete at the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games.

The four athletes qualified for Team Canada based on their performances at the 2019 World Canoe Slalom Championships in La Seu D’Urgell, Spain, two competitions held in Penrith, Australia in 2020 as well as the Mayor’s Cup in Krakow, Poland on May 29, 2021. This will mark the first time that Canada has sent a full slate of slalom paddlers to the Olympic Games since Sydney 2000. 

“It’s really special to be able to compete at my third Olympics,” said kayaker Michael Tayler. “I’ve learned a lot since 2016 and feel ready to go for it in Tokyo. Having an extra year has been an opportunity to get stronger and recover from some injuries. We’ve been training in Europe since February and then headed straight to Tokyo!” 

A three-time Olympian, Tayler competed as Canada’s lone slalom paddler at London 2012. At just 20 years old, he was the youngest competitor in the field. At Rio 2016, Tayler made his return to the Olympic stage, finishing 16th overall. 

Cameron Smedley will return for his second Olympic appearance in the men’s canoe event.  Smedley captured a silver medal in the men’s C-1 event at the Toronto 2015 Pan American Games. 

Kayaker Florence Maheu will make her Olympic debut in Tokyo along with canoeist Haley Daniels. Daniels won a historic bronze medal at the Toronto 2015 Pan American Games, the first major multi-sport Games to feature women’s canoe events. Women’s canoe will be making its Olympic debut at Tokyo 2020.

“I have been working towards this goal for 12 years and I am grateful to qualify for the Olympics as the first wave of female canoeists to ever compete at the Olympics,” said Daniels. “I cannot wait for that start line!”

Canada has been competing in canoe/kayak slalom at the Olympic Games since the sport debuted at Munich 1972. After that one-off appearance, it returned to the Olympic program at Barcelona 1992. While no Canadian has won an Olympic medal in canoe/kayak slalom, David Ford came the closest with his fourth-place finish in the men’s K-1 event at Athens 2004. 

Canoe/kayak slalom will take place July 25 to July 30 (Days 2 to 7) at the Kasai Canoe Slalom Centre. Cameron Smedley and Florence Maheu will compete for Canada with Canoe (C-1) Men’s Heats and Kayak (K-1) Women Heats on Sunday, July 25. Haley Daniels and Michael Tayler will compete later in the week on July 28.

“Our canoe/kayak slalom team is an exciting example of the journey of our whole team,” said Team Canada’s Tokyo 2020 Chef de Mission, Marnie McBean. “These veterans, first time Olympians and new sport athletes navigate turbulent waters – with and against the current – while remaining laser focused on their goal. I’m so proud of all that they have accomplished.”

The athletes nominated are:

1. Haley Daniels (Calgary, Alta.) – Women’s Canoe Slalom
2. Florence Maheu (Salaberry-de-Valleyfield, Que.) – Women’s Kayak Slalom
3. Michael Tayler (Ottawa, Ont.) – Men’s Kayak Slalom
4. Cameron Smedley (Dunrobin, Ont.) – Men’s Canoe Slalom

The coaches nominated are:

1. Anthony Colin (Ottawa, Ont.)
2. Michal Staniszewski (Gatineau, Que.)

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 Tokyo 2020 roster can be found here and the qualification tracker 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 

Josh Su, Specialist, Public Relations
Canadian Olympic Committee
C: 647-464-4060
E: jsu@olympic.ca 

The discovery of the 215 Indigenous children in the undocumented burial site at the Residential School in Kamloops, BC is a horrific reminder of the past and present injustices inflicted on Indigenous peoples by colonial institutions and governments in Canada.

The Canoe Kayak Canada (CKC) Indigenous Advisory Council (IAC) would like to extend our sincerest condolences to the family and communities impacted by these events and it is our hope that these burial grounds may one day become a place of peace and closure for the families of these lost children.

These events once again point out that the road to reconciliation is difficult, but these are the events that have shaped and continue to shape the relationships between the settler population and Indigenous peoples in Canada and across Turtle Island.

The IAC is committed to inclusion, reconciliation and ensuring all Indigenous youth can grow and develop in relation to the land through culturally relevant outdoor recreation and sports.

We acknowledge that only through reconciliation can we ensure a better opportunity for every child to reach their dreams in honour of those who never had that opportunity. The IAC is committed to the children that never made it home through our continued advocacy for the current and future generations of Indigenous youth.

We ask our Provincial and Territorial Sport Organizations, paddling clubs and leadership to speak to your communities and access the resources linked below.

CKC’s Indigenous Advisory Council have been working on a plan of action to help educate and commemorate our Indigenous Peoples of Canada – announcement is forthcoming.

Information and Support

Truth and Reconciliation Commission of Canada

www.trc.ca

The National Indian Residential School Crisis Line
1-866 925-4419

Canoe Kayak Canada is in the working phases of developing a new coaching education module. The working title, “We Paddle,” emphasizes our goal of having this program target a broad paddling pathway. This communication is a call-out for available and interested contractors who would be able to help us develop this module fully. Contact information for those interested is available at the end of this proposal.

Vision

A basic introduction programming approach to become the core introductory course  to take new paddlers from zero assumed experience to basic water safety, knowledge of paddling, and basic on-water competency (primary audience are youth 7-13 year olds, but could be applicable for any age).

Mission

Launch a multi-disciplinary Coach Education and accompanying program which introduces new paddlers to the sport and is applicable to a range of paddle craft and types of water. Paddlers will leave this program with increased basic water literacy (beyond swimming competency), understand the core concepts of safe paddling, watercraft handling, and have the basic skills to paddle and enjoy time on the water.

Phase 1: Instructor Education

Concept is to modify the Canoe Kids Coach Education material into a new more generic model, and rebrand this NCCP Community Introduction Course as a generic education for all coaches.

Phase 2: Program Outline

The concept for this program is to take the Canoe Kids program material and reduce and simplify it to the basic introductory steps for paddle instruction for beginners. This will reflect the reality of what Canoe Kids program looks like in practice and create a programing and coach education framework which is applicable to all paddle sports.

The idea is that this is an introductory framework where the topics, skills and competencies are the same, but over time we build a range of specific activities as supporting material for a range of disciplines.

The program should be designed as a sequential introduction to paddling. Starting from basic knowledge and safety then progressively moving to paddling skills and competency on the water. These lessons would be a templated structure that can be delivered as a 5-day camp, a longer series of one- or two-hour lessons, or the basis of swimming pool introduction to paddling.

Deliverables (Phase 1)

1. Discipline consultation and outreach
2. Learning Facilitator guide
3. Coach Reference material
4. Coach Workbook
5. Evaluation Guide
6. Pilot coach training workshop

Timeline & budget (Phase 1)

1. Estimated 100 hours of work (phase 1), rate to be negotiated.
2. Work to be completed before September 2021 (phase 1).
3. Phase 2 will be considered once phase 1 deliverables are complete and may be part of a separate tender.

Application for consideration (phase 1)

Please outline in your application your experience considering the following criteria:

• Education experience,
• NCCP program experience,
• Experience facilitating NCCP content,
• Familiarity with paddling club programs,
• Familiarity with multi-discipline paddling programs.

Please send in your NCCP coach education resume, including references to the criteria above, to imortimer@canoekayak.ca. Application deadline is June 18^th, 2021.

Ottawa, ON (May 21, 2021) – The Canoe Kayak Canada Whitewater Council and Whitewater Ontario have made the difficult decision to cancel the 2021 Whitewater National Championships planned for August 16-22 at the Minden Hills Whitewater Preserve following a review of the public health restrictions and challenges of running such an event during the pandemic.  A working group of coaches, event organizers and technical experts had been working throughout the winter to try to develop creative ways of rising above these challenges.

Unfortunately, with the uncertainty of the pandemic now moving into the summer months, projected reduced participation, and the financial implications of staging this event at the Minden Whitewater preserve have made it unviable to host the National Championships this summer. The Whitewater National Championships is a week long paddling festival featuring a combination of Freestyle, Wildwater, Canoe Slalom and Extreme Slalom events that aim to inspire young paddlers to progress through CKC’s athlete development pathway.

In light of the cancellation of the Championships, Canoe Kayak Canada in collaboration with our provincial organizations Whitewater Ontario, Eau Vive Quebec, The Alberta Whitewater Association and the Alberta Freestyle Kayak Association are planning to host team trials at multiple locations across Canada to ensure that whitewater paddlers will have access to competitive opportunities this summer provided local public health regulations allow for these events to proceed.

2021 Whitewater Team Trials event schedule

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

ccoderre@canoekayak.ca

Ottawa, ON (May 14, 2021) – Canada qualified two boats for the 2020 Paralympic Games today at the ICF Paracanoe World Cup in Szeged, Hungary.  Brianna Hennessy (Ottawa, ON) finished 4^th overall in the VL2 200m event today and Mathieu St-Pierre (Shawinigan, QC) placed 5^th in the men’s VL2 event, both securing their spots for Tokyo. Brianna will compete again tomorrow in the women’s KL1 A final tomorrow. Check out Brianna’s post-race interview here.

“For me, the best part of it is to be able to inspire others that have had a catastrophic accident or that have disabilities, that you don’t have to stop believing in yourself or your dreams,” said Hennessy in a post-race interview with ICF.

“In her first international race, Brianna had a great performance today,” said CKC’s Paracanoe National Team Head Coach Marc Creamer. “The first half of her race really highlighted her athleticism. Unfortunately, she did have some equipment issues that caused her to settle for 4^th place. Ever the athlete, Brianna was already focused on how to improve for Tokyo.”

“Mathieu also had an outstanding performance today with a great start off the line, and held on to secure his spot in Tokyo. It’s been a tough few months for him and it was great to see him put out this excellent performance today.”

Mike Trauner (Pembroke, ON) paddled to a 4^th place finish in the B final in the men’s VL3 event while Erica Scarff (Balmy Beach, ON) secured the win in the KL3 B final.

Andrea Nelson KL2 (Balmy Beach, ON) and Brianna Hennessy KL1 (Ottawa, ON) will both compete in their A finals tomorrow.

Canada has now qualified a total of three paracanoe boats for Tokyo with Andrea Nelson securing a spot in the Women’s KL2 200m event at the CKC Olympic and Paralympic trials in Burnaby, BC.

Paracanoe made its debut at the Paralympics in 2016. The paracanoe programme has been expanded from six races to nine in Tokyo, with two Vaá categories added. There were 60 athletes competing in Rio, and 90 will get the opportunity to paddle for gold in Japan.

Paracanoe World Cup team roster:

We encourage families, friends and fans to show your support and send some love for our athletes on social media, tagging @canoekayakcan.

To learn more about the status of Tokyo qualifications for Canadian paracanoe paddlers, click here.

What:

ICF Canoe Sprint and ParaCanoe World Cup

When:

May 13-15, 2021

Where:

Szeged, Hungary – Map

How to Follow:

Event Website

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

OTTAWA (May 13, 2021) – Canoe Kayak Canada (CKC) is pleased to announce the eighteen slalom athletes selected to compete in the 2021 International Canoe Federation (ICF) World Cups and Junior/U23 World Championships. These athletes will be competing internationally in canoe and kayak slalom and extreme slalom events.

Of these athletes, eleven qualified for the upcoming slalom World Cups in Prague, Czech Republic and Markkleeberg, Germany respectively, through a combination of pre-selection and regional Figure 8 assessments. The same assessments, as part of CKC’s Covid-19 strategy, were used to select nine Junior athletes and five U23 athletes travelling to Ljubljana, Slovenia in July.

“The pandemic has presented our athletes with very challenging and uncertain training conditions throughout the winter,” said James Cartwright, Senior Manager of High Performance and Coach Development at CKC. “The Slalom Olympic program travelled to Europe for better training conditions this winter to prepare for Tokyo but we have developed a creative selection mechanism for the paddlers remaining in Canada. We are utilizing a regional flatwater based assessment to select the team to join the Tokyo group and compete in the first two World Cups and Junior/U23 World Championships. It’s critical that our athletes return to international competition as we prepare for Tokyo and Paris.”

In preparation for Tokyo, an upcoming selection race in Krakow, Poland on May 29^th will be used to determine the qualification of a Women’s C1 paddler for the Tokyo Olympic Games. This final selection will round out the complete slalom team heading to Japan to represent Canada. To learn more about the status of Tokyo qualifications, click here.

A full team list for these upcoming international competitions can be found here.

2021 ICF Slalom World Cup 1

When: June 11-13, 2021

Where: Prague, Czech Republic

How to Follow: Event website

2021 ICF Slalom World Cup 2

When: June 18-20, 2021

Where: Markkleeberg, Germany

How to Follow: Event website

2021 ICF Junior & U23 Canoe Slalom World Championships

When: July 6-11, 2021

Where: Ljubljana, Slovenia

How to Follow: Event website

The ICF will confirm the competitions closer to the dates, with consideration to the ongoing Covid-19 pandemic.

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

Ottawa, ON (May 13, 2021) – Canada adds two men’s kayak crews to the start line in Tokyo today in the Men’s K4 500m and the Men’s K2 1000m events.

Mark De Jonge (Masqua Aquatic Club), Nick Matveev (Balmy Beach Canoe Club), Pierre-Luc Poulin (Lac-Beauport Canoe Club) and Simon McTavish (Mississauga Canoe Club) secured their Olympic spots today winning both qualification races at the Olympic Basin in Montreal, Canada. They were competing head to head against Brian Malfesi, Dominik Crête, Vincent Jourdenais, Laurent Lavigne in a two-part race series.

Two-time Olympian and bronze medallist, Mark de Jonge reflects on the very long journey to Tokyo. “It feels very satisfying today having put so much effort and energy into this process. It has been such a long haul for everyone. There has been so much doubt around so many things over the last year and it all gets bottled up. That doubt was all released today.”

The Men’s K4 500m berth was secured by this winning crew back in 2019 at the ICF Sprint World Championships. Both the men’s and women’s Canadian K4 teams are now finalized for the Tokyo Olympic Games.

Brian Malfesi (Ridge Canoe Club) and Vincent Jourdenais (Club de Canoë-Kayak de Trois-Rivières) also lock up their qualification for Tokyo in the Men’s K2 1000m by achieveing the highest rank at Olympic Team Trials and completing the six-man kayak team for the Games.

“This has been a long process for these crews,” said Graham Barton, Chief Technical Officer at CKC. “Due to exceptional circumstances, including an injury just before Olympic Trials and a recent decision to remain at home during the World Cup season, the Men’s K4 finals to select athletes were rescheduled to this week in Montreal.  We appreciate how difficult this has been on the athletes and the coaches but their professionalism throughout the Covid restrictions has Canada going to Tokyo with an experienced K4 crew that achieved some respectable times in cold water conditions this week.  I am confident they can make the final in Tokyo.”

Tokyo Olympic and Paralympic selection continues for some CKC teams with additional internal selection procedures or Global Olympic qualification opportunities throughout the rest of May.

To learn more about the status of Tokyo qualifications for Canadian sprint paddlers, click here.

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

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

Ottawa, ON (May 13, 2021) – Canada’s top paracanoe paddlers are set to compete in Szeged, Hungary at the ICF canoe sprint and paracanoe World Cup from May 13-15. Over 130 athletes from 37 countries will battle for remaining paracanoe quotas available for Tokyo. There are four quotas still up for grabs in each of the five Paralympic events.

Six Canadian paracanoe paddlers are competing in Szeged this week, with five of them aiming to secure a quota for the 2020 Paralympic Games. Canada has already secured one berth in the Women’s KL2 200m with Andrea Nelson securing qualification at the CKC Olympic and Paralympic trials in Burnaby, BC. Andrea also finished 5^th at the 2019 World Championships.

“This is our biggest team yet to compete at a World Cup event. We were very impressed with the ongoing performance of both our veterans and some new athletes to the sport,” said CKC Chief Technical Officer, Graham Barton. “For three of our athletes, this will be their first World Cup racing experience against some of the best in the world. Those that have yet to qualify will have to finish in the top 4 eligible crews to join Andrea Nelson in Tokyo as part our nominated Paralympic Team.”

“It is not as simple as just looking at the results because some countries competing will have already qualified a spot. Additionally, if an athlete races and qualify in both the Vaá outrigger canoe and the kayak events then the quota is assigned to the Vaá so it opens up a kayak spot. It will come down to the very end, when all the racing is done. We certainly look forward to supporting and cheering on the team this weekend!”

Paracanoe made its debut at the Paralympics in 2016. The paracanoe programme has been expanded from six races to nine in Tokyo, with two Vaá categories added. There were 60 athletes competing in Rio, and 90 will get the opportunity to paddle for gold in Japan.

Paracanoe World Cup team roster:

We encourage families, friends and fans to show your support and send some love for our athletes on social media, tagging @canoekayakcan.

To learn more about the status of Tokyo qualifications for Canadian paracanoe paddlers, click here.

What:

ICF Canoe Sprint and ParaCanoe World Cup

When:

May 13-15, 2021

Where:

Szeged, Hungary – Map

How to Follow:

Event Website

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

CKC is holding an introductory officiating course (Combined Level 1&2). This course is open to anyone across the country looking to get involved or learn more about the role of officiating in our sport. No experience is necessary, but experienced officials are welcome to join to refresh their knowledge. The course is designed to lead you through the basics of officiating the various positions and give you the knowledge to be able to participate in a competition.

Date: Sunday May 16th
Time: 6pm EST (approximately 2 – 2.5hrs)

The course will be conducted over Zoom in English.

Register Here: https://forms.gle/gFBqxVFRU35LbCsEA

“Why I Officiate” video: https://youtu.be/Mlc2OQIlHso

Please contact Erin Schaus with any questions erinschaus@gmail.com.

Ottawa, ON (May 5, 2021) – Canada adds two more Olympic sprint paddlers to the start line in Tokyo with Connor Fitzpatrick (Senobe Aquatic Club, NS) and Roland Varga (Richmond Hill Canoe Club, ON) earning their spots in the Men’s C2 1000m event to be held on the Sea Forest Waterway in Tokyo, Japan this summer at the 2020 Olympic Games.

Connor and Roland secured two race wins in the C2 1000m finals at the Canoe Kayak Canada (CKC) Olympic trials in Burnaby, BC in April and Connor won the C1 1000m finals. These results complete the CKC requirements for both athletes to be nominated to the Canadian Olympic Committee for inclusion on the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Team.

“I am extremely pleased for Connor and Roland and look forward to seeing what they can do in Tokyo,” said Chief Technical Officer, Graham Barton. “The last time they raced they accomplished personal bests, just missing the final at the 2019 World Championships. Their results at CKC Olympic Team Trials indicate they have not missed a beat in their preparation despite the Covid restrictions we all have had to endure. We are in the final stretch of completing our team and this announcement adds to what I believe will be a extremely strong group of athletes representing Canada at the Tokyo Olympic Games”

The remaining boats for CKC still have to complete additional internal selection procedures or Global Olympic qualification throughout the rest of May. CKC will be sending a team of Para Canoe athletes to the ICF Paralympic Qualification in Szeged, Hungary and a small team to the ICF Global Olympic Qualifier in Barnaul, Russia later this month.

To learn more about the status of Tokyo qualifications for Canadian sprint paddlers, click here.

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

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

Ottawa, ON (April 29, 2021) – Canoe Kayak Canada (CKC) announces that it will not be sending a full team of Canadian paddlers to the 2021 World Cup events. Due to the ongoing global pandemic, travel restrictions, and health considerations, all qualified boats will remain in Canada to continue training in the lead up to the Tokyo Olympic and Paralympic Games.

CKC will seek strategies for sending only those boats that must qualify at the Final Olympic and Paralympic Qualification events in May. This decision-making process was led by CKC’s Medical Lead and CKC’s High Performance Operations team with health and performance front of mind. CKC will be sending the Para team to the ICF Paralympic Qualification in Szeged, Hungary and athletes in the Women’s K1 200m and Men’s C1 1000m to the Last Chance qualification events at the ICF Global Olympic Qualifier in Barnaul, Russia.

Once travel decisions are finalized for the Final Olympic and Paralympic qualification events, CKC will release further information, including the roster list.

CKC recognizes the resilience displayed by all the National Team paddlers as they persevere through the daily challenges inflicted by the pandemic. CKC is dedicated and committed to delivering the best possible preparation for all athletes and their podium success in Tokyo.

For information and updates on Canadian qualifications and details on Tokyo Olympic and Paralympic Regattas, 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 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

As COVID-19 continues to alter our lives, including affecting where, when, how, and if, we are able to paddle across the country, water safety needs to remain a priority for all.

The most important safety measure all paddlers can take is to wear a Personal Flotation Device (PFD) while paddling. All participants are strongly encouraged to wear a Government of Canada approved PFD at all times while in the boat, irrespective of their age or swimming ability.

As some areas of the country remain in lockdown with paddling clubs and facilities closed, questions have arisen related to boat removal and responsibility for paddling. With regards to these questions CKC has published this Boat Removal and Individual Paddling Statement.

Paddlers should always respect CKC’s On Water Safety Policies, particularly as they relate to cold water paddling, and be aware of the requirements for paddlers laid out by Transport Canada in the Safe Boating Guide.

Critically, all paddlers using racing canoes and kayaks should understand the alternative requirements for on-board safety equipment which applies only to those engaged in formal training, in an official competition or in final preparation for an official competition.

For those paddling sprint racing boats, outside of formal training or competition environments, every boat operating in daylight hours and within sight of shore/navigation markers must carry at minimum a:

1. PFD for each crew member (Strongly encouraged to be worn properly at all times.)
2. Buoyant heaving line (15m)
3. Bailer
4. Sound Signaling Device (Whistle)

Canoe Kayak Canada (CKC) is pleased to announce new updates to its digital platform, ckcmember.ca.  Through a continued partnership with web design and mobile application company immediaC, CKC has taken member feedback and learnings from year one of the registration platform and made updates to improve user experience and key functionalities.

Canoe Kayak Canada will be using ckcmember.ca for its National level registration and will continue to integrate this platform into the CKC mobile application, which will be used in 2021 for Sprint Results and competition live streaming.

CKC has worked with immediaC to make the inputting of National level membership user friendly and adaptable for the unique needs of each Province or Territory. Additionally, the system has undergone improvements to remain flexible and accessible for our member organizations. CKC will continue to work with the leadership of its Councils and Provincial Territorial Sport Organization leads to set up membership for each jurisdiction. CKC is also offering the optional use of the system to all CKC member organizations for their own organizational registration, digital waivers, and membership tracking.

The specifics around Sprint Competitive Memberships and other National Memberships will be communicated in conjunction with your Flag Officer or Provincial leadership.

To view the updated ckcmember.ca information manual, please click here. To watch our how-to videos for getting started in the system, please click here.

For more information and to explore the updated system further, please visit ckcmember.ca. To set up an appointment with Canoe Kayak Canada, contact Scott Best (sbest@canoekayak.ca) or click here.

Ottawa, ON (April 1, 2021) – In light of the ICF decision to postpone the Junior & U23 World Championships to September 2021, and due the increasing Covid-19 concerns across the country, Canoe Kayak Canada (CKC) has decided to postpone the Sprint National Team Trials to August – location will be Ottawa or Montreal and dates are still to be determined. This change will allow a longer preparation period for many of our paddlers who have been unable to get on the water yet due to the varying COVID-19 restrictions across the country. We believe this is the only prudent course of action when evaluating the current COVID-19 situation and the significant logistical and financial commitments imposed on all stakeholders, including athletes, parents, and coaches.

This decision will shift our preparation plan to the club environment in April/May, to regional competition in June/July, to National competitions in August, and International competitions in September. We are currently exploring possible dates and formats for an August trials, which we will plan in concert with the Sprint National Championships currently slated to be held in Ottawa from August 24-29. The Sprint National Team Trials will be held in either Ottawa or Montreal. Confirmation of the location and dates will be announced as soon as possible. The intention is to reduce travel frequency and allow athletes to attend both the trials and the National Championships.

Based on the current Covid-19 outlook, including travel restrictions, limits on crew boat activity and limits on event sizes, the National Championships will likely be restricted to singles (K1/C1/V1) events. We will continue to monitor the Covid-19 landscape, and if crew boats become an option, we will add those to our planned race card. CKC thanks the Rideau Canoe Club (RCC) organizing committee for all their ongoing efforts and we will continue to work closely with RCC to host a successful event. We are confident that we will be able to run a safe Championships in August.

We will be continuing to work with the Coaches Technical Committee, Domestic Development Committee and the Sprint Racing Council to finalize our plans for these modified National Championships in the coming weeks. The draft race card and qualification plan will be posted on June 1^st and will be finalized by July 1^st.

We will also work with our Provincial/Territorial and Divisional leaders in the coming weeks to explore options for aligned regional competition at the end of June to provide some virtual competition amongst our community.

Please note these changes to do not impact Olympic and Paralympic preparation or planned competitions at this point in time. All activities for Tokyo continue to move forward as planned.

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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Ottawa, ON (March 24, 2021) – Canoe Kayak Canada (CKC) is thrilled to announce the roster of sprint paddlers nominated to compete in the 2021 international sprint events. Twenty-seven athletes (listed below) will be headed to World Cup events in Szeged, Hungary, and Barnaul, Russia.

Representing Canada at the 2021 Under-23 World Championships in Portugal, are Sophia Jensen (Cascades), Julia Lilley Osende (Mic Mac Aquatic Canoe Club) and Laurent Lavigne (Club de canoe-kayak de Trois Rivieres).

All nominations are based on performances at the CKC Olympic and Paralympic trials held in Burnaby BC earlier this month. Additional internal selections will continue at World Cup events in May and this summer back on home soil. Dates and locations are still to be determined.

While the Canadian Sprint Olympic and Paralympic selection continues through the World Cup season and final Olympic qualifiers this spring, six athletes have already booked their tickets to Tokyo. The following qualified athletes include: Katie Vincent in C1, Andreanne Langlois, Alanna Bray-Lougheed, Michelle Russell, and Madeleine Schmidt in K4, and Andrea Nelson in Para Canoe. These athletes will compete at World Cup events and will ultimately be nominated to the Canadian Olympic Committee when the final Olympic and Paralympic teams are confirmed.

“With the World Cup season on the horizon and Olympic spots still on the line it will be interesting for everyone to gauge their performance level after a long hiatus away from competing,” said Chief Technical Officer, Graham Barton. “I am confident our athletes have prepared well despite the Covid restrictions they have had to navigate for the last several months and personally I think everyone is excited to experience international racing again.”

Below are the nominated Canadian sprint international teams:

*An additional athlete in the men’s C1 1000m will be added to this roster following the outcome of the postponed Olympic trials final – timing and location tbd.

To learn more about the status of Tokyo qualifications for Canadian sprint paddlers, click here.

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

Burnaby, BC (March 15, 2021) – It was an eventful day on Burnaby Lake today as competition wrapped up for Canadian Sprint Olympic hopefuls.

Two finals events were postponed yesterday, the women’s C2 500m final and the men’s C1 1000m final, due to reported symptoms of illness, signalling the activation of the CKC COVID protocols. The affected individuals were immediately placed into isolation, steps for proactive contact tracing were initiated in consultation with public health officials, and COVID testing. These races will be rescheduled with dates and locations still to be determined.

The women’s K2 500m Final 2 race win was secured by Natalie Davison (Rideau Canoe Club) and Courtney Stott with a time of 1:46.53. Second place went to Lissa Bissonnette (Club de Canoe Pointe-Claire) and Madeline Schmidt (Rideau Canoe Club) with a time of 1:47.23.

The men’s K1 200m Final 2 was won by Nicholas Matveev (Balmy Beach Canoe Club) today. 2012 Olympic bronze medallist, Mark De Jonge (Maskwa Aquatic Club) secured Saturday’s Final 1 win which typically results in a race-off between the two top paddlers. All race-offs were deferred to a date and location to be determined by the Chief Technical Officer.

The women’s K1 500m Final was dominated by Michelle Russell (Cheema Aquatic Club), delivering a perfect score card at these Olympic trials and along with securing the K4 500m Olympic qualification on Friday.

The final race of the day featured the men’s K2 1000m final 2 with Nicholas Matveev (Balmy Beach Canoe Club) and Simon McTavish (Mississauga Canoe Club) securing their second finals win and the continuation of their qualification journey on the road to the Olympic Games.

“It was a great four days of racing and we need to thank the volunteers and officials who made it all possible,” said CKC’s CTO, Graham Barton.  “It is always difficult when things do not go completely according to plan, but our priority has always been through this process to ensure the safety of everyone by following our protocols and it is these exact protocols that made this event possible in the first place.  We will provide an alternative opportunity to run the two events we had to cancel at another date and location.  In the end, I am confident that the team we ultimately will take to Tokyo will be very competitive in the finals of every event.”

The Canadian Sprint Olympic and Paralympic trials continue through the World Cup season and final Olympic qualifiers in the spring, where the final Olympic and Paralympic teams will ultimately be confirmed.

CKC would like to thank Canoe Kayak BC, the City of Burnaby and Tourism Burnaby for their support of this event.

To learn more about the status of Tokyo qualifications for Canadian sprint paddlers, click here.

What:

CKC Olympic and Paralympic Sprint Trials

When:

March 11-14, 2021

Where:

Burnaby, BC – Map

How to Follow:

Event Website

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

Burnaby, BC (March 12, 2021) – Canadian history was made today as the first-ever paddler in women’s canoe, Katie Vincent qualified* to represent Canada, in the women’s C1 event, at the Tokyo Olympic Games.  The women’s K-4 500m team also booked their ticket to Tokyo* today with impressive back-to-back final wins in Burnaby.

It was an exhilarating day of racing with the women’s K-4 crews kicking off racing for Olympic qualification. Alanna Bray-Lougheed (Burloak Canoe Club), Andréanne Langlois (Club de canoe-kayak de vitesse de Trois-Rivieres), Michelle Russell (Cheema Aquatic Club), and Madeline Schmidt (Rideau Canoe Club) won their second K-4 500m finals of the CKC Olympic and Paralympic Sprint Team Trials, securing their nomination for the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games.

“I think we had the first race jitters yesterday, got those over with, and then today we just put it all together,” said Russell. This event marking the first racing opportunity for the team in almost two years due to the pandemic. “Covid-19 made us learn a lot about ourselves and made us tougher as athletes and as people too,” added Langlois. “We have trained in every weather condition – hail, snow, giant waves,” said Schmidt. “It has definitely brought us closer together as a team.”

Later in the morning, the Women’s C1 200m final got off to a clean start with 10-time World Champion, Laurence Vincent Lapointe (Club de canoe-kayak de vitesse de Trois-Rivieres) looking to add to her race win from Thursday. Meanwhile, Katie Vincent (Mississauga Canoe Club), who secured Canada’s berth at the 2019 World Championships, was just as hungry for the opportunity, stealing the second race win in a nail-biter photo finish across the line.

The C1 200m tie forced a race-off between the Katie and Laurence at 2pm PT. The Canadian duo lined up again to deliver yet another heart pounding performance with Katie taking the final win with only millimeters separating the two boats. Results

“It’s hard to put into words (how I’m feeling) right now,” said Katie Vincent. “It’s my birthday today and I can’t imagine a better birthday present than this. It was a fight right until the end and a positive takeaway for our team that we have such a strong field of female paddlers. Four years ago, we had no group to train with and look at us now. We can take pride in the team that we’ve built and I look forward to getting in the boat with Laurence to race the C2 500m event tomorrow. It’s fun to go fast!”

“We are so thrilled to see two of the best paddlers in the world racing together after such a long hiatus and a challenging period of time,” said Casey Wade, CKC Chief Executive Officer. “With respect to the women’s C2 500m event, we continue to work closely with the International Canoe Federation to secure an additional women’s canoe Olympic quota spot due to extenuating circumstances dating back to the 2019 World Championships. This will also allow us to have a second entry in the women’s C1 200m Event.”

Connor Fitzpatrick (Senobe Canoe Club) and Roland Varga (Richmond Hill Canoe Club) secured their second finals win in the C2 1000m to lock up their advancement for the World Cup season.

Simon McTavish (Mississauga Canoe Club) also crossed the line with another win to confirm his Olympic journey continues in the Men’s K1 1000m.

Michelle Russell (Cheema Aquatic Club) celebrated another win in the K1-200m final today.

The Para Canoe finals saw Andrea Nelson (Balmy Beach Canoe Club) earn a nomination to the Canadian Paralympic Committee for inclusion on Team Canada.  Additional Para athletes who won both finals but still need to meet criteria for a nomination include Erica Scarff (Mississauga Canoe Club) in the women’s KL3 200m Class while Gabriel Ferron-Bouius (Rideau Canoe Club) took top spot on the men’s side and Stefan Samoila won the KL2 Class.  Mathieu St. Pierre VL2 and Mike Trauner VL3 rounded out the winners in the Va Classes.

Racing takes place on Burnaby Lake over the course of four days, wrapping up on Sunday March 14.

CKC would like to thank Canoe Kayak BC and Tourism Burnaby for their support of this event.

To learn more about the status of Tokyo qualifications for Canadian sprint paddlers, click here.

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

What:

CKC Olympic and Paralympic Sprint Trials

When:

March 11-14, 2021

Where:

Burnaby, BC – Map

How to Follow:

Event Website

Live Streaming

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

Burnaby, BC (March 10, 2021) – Canada’s top sprint paddlers are set to compete at the 2021 Olympic and Paralympic team trials in Burnaby, BC from March 11-14. Originally scheduled to be held in Lake Lanier, Georgia last April, this qualification event will mark the first racing opportunity for Olympic and Paralympic Sprint hopefuls in nearly two years due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Racing will take place on Burnaby Lake over the course of four days with Olympic and Paralympic selection on the line. The outcomes of this event will affirm athlete selections and nominations for the 2020 Tokyo Olympic Games in the Women’s C-1 and Women’s K-4 500m events. Additionally, these trials will select teams advancing to the 2021 World Cup events and the final Olympic and Paralympic qualifiers in May 2021.

“I am very excited to see some racing,” said CKC Chief Technical Officer, Graham Barton.  “It has been almost two years since our athletes have been able to compete and I am very proud of what we have been able to accomplish these past several months.  When the races start on Thursday it will be because of the efforts of many stakeholders including our coaches, staff, officials and volunteers who have all worked tirelessly to make this all possible.  In particular, Canoe Kayak BC and the Burnaby Rowing Club have been fantastic in getting the venue ready.  I think we will see some impressive races this week and I know we will go to our first international competition with a very strong team.”

Canada’s elite sprint paddlers have been training on Vancouver Island for the last six months with COVID travel restrictions preventing the team from locating in Florida. The team recently moved to Burnaby for this closed event, operating under strict COVID protocols – no spectators, media and limited personnel onsite.

“The athlete dedication and commitment to our protocols and living arrangements have enabled our team to continue to prepare for the Games.  Our hosts on Shawnigan Lake in Vancouver Island and more recently here in the City of Burnaby have been first class and while the BC coast is new to us for training, it now feels like home.”

CKC would like to thank Canoe Kayak BC and Tourism Burnaby for their support of this event. We encourage families, friends and fans to show your support and send some love for our athletes on social media, tagging @canoekayakcan.

To learn more about the status of Tokyo qualifications for Canadian sprint paddlers, click here.

What:

CKC Olympic and Paralympic Sprint Trials

When:

March 11-14, 2021

Where:

Burnaby, BC – Map

How to Follow:

Live Streaming – Event Website

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

Canoe Kayak Canada is saddened at the recent loss of Ray Palmer who was an incredible paddler, mentor, and Commodore.

Ray was passionate about paddling, serving as Commodore of the Calgary Canoe Club and the 76^th Commodore of the Canadian Canoe Association, now CKC. His local work included the construction of the new Calgary Canoe Club clubhouse, of which Ray’s leadership and lobbying played a major role in its success. He mentored many young paddlers, inspiring those he met with his enthusiasm for life, sport, wilderness, adventure, and the spirit of fair play.

Ray loved being on the water and passed that love onto his children and grandchildren. The Palmer family is set to scatter his ashes into a local river when the ice thaws to send him on his last big paddling adventure.

Ray Palmer’s obituary can be found here: https://www.arbormemorial.ca/edenbrook/obituaries/ray-banks-palmer/62435

OTTAWA, ON (March 8, 2021) – Canoe Kayak Canada is pleased to welcome Kenna Robins as its Senior Manager of National Program Development. In her new role, Kenna will focus on managing the delivery of key sport development programs and partnerships throughout Canada.

“We are thrilled to welcome Kenna back to our CKC team,” said Casey Wade, CEO of Canoe Kayak Canada. “She has demonstrated her ability to work collaboratively with stakeholders to develop and elevate the sport. I know she will play a critical role in helping Canoe Kayak reach its full potential.”

Kenna will work with the clubs, divisions, and provincial and territorial organizations to strengthen partnerships through effective and regular communication and strategically aligning CKC to maximize our collective resources and efforts around common programs, priorities and objectives.

Kenna will manage several key programs, including CKC’s Safe Sport program, the Canada Games program, help manage the 2022 Canoe and Para Canoe World Championships  and work closely with the Senior Manager of Coach Development to manage the Team Red program (LTAD) and provide support for development programs across CKC’s diverse paddling disciplines. Robins will also lead, in partnership with other key staff and stakeholders, the successful implementation of the Sprint National Championships.

“I am thrilled to be back with CKC in this new capacity,” shares Robins. “I look forward to working with this great team and all the partners across the country and building on the great initiatives and programs. I was so fortunate to have had the opportunity to work with an amazing group of people at the COC and I wish to thank them for the past few years.”

Kenna is returning to CKC in this new role, having previously worked as CKC’s lead coach for the U23 and U18 women’s kayak program for several years. She was also the head coach at the Rideau Canoe Club for over four years.

Most recently, Kenna worked at the Canadian Olympic Committee in multiple capacities, including Project Manager and Business Integration Manager, overseeing business operations and internal stakeholder communications.  Kenna holds a Bachelor degree in Electrical Engineering from Carleton University and a Bachelor degree in Education from the University of Ottawa. She is also a Level 4 certified coach, a certified Strength and Conditioning Specialist, and a Chartered Professional Coach (CAC).

Kenna will work closely with all of the CKC staff, including Ian Mortimer, who is transitioning into high performance to support the strategic initiatives in this area. We welcome Kenna to the team as she officially starts in her new role on April 6^th, 2021.

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For more information:

Colleen Coderre

Communications Lead

Canoe Kayak Canada

ccoderre@canoekayak.ca

Canoe Kayak Canada (CKC) is committed to the shared obligation of creating a sport culture and environment in which all participants can thrive. CKC’s Safe Sport policy aims to protect the health and well-being of the organization, its members, and participants. This policy and its reporting process ensure an environment free from maltreatment, violence, harassment, abuse, and discrimination.

In the interest of having a harmonized safe sport system from coast to coast to coast, CKC has designed its policies so that every PTSO, Division and Club can adopt the CKC Safe Sport Policies. CKC will continue to work with our members to adopt the Safe Sport policy into their own organizations, as well as understand and comply with screening and educational requirements. If necessary due to Provincial/Territorial (PT) legislation or requirements from PT funding partners, CKC is pleased to work with any PTSO, Division or Club to modify the CKC Safe Sport Policies for application so that they may apply at the PSTO, Division or Club level, as applicable. CKC will also continue to work with Provinces and Territories (for example Quebec) where other Safe Sport Policies have been made mandatory to understand how the different jurisdictions can co-exist.

Adoption of Policies:

To facilitate the adoption of CKC’s Safe Sport Policies, CKC has created a Safe Sport Member Declaration (EN/FN) which can be adopted by member organizations at the Board level and signed off on by the appropriate representative. Once completed, the declaration should be sent to CKC (lmacadam@canoekayak.ca).

CKC is also recommending that members develop a webpage dedicated to Safe Sport for information and links to the CKC Safe Sport hub page.

The steps for adoption are laid out in this graphic.

A detailed Q&A document can be found here which details frequently asked questions.

Training & Screening

The Safe Sport policy contains recommended and required training and screening for different roles based on the risk level associated with the role and authority of community members. All individuals whose position with Canoe Kayak Canada or a Member is one of trust or authority will be required to submit screening documents and/or complete training.

The policy’s Screening Requirements Matrix as part of the Screening Policy outlines Risk Levels and Associated Recommended and Required Training and Screening.

Training requirements include the required completion of CAC Safe Sport Training and/or Respect in Sport – Activity Leaders Training for level 2 and 3 risk levels, and the recommended completion of this training for level 1 risk levels. In addition, all Coaches are required to be Making Ethical Decisions certified.

Screening requirements for risk levels 1, 2 and 3 include submitting screening documents to an independent third party appointed by CKC that will function as the Screening Committee. The required documents based on an individual’s risk Level are detailed in the Screening Policy. They include an Application form, a Screening Disclosure form and may include letters of reference, a driver’s abstract, an Enhanced Police Information Check (E-PIC) or a Vulnerable Sector Check depending on the applicable risk level. Organizations will have the option to use the secure, confidential platform CKCMember.ca to submit their screening documents and have them independently verified. Details on this process will be communicated in the coming weeks.

The complete Safe Sport policy can be found here.

Please visit CKC’s Safe Sport page for more information.

Canoe Kayak Canada is very saddened to hear of the passing of João Tomasini Schwernter – President of the Brazilian Canoe Federation/COPAC. He will be missed by the entire paddling community and we send our sincere condolences to his family and friends during this very difficult time.

Statement from the International Canoe Federation (ICF):

The International Canoe Federation is mourning the passing of long time board member and passionate canoe sports advocate, Joao Tomasini Schwertner, who died on Sunday in Brazil following complications of Covid-19.

Mr Tomasini, who was 61, was one of the longest serving leaders of Olympic sport in Brazil, having been president of the Brazilian Canoe Federation (CBCa) since 1989, and a member of the Brazilian Olympic Committee since the same year.

ICF President, Jose Perurena, paid tribute to his long-time colleague and friend.

“Over many years Joao has been a tireless worker driving the growth and development of canoeing, not just in the Pan American region, but throughout the world,” Mr Perurena said.

“Through Joao, canoeing in his region always had a strong voice at the ICF table. His passion for the sport was obvious to all, and the many hours he devoted to the sport will never be forgotten.

“He was also a valued friend of everyone in the canoeing family. His passing from this dreadful virus will be felt strongly throughout the paddling world.”

Mr Tomasini served as president of the South American Canoe Federation (CoSurCa) from 2010 to 2018, and had been president of the Pan American Canoe Federation (COPAC) since 2017.

He first joined the board of the ICF in 1994, and served as a vice-president from 1998 until 2008, and again from 2010 to 2014.

He tested positive for Covid-19 on December 17, and was admitted to the Marcelino Champagnat Hospital in Brazil the following day. He spent 30 days in the hospital’s intensive care unit.

ICF vice-president and president of the German Canoe Federation, Thomas Konietzko, said canoeing owed a great debt to Mr Tomasini.

“Joao was the driving force behind the incredible growth of our sport in Brazil and Pan America,” Mr Konietzko said.

“He will leave a gap that we will not be able to fill. He was also a friend you could count on, and leaves a great legacy for our beloved sport.

“We will miss him. My thoughts are with his family.”

Mr Tomasini devoted much of his life to canoeing. He was instrumental in the formation of the Brazilian Canoe Federation, and played a leading role in organising numerous canoe championships at an ICF, South American and Pan American level.

ICF secretary general, Simon Toulson, said Mr Tomasini was one of canoeing’s great leaders.

“At the ICF we have been very fortunate to have strong leaders all over the world, and none have been stronger and worked harder than Joao,” Mr Toulson said.

“Joao not only worked to establish canoeing as a competitive sport in his region, he also worked to ensure its growth and development. The pride he took at the Rio Olympics in showcasing the sports he loved so passionately was clear for everyone to see.

“Joao was also an incredibly popular ICF board member. His views on all aspects of our sport were widely sought after and respected by his colleagues, who I am sure are all deeply feeling his loss today.”

The ICF extends its sympathies to Mr Tomasini’s family and friends, and to everyone in the international canoeing community.

CKC was informed on November 24 that the International Canoe Federation (ICF) held a Board meeting and voted to add two new Whitewater Extreme Slalom events to the Olympic Games in Paris, 2024. This was done by reducing the Sprint program from 12 events to 10 events. CKC was informed of the meeting on extremely short notice and raised serious concern around the timing and the decision-making process.

We understand that the ICF Board will meet next week to confirm the racing distances and program for Canoe Sprint. These recommendations will be forwarded from the ICF to the International Olympic Committee (IOC) and the IOC will meet in early to mid-December to make its final decisions and announcements on the Sport and Event Schedule for the Paris 2024 Olympic Games.

ICF Release

CKC will provide further information as it becomes available.

OTTAWA, ONTARIO (November 23, 2020) — Canoe Kayak Canada is pleased to announce the 2020 recipients of the Club Development award and Coach Developer award. These awards were presented at the CKC Annual Summit held virtually on Saturday, November 21.

CKC Club Development Award

The Club Development Award is 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. Hector Carranco, of the Rideau Canoe Club (RCC), has been a dedicated volunteer and staff member of the RCC for over 17 years. Hector’s efforts over the recent years have led to many significant achievements for the club that include major infrastructure improvements, new program development and expansion, and human resources management. All of these things have combined to raise the coaching and training quality at RCC to the highest level. The success of the club’s athletes over the last few years is a direct result of all of these efforts coming together.

“The impact that Hector has had on the Rideau Canoe Club has been absolutely remarkable,” said nominator, Tom Hoferek. “Since his daughters began paddling in 2003, Hector has time and again demonstrated a commitment to the club and the sport that is seldom seen anywhere. He is one of those special people whose impact and influence will be felt for many years to come.”

Hector leads by example by continually taking every opportunity to learn, seeking out ways to improve the club by attending workshops, webinars and training related to athlete development, coach development, organizational development, safe sport and bring that knowledge and best practices to the club.

Under Hector’s leadership as commodore, the club began its PaddleAll program in 2010. It continues to be an integral part of the RCC fabric.

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. Trevor L’Heureux of Eau Vive Verdun and Kayak Valleyfield, is a true paddling pioneer, generously donating his time to the sport he loves – and it shows.

“As a sport parent, I have seen many coaches over the last decade, but never have witnessed someone as true and passionate for a sport, as honest and caring as Trevor is,” said nominator, Natalie Franko.  “Trevor taught our son the techniques of paddling and the interpretation of different water/river aspects, but he also teaches him about the history of kayaking, telling stories and facts about the rivers and waters where they paddle.  Every lesson our son returns more passionate about kayaking then before.  Not only has Trevor successfully transmitted his passion and respect for the sport and nature, but he has done so with security and safety at the very core of each lesson.”

Trevor is an active member of the National Freestyle Committee and has been very involved in developing new coaches and instructors in the province of Quebec as well as leading the development of a Freestyle NCCP evaluation guide. In addition, Trevor is an ICF certified Freestyle Official and runs official training clinics.

Along with starting a new club (Eau Vive Verdun), Trevor developed and implemented free programming, adult courses and coached a small team of next generation freestyle paddlers.

Congratulations to our recipients of the 2020 CKC Excellence Awards.

Canoe Kayak Canada is pleased to launch the 2020 CKC Virtual Summit with a variety of informative sessions including Safe Sport, coaching development, and CKC award recognitions. Below is an update on the Summit activities taking place over the next few weeks.

• Annual Discipline meetings are being organizing by the Chairs of the Marathon and Whitewater Councils. Separate emails and meeting invitations either have or will be sent out shortly, with meeting dates.

• Annual Meeting of Sprint Discipline Members – November 21^st, 2020 (10:45 am to 12:30 pm – EST)

Further to previous communications, please register for this Sprint Members Meeting if you haven’t already done so. Please note that the agenda is now available by accessing the link below, and materials will be added in the lead up to the meeting.

Registration

Meeting Documents

• Special Meeting of CKC Members – November 21^st, (1:00 pm to 2:30 pm – EST)

Additionally, please find the registration and meeting documentation links for the Meeting of CKC Members below. The agenda for this meeting is now available and materials, including our Annual Update/Report will be available prior to the meeting.

Registration

Meeting Documents

• CKC Safe Sport Webinars

As part of our Virtual Summit, you will have received an update on CKC’s Safe Sport Policy along with a notice for a series of Webinars intended to provide an overview of the policy and how it will work for each Member. Please find the update here.

As a reminder, the dates for the Webinars are as follows;

• Club and Member Organization Webinar: November 19, 2020 – 7:30 PM EST
• Athlete Webinar: November 26, 2020 – 7:30 PM EST
• Club Webinar – Français: December 3, 2020 – 7:30 PM EST

• Sprint Competition Development NCCP Workshop

Canoe Kayak Canada will be piloting a sprint Competition Development workshop series in an online format with eight webinars being hosted with a blend of NCCP learning facilitators, expert guests and National Team coaches. Registration is currently at capacity for this workshop series but coaches that are interested in starting their competition development pathway may contact James Cartwright at jcartwright@canoekayak.ca for more details.

• National Coaches Meeting – November 24^th, (1:00 – 2:00 pm EST)

Canoe Kayak Coaches from across Canada are invited to attend the annual coaches meeting. Coaches who wish to attend this meeting are asked to register for this meeting here.

• Mental Health in Sport: Coaches Role – December 2nd (1- 2pm pm EST)

The COVID-19 Crisis has put further stain on the already difficult role that Coaches play in our CKC Community. CKC is offering this session led by Krista Van Slingerland, Executive Director of the Canadian Centre for Mental Health in Sport, which she has designed to increase coaches’ comfort and competency in noticing and addressing mental health concerns in athletes and themselves and promoting positive mental health through coaching practice. To Register for this session here.

• CKC 2020 Awards

CKC will be announcing two recipients for the annual Club Development and Coach Developer awards during the 2020 Summit. 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.

Nominations can be submitted online before end of day Sunday November 15.

Thanks for your attention to the above and please contact Laurel MacAdam at; lmacadam@canoekayak.ca if you have any immediate questions.

Canoe Kayak Canada is proud to announce four athletes have been confirmed to the Freestyle Squirt team to represent Canada at the 2021 ICF Freestyle World Championships. The Worlds competition will be held in Nottingham, England, scheduled for July 13^th to 17^th.

Matt Hamilton (Ontario), Ian Thomson (Ontario), and Marc Richard (Nova Scotia) were selected to the Men’s team. Darlene Fair (British Columbia) was named to the Women’s team.

Team Trials were held virtually this year in early October, with rides being judged by the selection committee through video submission. Trevor L’Heureux served as the Canadian Freestyle Head Judge for the online trials. Lee Vincent, CKC Freestyle Committee Chair, and James Cartwright, CKC High Performance Manager, rounded out the selection committee.

“We are thrilled to be nominating these four athletes to our 2021 Freestyle World Championships team,” Commented James Cartwright. “2020 has been a challenging year for everyone and despite this we have been able to develop and implement a creative selection mechanism that avoids unnecessary travel and keeps our athletes safe. I want to congratulate the paddlers for their selection to team Canada and I wish them all their best preparations for the 2021 Worlds.”

More information about the Freestyle Squirt team can be found here.

Photo credit: Robyn Butler

CKC is deeply saddened to hear of the passing of CKC alumnus and Olympic coach, Jim Mossman. Jim coached Canada’s National Canoe teams at the 1960, 1964, 1968 and 1972 Olympic Games. He was a ground-breaking coxswain, recognized as one of the best of his generation in the back of a war canoe. He was also a leader in the advancement of coaching, being a founding member of the Coaches Association of Canada and was the second recipient of the R. Edgar Gilbert Award in the Coach category in 1983. Mossman was Commodore at the Balmy Beach Canoe Club, and dedicated over 60 years to the sport, a contribution recognized through the Jim Mossman Trophy, which is presented to the winners of U16 Women C-15 at the Sprint National Championships.

We offer our sincere condolences to Jim’s family, friends and our paddling community.

Read full obituary

BBCC tribute

OTTAWA, ON (October 30, 2020) – Canoe Kayak Canada (CKC) would like to update the Canadian paddling community regarding modifications that were recently made and approved to its Safe Sport Policy Manual.

CKC has a fundamental obligation and responsibility to protect the health and well-being of the organization, its members and its participants. CKC takes this responsibility and any situation involving misconduct very seriously. CKC and its Members are collectively committed to enacting and enforcing strong, clear, and consistent policies and processes for addressing misconduct.

CKC’s Safe Sport Policy Manual was first approved by its Board of Directors and has been in effect at the national level effective March 1, 2020. Since this time, the policy has been in force, and the mechanisms for dealing with reporting and properly addressing Maltreatment, Harassment and Abuse within our CKC system have been operating. Details of our CKC Safe Sport Policy Manual and approach and contact information for our Independent Safe Sport Officer are available here.

Through the process of rolling out our national policy, valuable feedback from our membership has been collected and changes in the national landscape have arisen which have led CKC Staff, to make recommendations to the Board of Directors to revise certain elements of our CKC Safe Sport Policy Manual. The revisions include:

1. Clarification within the Screening Policy around which roles in our community will require which level of Screening and Education.
2. Integration of the newly released Safe Sport Training module developed by the Coaching Association of Canada into the Screening Policy.
3. Creation of an independent screening process, to be managed by a CKC-mandated independent third party which will relieve member organizations from bearing this responsibility.
4. Facilitation of the revised screening process through ckcmember.ca
5. Clarity around sharing of costs of investigations within the aligned system.

An Executive Summary of the Updated CKC Safe Sport Policy is available here.

The phase we are now entering is one of education and support to our membership in adopting the CKC Safe Sport Policy Manual within their own organizations. To facilitate this process, a membership declaration has been created and we are targeting April 1, 2021 as the date by which members will have adopted the CKC Safe Sport Policy Manual within their own organization, as well as the target to understand and comply with screening and educational requirements.

As part of our CKC 2020 virtual Summit, CKC will be offering webinar opportunities to provide full details our Safe Sport Policy Manual, including key responsibilities  relevant to Member implementation,  and to answer questions.  The schedule and registration link for these webinars are as follows:

November 12^th – PTSO/Division Leadership Webinar: 7:30 pm EST (Registration: http://zoom.us/meeting/register/tJYuf-GrrjMjHtbFilGCqtB6bDrf7h1Q4Pke)

November 19^th – Club and Member Organization Webinar: 7:30 pm EST (Registration: http://zoom.us/meeting/register/tJEkcOyqqTwsEt2FWGUNTwxOe_kGfj5M_BYf)

November 26^th – Athlete Webinar: 7:30 pm EST (Access Link: http://zoom.us/j/97661460060?pwd=ZWEzQ0pFZTFWUXJrcHJ3eGZ6Z2o5QT09)

December 3^rd   – Club Webinar – French: 7:30 pm EST (Registration: http://zoom.us/meeting/register/tJ0uf-mqqDIvHN0viRreYLNzZMxne_JsNma_)

In the meantime, our Safe Sport Policy Manual remains in force, and our Independent Safe Sport Officer has been and continues to be available to contact for complaints or questions confidentially  and to guide you through the complaint process as necessary. Further details are available below and linked throughout this page. If you have any further questions regarding the Policy itself, or any of CKC’s safe sport initiatives or programs, please contact Ian Mortimer, Director of Development (imortimer@canoekayak.ca).

The full CKC Safe Sport Policy is available here

 All other CKC Policies are available here.

Reporting a Complaint

As described above, CKC has appointed independent Safe Sport Officers who any person within the CKC community, at any level can contact to report or discuss incidents of abuse or harassment of any kind. These officers are available to communicate in English or French, as well as officers identifying as male or female are always available based on the preference of the complainant.

CKC has contracted W&W Dispute Resolution Services for this role. They may be reached directly and independently through the email address safesport_wwdrs@primus.ca. This is a confidential email address which will only be accessed by one of the independent Safe Sport Officers.

Reporting Abuse or Harassment is often a difficult process. To this end, a person expect the following when contacting the independent safe sport officer:

• All reports will be kept entirely confidential, in line with the wishes of the person making the complaint. This includes confidentiality from CKC staff.
• Complaint will be followed up on in a timely manner.
• The independent Safe Sport Officers are available to support persons making a complaint through the process and will provide advice and guidance on steps as and if a complaint proceeds.
• Your complaint will be taken seriously, and rigorously examined.
• Complaint will be managed in the language, and by an officer of the gender identity of your choice.

Should any complaint or concern come to the attention of the CEO or any CKC representative, it will be forwarded to one of our Safe Sport Officers.

Safe Sport Hotline

An independent helpline has been set up with the support of Sport Canada and the Sport Dispute Resolution Centre of Canada.

Anyone with a concern, who is not comfortable reaching out to one of the CKC appointed independent Safe Sport Officers, should feel comfortable reaching out to this free and confidential service as well. Information on their services and how to contact them can be found at; abuse-free-sport.ca. The abuse free sport phone and texting line is accessible at 1-888-83-SPORT, and is monitored from 8 am to 8 pm Eastern time.

Training and Screening

Training and screening are essential elements of ensuring our CKC community is safe and free of harassment and abuse for all participants. The details of CKC’s approach through our policy are available in the Screening Policy, which is part of the Safe Sport Policy Manual.

For training, the CKC policy is set up with recommended and required training for different roles based on the risk level associated with the role and position of authority of a given individual in our community. The recommended and required training is the CAC Safe Sport Training and/or Respect in Sport – Activity Leaders Training. Coaches are also required to be Making Ethical Decisions Certified.

The Screening Requirements Matrix that is an annex to the CKC Screening Policy, outlines the Risk Levels and Associated Recommended and Required Training within the policy.

All athletes on CKC teams, staff, volunteers working on a project on behalf of CKC (running a competition), committee or board members who are covered by a CKC Terms of Reference, National Level Officials and Integrated Sport Science Team members working with CKC reams will be required to complete Safe Sport Training before April 1^st.

In regards to Screening, based on member feedback, CKC has set up an online platform on ckcmember.ca through which CKC community members can submit their required screening documents to be reviewed by an independent qualified individual. This process will allow the screening process to remain independent, to alleviate the burden on club volunteers and ensure a qualified individual makes recommendations back to member organizations on cases where a relevant issue is disclosed through the process. This screening process is now in final testing, and will be available by December 1, with the target of April 1, 2021 for screening to take place ahead of the 2021 season.

The COVID-19  crisis continues to provide unique challenges to all of us in our community and has certainly shifted much of our efforts to responding to the evolving government restrictions; however, through this time, our organizational commitment to safe sport has not diminished.

This past summer, we continued with our roll out of the CKC Safe Sport Policy which was passed by the CKC Board of Directors in February. Since this time, the policy has been in force, and the mechanisms for dealing with reporting and properly addressing Maltreatment, Harassment and Abuse within our CKC system have been operating. Details of our CKC Safe Sport Policy and approach and contact information for our Independent Safe Sport Officer are available here. Through this process, valuable feedback from our membership has been collected and changes in the national landscape have arisen which have led us, as CKC Staff, to make a recommendation to the Board of Directors to revise certain elements of our CKC Safe Sport Policy.

The proposed revisions will include:

1. Clarification within the Screening Policy around which roles in our community will require which level of Screening and Education.
2. Integration of the newly released Safe Sport Training module developed by the Coaching Association of Canada into the Screening Policy.
3. Creation of an independent screening process, to be managed by a CKC-mandated independent third party which will relieve member organizations from bearing this responsibility.
4. Facilitation of the revised screening process through ckcmember.ca.

We are moving forward with these proposed revisions and expect them to be passed shortly. The phase we are now entering is one of education and support to our membership in adopting the CKC Safe Sport Policy within their own organizations. To facilitate this process, a membership declaration has been created and we are targeting December 1, 2020 as the date by which members will have adopted the CKC Safe Sport Policies within their own organization, as well as the target to understand and comply with screening and educational requirements.

We will be following up with further information, including planned webinars in October, further education as part of our Virtual Annual Summit and on-going support ahead of next season.

In the meantime, our Safe Sport Policy is in force, and our Independent Safe Sport Officer is available to contact for complaints or questions requiring independence. If you have any further questions regarding the Policy itself, or any of CKC’s safe sport initiatives or programs, please contact Ian Mortimer, Director of Development.

OTTAWA, ON (August 26, 2020) — Canoe Kayak Canada (CKC) is pleased to announce Jon Pike as sprint National Team Coach (Men’s Canoe). Jon will play a key role in assisting our National Discipline Coaches prepare our athletes for international success at the Tokyo Olympic Games.

Jon held the position of Head Coach at the Maskwa Aquatic Club in Halifax, Nova Scotia for the past seven years and was the Men’s Canoe Coach at the 2019 Pan American Games in Lima, Peru.

“I am really excited to join the Canoe Kayak Canada team and thank them for the opportunity,” said Pike. “The men’s canoe team is in a really strong position leading into Tokyo and beyond. As a former member of the men’s canoe team, I am looking forward to continuing and building on its strong international results.”

An accomplished National Team canoeist for over 12 years, Pike finished 5^th place at the 2010 World Championships (C-1 200m relay) and the 2005 World Cup (C-4 500m).

Jon is currently studying High Performance Coaching (Sport Management) at the University of British Columbia and is an active volunteer firefighter.

“Jon has been doing a tremendous job at the club level as well as contributing athletes to Canada’s national and international teams” said CKC Chief Technical Officer, Graham Barton. “I am excited that he wants to contribute to our performance in Tokyo. He was part of a very successful team at the Pan Am Games and continues to develop himself professionally as a coach. I am pleased he made the decision to join our team.”

Jon will commence his role with the team in mid-September.

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

Photo credit: Maskwa Aquatic Club

OTTAWA, ON (August 20, 2020) – Canoe Kayak Canada (CKC) announces registration is now open for the Coast to Coast to Coast Paddle Challenge (CCC Paddle Challenge), a new virtual event for all paddlers across all disciplines on August 29^th, 2020. The goal of this event is to connect our diverse paddling community and to encourage paddlers to get out and have fun on the water.

The event features two streams of paddling challenges that include a mixture of open/skill based challenges and competitive discipline-specific challenges.  Individuals participating in the open/skill based challenges are encouraged to use Facebook and/or Instagram to post their challenge submissions by using the hashtag #CKCPaddleChallenge. Participants for all challenges will be entered into draws to win various prizes from CKC’s generous partners.

To celebrate, CKC will be streaming live on our YouTube channel on Saturday August 29^th to feature paddling across the country. Family and friends can tune in to watch on this day.

The Coast to Coast to Coast video challenge is presented by Nelo Canada offering a grand prize boat to the paddling club affiliated with the winner!

The event is FREE for all clubs and individuals who are ready to take on the challenge so get REGISTERED TODAY*! All individuals taking part in the CCC Paddle Challenge are required to register.

*Sprint coaches: Please consult the CKC Sprint Competitive Information Package #2 for details on athlete entries.

Please note that all regional and provincial/territorial COVID-19 public health guidelines regarding group size and physical distancing must be followed at all times during this event. Additionally, all participants must follow CKC’s on-water Code of Safety.

REGISTRATION

INFORMATION PACKAGES

For more information, please contact Laurel MacAdam, at lmacadam@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

Canoe Kayak Canada (CKC) is the recognized authority by the International Canoe Federation on all aspects of paddling in Canada including the Olympic disciplines of sprint and slalom, and the Paralympic discipline of Paracanoe. Our vision is to be a Canadian sport for families, communities and champions.

We are seeking an individual to fulfil a term contract position as National Team Coach for Men’s Canoe.  The contract would extend from September 14, 2020 to October 31, 2021 with the potential to renew at the discretion of Canoe Kayak Canada.   The Coach will work under the direction of the Head Coach.

Under the guidance of the Head Coach the Contractor is responsible for the implementation of a comprehensive competition, training and monitoring program for the athletes for which he/she has been entrusted.

If you possess the passion and qualifications for this position, please submit your resume along with a covering letter clearly outlining why you believe you are who we are looking for.

Application deadline is August 14, 2020; apply to gbarton@canoekayak.ca

QUALIFICATIONS

Education

• The successful candidate will have a degree in a related field or equivalent.
• Be a certified Competition Development National Coaching Certification Program coach or hold an equivalent national coaching qualification

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.
• Show evidence of working effectively within a team, possessing excellent planning, interpersonal, management and organizational skills, and can motivate and inspire others
• 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

If you have a passion for sport and believe you possess the appropriate experience and skill set for this position, please submit your resume and covering letter with the top 3 reasons why you are the ideal candidate for this position.  Applications are to be summited electronically by 4:00 pm Friday August 14, 2020 to:

Graham Barton, Chief Technical Officer

gbarton@canoekayak.ca

Canoe Kayak Canada is committed to employment equity and encourages applications from all qualified candidates.  In addition, Canoe Kayak Canada is committed to providing accommodations for people with disabilities.  If you require an accommodation, we will work with you to meet your needs.

We appreciate your interest however only those that will be selected for an interview will be contacted.

July 31, 2020 – OTTAWA, ON – Canoe Kayak Canada (CKC) is thrilled to announce the Coast to Coast to Coast Paddle Challenge, a new virtual event for all paddlers across all disciplines on August 29^th, 2020.

The event will feature a variety of different paddling challenges that include a mixture of competitive and fitness based paddling events in addition to other skill-based participation challenges in the lead up of the event. The goal of this event is to connect our diverse paddling community and to encourage paddlers to get out and have fun on the water.

To celebrate, CKC will be streaming live on our YouTube channel on Saturday August 29^th to feature paddling across the country with special alumni and Olympian guests. Family and friends can tune in to watch on this day. More details to come.

The event is FREE for all clubs and individuals who are ready to take on the challenge!

Stay tuned for registration details coming soon and mark your calendars for the Coast to Coast to Coast Paddle Challenge on August 29 with challenges leading up to it!

Please note that all regional and provincial/territorial COVID-19 public health guidelines regarding group size and physical distancing must be followed at all times during this event. Additionally, all participants must follow CKC’s on-water Code of Safety.

For more information, please contact Laurel MacAdam, at lmacadam@canoekayak.ca.

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About Canoe Kayak Canada

Canoe Kayak Canada (CKC) is the national governing body for competitive paddling in Canada, one of Canada’s top performing summer sports with a total of 24 Olympic medals, and a leader in the Paralympic movement. Canoe Kayak Canada is a member-based organization that includes an intricate network of clubs as well as provincial, territorial and divisional paddling associations. Elite National Team athletes proudly represent Canada at various competitions around the globe – most notably the Olympic Games, Paralympic Games, Pan American Games, ICF World Cups as well as Junior, Under 23 and Senior World Championships. Follow Canoe Kayak Canada on Twitter, Facebook, Instagram and YouTube.

July 20, 2020 – (Ottawa, ON) – Canoe Kayak Canada (CKC) announced today that the Rideau Canoe Club (RCC) in Ottawa, Ontario has been selected as the host club for the 2021 Canadian Sprint Canoe Kayak Championships, held August 24-29, 2021. This motion was passed during a Special Meeting of Members, held earlier last week on July 15, 2020, to discuss impacts of the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic.

“We are thrilled to have the opportunity to host Nationals during the Olympic year,” said RCC Commodore, James Price. “We thank all CKC members for their trust and support and look forward to welcoming you all to Ottawa in August 2021.”

In light of CKC’s decision to cancel the 2020 Sprint National Championships due to COVID-19, motions were passed to allow an adjustment to the Sprint Nationals Hosting rotation. The Eastern Ontario Division (EOD) will host in 2021, with the Western Ontario Division (WOD) hosting the 2022 Sprint National Championships, and the Atlantic Division hosting in 2023. Following 2023, the rotation schedule will continue as detailed in Section 5.1 (b) of the Sprint Racing Competition Rules.

“Our CKC community has continued to show outstanding leadership and support throughout this pandemic,” said Ian Mortimer, CKC Director of Development. “It is exciting to be able to look ahead to Nationals in Ottawa in 2021 as a chance for our sprint clubs to come together to compete for National titles and trophies, and also a chance to bring our community back together after this hiatius and celebrate the sport, our community and the spirit that has gotten us through these difficult times.”

This decision allows the Rideau Canoe Club, originally set to host the 2020 National Championships in Ottawa, Ontario, to continue planning for the event next year. The Canadian Championships are held annually, and attract upwards of 4000 athletes, coaches, officials, family and friends to the host city.

For more information on the event, click here.

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About Canoe Kayak Canada

Canoe Kayak Canada (CKC) is the national governing body for competitive paddling in Canada, one of Canada’s top performing summer sports with a total of 24 Olympic medals, and a leader in the Paralympic movement. Canoe Kayak Canada is a member-based organization that includes an intricate network of clubs as well as provincial, territorial and divisional paddling associations. Elite National Team athletes proudly represent Canada at various competitions around the globe – most notably the Olympic Games, Paralympic Games, Pan American Games, ICF World Cups as well as Junior, Under 23 and Senior World Championships. Follow Canoe Kayak Canada on Twitter, Facebook, Instagram and YouTube.

For more information, please contact:

Canoe Kayak Canada

Colleen Coderre

Communications Lead

1.613.530.6217

ccoderre@canoekayak.ca

July 16, 2020 – Ottawa (Ontario) – Canoe Kayak Canada (CKC) regrets to announce that Andreas Dittmer (Men’s Sprint Canoe Head Coach) will be returning to his home country to join the German Canoe Federation in the lead up to Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games.

“We are proud to have recruited Andreas back into the sport system and we were thrilled to have him join our coaching team for the last 2 years,” said CKC Chief Technical Officer, Graham Barton. “He has had a tremendous impact on our athletes and quickly made many friends and renewed old acquaintances from his time as an athlete.  We are sad and disappointed to see Andreas leave but we understand it is a great opportunity for Andreas to coach the Men’s Canoe Team in his home country.  Canoe Kayak Canada staff and all the coaches, volunteers and of course the athletes wish him all the best in his return to Germany.”

The German Olympian joined the CKC high performance coaching team in 2018, hired on to lead the Canadian Men’s canoeing program.

“I am very grateful for the great opportunity to work for CKC,” said Dittmer. “I look back on the intense, challenging and very beautiful times in Canada. A special thanks goes to my athletes, to all coaches and the staff. I wish the whole team all the best for the future and may your Olympic Dream come true.”

 Over the next month, the CKC leadership team will work together with Andreas on the transition plan to ensure the program and our athletes continue to thrive in the lead up to Tokyo 2021.

CKC’s Chief Executive Officer, Casey Wade added, “While we will certainly miss Andreas, we are in great hands with both our high performance leadership and world-class coaching team and we remain very confident in our continued success in the lead up to Tokyo and Paris 2024.”

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About Canoe Kayak Canada

Canoe Kayak Canada (CKC) is the national governing body for competitive paddling in Canada, one of Canada’s top performing summer sports with a total of 24 Olympic medals, and a leader in the Paralympic movement. Canoe Kayak Canada is a member-based organization that includes an intricate network of clubs as well as provincial, territorial and divisional paddling associations. Elite National Team athletes proudly represent Canada at various competitions around the globe – most notably the Olympic Games, Paralympic Games, Pan American Games, ICF World Cups as well as Junior, Under 23 and Senior World Championships. Follow Canoe Kayak Canada on Twitter, Facebook, Instagram and YouTube.

Canoe Kayak Canada and the paddling community lost a builder, athlete, coach, and good friend last week, when Adrian Taylor passed away after a long illness. Adrian started as a sprint paddler at the Mohawk Canoe Club in the early 1960’s and was one of the first members of the Burloak Canoe Club. In 1962, Adrian was a member of the Bantam C-4 crew that won Mohawk’s first national championship race.

Adrian competed as a canoe paddler for many years, winning national championship medals in junior and senior C-1, a bronze medal in C-1 at the 1972 North American championships, and medalling in master’s men C-1 at the CKC national championships each year from 1996 until 2000. After achieving “blackwash” status (i.e. 2nd in the CKC junior C-4 John W. Black trophy race) in 1969 with a Mohawk crew, Adrian returned 11 years later to win the trophy for Oakville Canoe Club with 3 teammates, also former Mohawk paddlers. The Oakville Canoe Club became the Burloak Canoe Club, one of Canada’s most successful sprint clubs, and Adrian was a colleague and mentor to the many great athletes from the club, including Olympic champions, Larry Cain, and Adam van Koeverden.

According to Larry, “Adrian did just about everything at the club for a span of about 30 years, from coaching kids to masters and sitting on the board. However, I will most remember him hammering up the river in C1, covered in sweat, then turning and joining in our workouts. The guy never stopped.”

A versatile paddler, Adrian also medalled at the national championships in K-2 in the mid 1970’s. Along with Jim Farintosh, his long-time C-2 partner, Adrian then focused his paddling on dragon boat, winning the senior men’s world championship at the IDBF world championships in Philadelphia in 2001, and many subsequent world championship medals as both a paddler and a coach. His dragon boat teammates often wondered what the acronym “IALS” meant on the shirts he designed for the crew… Adrian would grin and reply that it referred to paddling and stood for “It’s a life sentence”.

Adrian was the commodore of the Burloak Canoe Club and a passionate advocate for paddling, and particularly women in canoe. Adrian coached the Canadian senior women’s dragon boat team to the world championships in Sydney, Australia in 2007. At the Burloak Canoe Club, Adrian convinced Sheila Kuyper that she could excel in canoe, culminating in Sheila’s success and leadership as an athlete and women’s canoe advocate, which directly led to the upcoming inclusion of women’s canoe in the Tokyo Olympics:

“Adrian was one of the first to recognize my potential as a canoe paddler. He invited me to paddle mixed C-2 with him, and the reason I started paddling C-1 was so that I wouldn’t embarrass myself in C-2 with him!”

Adrian was predeceased by his wife Yvonne, the mother of his sons, Greg and Jamie, of whom he was always so proud. Adrian is survived by his loving wife Catherine, his sister Pamela, his sons, and his three grandchildren, Koko, Kai, and Max. His many friends in the paddling community will remember him fondly and with great respect for his contributions and his shared love of our sport.

TORONTO, June 24, 2020 – Today, RBC announced an investment of $230,000 CAD to support the Next Generation programming needs of the nine National Sport Organizations involved in its nation-wide talent identification and athlete funding program, RBC Training Ground. The investment, arriving at an especially critical time for sports dealing with the effects of the pandemic, will be distributed in grants which range from $10,000 to $30,000 CAD.

Canoe Kayak Canada will focus its grant on coaching support among both sprint and slalom disciplines. The funding will support national Next Generation coaches and bringing in additional Club and Provincial coaching support at Next Generation training camps.

“Due to the global pandemic, we’ve had to pause on identifying new athletes with Olympic potential through RBC Training Ground events, but what’s not on pause is our investment in Canada’s Olympic future,” said Mary DePaoli, Executive Vice-President and Chief Marketing Officer, RBC. “This is most certainly a unique year, but we know it’s more important than ever to help ensure RBC Future Olympians and Next Generation athletes under the care of our NSO partners continue to receive the funding support that will further their athletic development.”

“The additional funding planned for Next Gen coaching initiatives will both enhance the coaching support to the athletes at Next Gen training camps and promote club and Provincial Coach development and mentorship opportunities,” said CKC’s National Team Manager, Emily MacKeigan. “In light of the postponement of the Tokyo 2020 Games and continued focus on 2021, these funds will help keep momentum of the Next Gen program and provide continued support to athletes who have their eyes on Paris 2024.”

Other NSOs receiving grants include Rugby Canada, Rowing Canada, Cycling Canada, Freestyle Ski Canada, Speed Skating Canada, Ski Jumping Canada, Nordic Combined Canada and Boxing Canada. Like Canoe Kayak, these sport organizations participate in RBC Training Ground, testing and identifying athletes with Olympic potential, and ultimately nominating them for funding and the opportunity to join their National Team programs.

“This RBC commitment comes at an especially critical time for our National Sport Organization partners, who are under financial pressure,” said David Shoemaker, Chief Executive Officer, COC. “These funds will help reduce the financial burden on emerging athletes and help ensure their journey to the podium stays on track. Working together with Canadian Olympic Foundation, RBC Training Ground has been an incredible funding program for the high-performance community and we greatly appreciate the support.”

RBC Training Ground provides Canadian athletes between the ages of 14-25 – no matter what sport or activity they are involved in – the chance to test their strength, speed, power and endurance in front of officials from National Sport Organizations looking to identify new talent. Top performers at free local qualifying events are then invited to sport specific testing with Partner Sports, with the potential of being one of 100 athletes invited to the RBC Training Ground National Final where up to 30 athletes are ultimately selected for funding and a potential spot on a Canadian National Team. Since 2016, RBC Training Ground has tested 8,500 young elite athletes at more than 100 free local events across the country, identifying over 800 high-potential athletes. More than $1.7M in funding has been provided to 117 RBC Future Olympians to help support their Olympic dreams.

Canoe Kayak Canada (CKC)’s virtual series, “Connect with CKC” continues this upcoming Wednesday June 24, with an exclusive Athlete Panel session designed for members of the paddling community, athletes, and coaches.

This week’s session will be a panel discussion between National Team athletes Laurence Vincent Lapointe (Canoe Sprint), Katie Vincent (Canoe Sprint), Andrea Nelson (Paracanoe Sprint), Cam Smedley (Canoe Slalom) and Nick Troutman (Canoe Freestyle). 

This presentation will allow the athletes to talk in-depth on a variety of subjects, including their unique journeys in sport, mental and physical health, and training adjustments during the current pandemic. Viewers will also have the opportunity to submit questions to the athletes during the virtual panel.

All coaches who register will receive 1 Professional Development Point for each webinar they attend. Professional development points will be tracked in the Locker and will be counted towards NCCP Maintenance of Certification criteria.

Please note that there is a limited capacity for this virtual session. Registration will close once maximum capacity is reached. However, this panel will also be live streamed on Facebook, where viewers can join without registration and participate.

REGISTER TODAY:

Date: Wednesday, June 24, 2020

Time: 2:00pm EST (1 hour)

Register in advance

Recordings of the virtual series sessions will be available on our website.

June 8, 2020 – OTTAWA, ON – Due to the ongoing coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic, Canoe Kayak Canada (CKC) announce the cancellation of the 2020 CKC Freestyle Team trials, which was scheduled to take place on August 23, 2020 at the Whitewater Preserve in Minden Hills, Ontario.

Similar to other recent event cancellations, the prioritizing of the health and well-being of our paddling community, and the necessary restrictions in place to address this global pandemic make it impractical and unsafe to stage the trials in 2020.

“We are disappointed to have to make this decision, however our top priority is to ensure that all athletes who want to compete can do so in a safe environment,” said event Chair, Lee Vincent. “We are actively working on updated plans for spring 2021 and will be reaching out to athletes over the coming months to welcome their feedback.”

CKC recognizes the significant disruptions and disappointment related to the ongoing event cancellations and public restrictions yet continues to support these measures and is proud to see our paddling community do its part as leaders in following all directives to stop the spread of COVID-19.

“We know our freestyle paddlers will be finding ways to stay active and to refine their skills on their local rivers across Canada this summer,” said James Cartwright, CKC’s Senior High Performance Manager. “We are fortunate because we have some of the best freestyle features in the world so our athletes will be able to continue their preparation for the 2021 World Championships right here in Canada.”

CKC continues to urge the paddling community to respect the Government of Canada’s direction and regulations of all public health authorities and governments at every level.

CKC is also actively planning and working through all of the contingencies for modified in-person or virtual events which may be possible later this year.

CKC encourages you to reference our COVID-19 resource page for updates.

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About Canoe Kayak Canada

Canoe Kayak Canada (CKC) is the national governing body for competitive paddling in Canada, one of Canada’s top performing summer sports with a total of 24 Olympic medals, and a leader in the Paralympic movement. Canoe Kayak Canada is a member-based organization that includes an intricate network of clubs as well as provincial, territorial and divisional paddling associations. Elite National Team athletes proudly represent Canada at various competitions around the globe – most notably the Olympic Games, Paralympic Games, Pan American Games, ICF World Cups as well as Junior, Under 23 and Senior World Championships. Follow Canoe Kayak Canada on Twitter, Facebook, Instagram and YouTube.

Canoe Kayak Canada (CKC)’s virtual series, “Connect with CKC,” continues this Wednesday June 10, with a session designed for members of the paddling community. Experts will present on a variety of topics including health, fitness and mental well-being.

All coaches who register will receive 1 Professional Development Point for each webinar they attend. Professional development points will be tracked in the Locker and will be counted towards NCCP Maintenance of Certification criteria.

This week’s session will be “Increasing Training Outcomes and Competitive Readiness: Nutrition Considerations,” presented by Erik Sesbreno (INS Quebec). Erik Sesbreno has been a full time sport dietitian in the Canadian high performance sports system for 5 years. He is currently the nutrition lead at l’Institut National du Sport du Québec in Montreal. He works with targeted international level athletes and coaches to develop and deliver world-class nutrition support in the daily training environment and design evidence-based nutrition plans focused on the needs of the sport and the athlete. He also conducts and collaborates in international and national applied sport research and innovation projects to further the discipline.

The aim of this presentation is to describe the important roles of nutrition on athletes’ development and performance. Special attention will be paid on how nutrition strategies are designed and coordinated to promote enhanced recovery and/or optimize training adaptation in the daily training environment and at the regattas.

Please note that there is a limited capacity for this virtual session. Registration will close once maximum capacity is reached. Please register early to guarantee your spot!

REGISTER TODAY:

Date: Wednesday, June 10, 2020

Time: 2:00pm EST (1 hour)

Register in advance

Recordings of the virtual series sessions will be available on our website.

JUNE 1, 2020 – OTTAWA, ON – Due to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, Canada Kayak Canada (CKC) has made the difficult decision to not proceed with nominating Sprint and Paracanoe International teams for the entire 2020 competition season.

This critical decision was guided by medical advice and extensively reviewed by the CKC leadership staff and the Sprint Racing Council. The risks associated with international travel during the COVID-19 crisis outweigh any benefit to our athletes and high performance programs.

“This year has forced all of us to re-adapt, re-evaluate and re-prioritize,” said 2016 Rio Paralympian Erica Scarff. “Paracanoe athletes are no strangers to living with the unknowns but that doesn’t make our training, with no specific competitions in sight, any easier. However, this is definitely the right decision to keep us all safe and we will continue to be leaders in our paddling community to ensure we do our part in combating the spread of the virus.”

We recognize how difficult this news will be for our athletes who are working hard for a chance to qualify to race for Canada at the Olympic Hopes Regatta and ICF Non-Olympic World Championships / Canoe Sprint Olympic Events World Cup / Paracanoe World Cup. Our focus remains on staying safe, while doing whatever training is possible in each region of Canada as we collectively move through this crisis.

“We committed to our team that we would inform them at the beginning of June what our decision would be based on all available information at the time,” explained Graham Barton, CKC Chief Technical Officer. “Advice from the medical community was the starting point and we didn’t get past this hurdle in terms of teams travelling internationally.  I am happy that in most communities a return to the water in some form or another is now possible. We will be working with our national coaches to explore every opportunity for our team to improve their training options in the coming weeks and are leaving open for now the possibility that we may be able to compete domestically in the fall even if it is virtual or regional events. We want to thank all of our volunteers and staff for their dedication and support as we continue to navigate this unique situation.”

Canoe Kayak Canada has identified the September 26^th weekend as the date for a new National Regatta to be held virtually, with some in-person elements, if possible at that time. The format of this competition, and how it integrates with our National Team and Provincial/Territorial programing will be determined based on the shifting reality of the COVID-19 pandemic. Details of this new event, and other competitive options will be established with our Divisional and Provincial/Territorial partners, officials, coaches and athlete representatives throughout the month of June, with a target of announcing these plans in early July.

Updates to team selection and Athlete Assistance Program criteria will be made in the next month, in partnership with the Canadian Olympic Committee, Canadian Paralympic Committee and Sport Canada.

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About Canoe Kayak Canada

Canoe Kayak Canada (CKC) is the national governing body for competitive paddling in Canada, one of Canada’s top performing summer sports with a total of 24 Olympic medals, and a leader in the Paralympic movement. Canoe Kayak Canada is a member-based organization that includes an intricate network of clubs as well as provincial, territorial and divisional paddling associations. Elite National Team athletes proudly represent Canada at various competitions around the globe – most notably the Olympic Games, Paralympic Games, Pan American Games, ICF World Cups as well as Junior, Under 23 and Senior World Championships. Follow Canoe Kayak Canada on Twitter, Facebook, Instagram and YouTube.

MAY 25, 2020 – OTTAWA, ON – Due to the ongoing coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic, Canoe Kayak Canada (CKC), Canoe Kayak British Columbia, and the Chilliwack Centre of Excellence jointly announce the cancellation of the 2020 CKC Whitewater National Championships, which was scheduled to take place from August 3 to 9, 2020 in Chilliwack, British Columbia.

Ultimately, the prioritizing of the health and well-being of our paddling community, and the necessary restrictions in place to address this global pandemic make it impractical and unsafe to stage this event in 2020.

“It is disappointing that we will be unable to welcome whitewater racers to the Chilliwack River this year,” said Jenny Wakeling, President of Chilliwack Centre of Excellence Paddling Club. “We would like to thank the slalom community and our local sponsors for their huge support in planning for this event. We look forward to meeting up with paddlers from across the country again once the pandemic has subsided.”

CKC recognizes the significant disruptions and disappointment related to the ongoing event cancellations and public restrictions yet continues to support these measures and is proud to see our paddling community do its part as leaders in following all directives to stop the spread of COVID-19.

“This was a difficult decision as I know how much work the organizers have put into preparing for this event,” added James Cartwright, CKC’s Senior High Performance Manager. “I would like to thank all the organizers and volunteers that committed to making this a successful event. I know our community will be disappointed but I am optimistic that we will be able to reunite and host an outstanding event when it is safe to do so.”

CKC continues to urge the paddling community to respect the Government of Canada’s direction and regulations of all public health authorities and governments at every level.

We continue to monitor the changing landscape related to COVID-19 and the impact on the well-being of our paddling community.

CKC is also actively planning and working through all of the contingencies for modified in-person or virtual events which may be possible later in 2020 as well as the impacts of COVID-19 related cancellations on our major events in the years ahead.

CKC will be providing further information related to events in the coming weeks, and encourages you to reference our COVID-19 resource page for updates.

CKC Mental Health resource document is available here.

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About Canoe Kayak Canada

Canoe Kayak Canada (CKC) is the national governing body for competitive paddling in Canada, one of Canada’s top performing summer sports with a total of 24 Olympic medals, and a leader in the Paralympic movement. Canoe Kayak Canada is a member-based organization that includes an intricate network of clubs as well as provincial, territorial and divisional paddling associations. Elite National Team athletes proudly represent Canada at various competitions around the globe – most notably the Olympic Games, Paralympic Games, Pan American Games, ICF World Cups as well as Junior, Under 23 and Senior World Championships. Follow Canoe Kayak Canada on Twitter, Facebook, Instagram and YouTube.

Canoe Kayak Canada (CKC)’s virtual series, “Connect with CKC,” continues this Wednesday May 27, with a session designed for members of the paddling community. Experts will present on a variety of topics including health, fitness and mental well-being.

All coaches who register will receive 1 Professional Development Point for each webinar they attend. Professional development points will be tracked in the Locker and will be counted towards NCCP Maintenance of Certification criteria.

This week’s session will be “Making the Transition from Development Athlete to the National Team,” presented by CKC National Team Assistant Coach, Mathieu Pelletier. Mathieu is a certified competition development coach and is registered in the advanced coaching diploma program at the INS Quebec. Mathieu has previously been Head Coach of the Trois-Rivieres Canoe and Kayak Club for almost twenty years, coaching multiple athletes to podium success. Mathieu also has a degree in physical education from the University of Quebec – Trois Rivieres.

In this webinar, Mathieu will be presenting on his experience as Head Coach at Trois Rivieres and developing a holistic approach to support athletes develop from the club level to the National Team. Please note that there is a limited capacity for this virtual session. Registration will close once maximum capacity is reached. Please register early to guarantee your spot!

REGISTER TODAY:

Date: Wednesday, May 27, 2020

Time: 2:00pm EST (1 hour)

Register in advance

Recordings of the virtual series sessions will be available on our website.

MAY 22, 2020 – OTTAWA, ON – Due to the ongoing coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic, Canoe Kayak Canada (CKC) and the Rideau Canoe Club regretfully announce the cancellation of the 2020 CKC Sprint National Championships, which was scheduled to take place from August 25 to 30, 2020 in Ottawa, Ontario, and included the Canadian Masters Championship (CANMAS).

Ultimately, the prioritizing of the health and well-being of our paddling community, and the necessary restrictions in place to address this global pandemic make it unadvisable and practical to stage this event in 2020.

“The Rideau Canoe Club was honoured and very proud to have the privilege of hosting the 2020 Canoe Kayak Canada Sprint Nationals during an Olympic year – particularly when so many of Canada’s elite athletes were ready for an amazing event,” said James Price, Commodore of the Rideau Canoe Club. “We are incredibly disappointed that we will not be hosting Canada’s sprint paddling community in August and do hope that we will have the opportunity to welcome you to Ottawa again very soon.”

CKC recognizes the significant disruptions and disappointment related to the ongoing event cancellations and public restrictions yet continues to support these measures and is proud to see our paddling community do its part as leaders in following all directives to stop the spread of COVID-19.

“It is certainly tough to know this will be the first summer without a CKC Sprint National Championship since 1945,” said Ian Mortimer, CKC’s Director of Development. “This event is the cornerstone of many of our sprint paddlers lives, and the event will be dearly missed in 2020. I remember being that young athlete working everyday towards the goal of a National medal, and I can certainly appreciate how difficult this news will be for everyone. We will begin the planning immediately for the return of this pinnacle event in 2021.”

CKC continues to urge the paddling community to respect the Government of Canada’s direction and regulations of all public health authorities and governments at every level.

We continue to monitor the changing landscape related to COVID-19 and the impact on the well-being of our paddling community.

CKC is also actively planning and working through all of the contingencies for modified in-person or virtual events which may be possible later in 2020 as well as the impacts of COVID-19 related cancellations on our major events in the years ahead.

CKC will be providing further information related to events in the coming weeks, and encourages you to reference our COVID-19 resource page for updates.

CKC Mental Health resource document is available here.

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About Canoe Kayak Canada

Canoe Kayak Canada (CKC) is the national governing body for competitive paddling in Canada, one of Canada’s top performing summer sports with a total of 24 Olympic medals, and a leader in the Paralympic movement. Canoe Kayak Canada is a member-based organization that includes an intricate network of clubs as well as provincial, territorial and divisional paddling associations. Elite National Team athletes proudly represent Canada at various competitions around the globe – most notably the Olympic Games, Paralympic Games, Pan American Games, ICF World Cups as well as Junior, Under 23 and Senior World Championships. Follow Canoe Kayak Canada on Twitter, Facebook, Instagram and YouTube.

OTTAWA, ON (May 18, 2020) — Canoe Kayak Canada (CKC)’s weekly webinar series, “Connect with CKC” continues with a Wednesday May 20, 2020 session designed for members of the paddling community. Experts will present on a variety of topics including health, fitness and mental well-being.

All coaches who register will receive 1 Professional Development Point for each webinar they attend. Professional development points will be tracked in the Locker and will be counted towards NCCP Maintenance of Certification criteria.

This week’s topic will be ‘Pacing strategies: how do elite sprint canoe and kayak athletes execute their race plans?’, presented byJosh Goreham, Performance Analyst, CSCA. Josh is a PhD in Health candidate at Dalhousie University in Halifax, Nova Scotia where he is completing his dissertation titled “Investigating the differences in sprint kayak technique between novice and elite paddlers”. In addition to his PhD research, Josh works as a Performance Analyst at the Canadian Sport Centre Atlantic where he primarily works with Canoe Kayak Sprint and Artistic Gymnastics athletes and coaches. Josh enjoys helping athletes reach their goals and that is what drives his passion to work in sport.

For this webinar, Josh will discuss the various types of pacing strategies that were used in canoe kayak sprint races at the 2016 Olympic Games and the 2017 World Championships. Pacing strategies will be discussed from a boat velocity and stroke rate perspective, to give the full picture of how elite athletes execute their race plans. Josh will also discuss the technology that is used to collect these data, and how you could potentially implement it in your daily training environment.

REGISTER TODAY:

Date: Wednesday, May 20, 2020

Time: 2:00pm EST (1 hour)

Register in advance

Recordings of the virtual series sessions will be available on our website.

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.

Dear CKC Members,

We hope this message finds you well during this difficult time. The COVID-19 crisis has caused an increase in workload for many of us in our community and certainly shifted much of our efforts to responding to the evolving government restrictions – and now deconfinement measures – put in place to respond to the global pandemic.

Through this period, we have continued with our roll out of the CKC Safe Sport Policy which was passed by the CKC Board of Directors in February. With this policy now in force, the mechanisms for dealing with reporting and properly addressing Maltreatment, Harassment and Abuse within our CKC system are operating. Details of our CKC Safe Sport Policy and approach and contact information for our Independent Safe Sport Officer are available here.

The phase we are now in is one of education and support to our membership in adopting the CKC Safe Sport Policy within their own organizations. To facilitate this process, a membership declaration has been created and we are targeting July 1^st as the date by which members will have adopted the CKC Safe Sport Policies and will begin compliance with its directives.

Through this process, valuable feedback from our membership has been collected and key changes in the national landscape have arisen which have led us, as CKC Staff, to make a recommendation to the Board of Directors to revise certain elements of our CKC Safe Sport Policy.

The proposed revisions will include:

1. Clarification within the Screening Policy around which roles in our community will require which level of Screening and Education.
2. Integration of the newly released Safe Sport Training module developed by the Coaching Association of Canada into the Screening Policy.
3. Creation of an independent screening process, to be managed by a CKC-mandated independent third party which will relieve member organizations from bearing this responsibility.
4. Facilitation of the revised screening process through ckcmember.ca.

We are moving forward with the proposed revisions as quickly as possible; however, the decision has been made that our educational webinars, scheduled for next week, outlining our policy and CKC community approach to Safe Sport should be delayed so that these changes can be made to the Policy and presented as clearly as possible to our membership.

We recognize the inconvenience of further delaying the webinars but we consider that the modifications and enhanced approach will benefit our community and will facilitate a smoother and less burdensome implementation of the Policy for all members.

We will follow up shortly with dates for these rescheduled webinars, as well as the date for a BC specific webinar to account for the time difference.

Thank you for your understanding as we update our policy to best fit our community’s needs.

Ian

In the context of the current COVID-19 pandemic, CKC continues to ask the Canadian paddling community to respect the Government of Canada’s direction to carefully follow physical distancing practices and to respect the directives and regulations of all public health authorities and governments at every level. Now is the opportunity for us to be diligent leaders in our communities. Through our actions, we can contribute to the control of the spread of this virus.

CKC will continue to monitor and assess the national situation but notes that Club / Divisional / Provincial / Territorial and National Team paddling programs should only resume when the appropriate Municipal, Provincial and Federal Public Health and government authorities modify applicable restrictions and/or closures due to the COVID-19 pandemic. CKC recognizes that these restrictions may be modified or lifted at different times across the country depending on the evolution of the pandemic and the actions taken by the various levels of government in specific jurisdictions.

The following guidelines have been created for our member organizations, to assist in their modification of operations to align with the varied and evolving public health measures in place across Canada. At no time should these guidelines be interpreted as superseding or providing a justification for not closely following public health directives, government regulations or further canoe kayak specific or general return to sport guidelines in a given member organization’s municipality/province/territory.

Although ultimate decision-making authority rests with member organizations regarding any actions to be taken as deconfinement measures evolve, CKC will continue to provide support and ongoing outreach to all member organizations and clubs as they make their own decisions on returning to operations and paddling, based on the unique situations in their own jurisdiction.

A chart is included below with links to all relevant Federal, Provincial and Territorial COVID-19 public health sources. Member organizations and clubs should also consult with their respective Provincial/Territorial Sport Organizations for further guidance and measures which may be applicable.

According to assessment using tools developed by Own the Podium, paddling can be a low risk activity as it relates to contracting COVID-19 if proper steps are taken and if the vast majority of activity takes place outdoors and at the required physical distance. It is important to note that CKC’s On-Water Safety Policies apply at all times. All members should be aware of the serious risks posed by cold water conditions in many areas of the country at this time. Specifically, for Sprint paddlers, when water temperatures are below 8°C, the Cold-Water Safety regulations (Section 2.2) must be understood and followed.

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OTTAWA, ON (May 11, 2020) — Canoe Kayak Canada (CKC)’s weekly webinar series, “Connect with CKC” continues with a Wednesday May 13, 2020 session designed for members of the paddling community. Experts will present on a variety of topics including health, fitness and mental well-being.

All coaches who register will receive 1 Professional Development Point for each webinar they attend. Professional development points will be tracked in the Locker and will be counted towards NCCP Maintenance of Certification criteria.

This week’s topic will be ‘Analyzing the Sprint Canoe Stroke’, presented by Men’s Canoe National Coach, Andreas Dittmer.

Andreas is a five-time Olympic medalist and eight-time World Champion in canoe. In total, he has a total of 22 world championship medals. Originally from Neustrelitz, Germany, Andreas has helped inspire thousands of young athletes around the world and established himself as one of Germany’s top canoe sprinters. Andreas has been coaching the Canadian National Team since 2018.

REGISTER TODAY:

Date: Wednesday, May 13, 2020

Time: 2:00pm EST (1 hour)

Register in advance

Recordings of the virtual series sessions will be available on our website.

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.

OTTAWA, ON (May 4, 2020) — Canoe Kayak Canada (CKC) launches a weekly webinar series called “Connect with CKC” designed for members of the paddling community. Experts will present on a variety of topics including health, fitness and mental well-being.

All coaches who register will receive 1 Professional Development Point for each webinar they attend. Professional development points will be tracked in the Locker and will be counted towards NCCP Maintenance of Certification criteria.

This week’s topic will be ‘Optimizing Sleep’, presented by exercise physiologist Sylvain Gaudet (INS Quebec). Sleep is one of the main pillars of recovery for athletes. In this workshop, learn more about the relationships between sleep and performance and get some practical tips on how to optimize your sleep hygiene.

Sylvain has a master’s degree in sport performance analysis and a PhD in physical activity sciences on the detection of chronic shoulder injuries in sport. Sylvain joined the INS Québec in May 2018. A true sports enthusiast, he has a decade of experience as an athlete on the senior national handball team and several years as a coach. Sylvain is very interested in training load and performance monitoring; he combines his expertise in performance analysis and physical capability assessment to identify key performance indicators, minimize the risk of injury, and optimize athlete performance.

REGISTER TODAY:

Date: Wednesday, May 6, 2020

Time: 2:00pm EST (1 hour)

Register in advance

Recordings of the virtual series sessions will be available on our website.

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.

In the context of the current COVID-19 pandemic, CKC continues to ask the Canadian paddling community to respect the Government of Canada’s direction to carefully follow physical distancing practices and to respect the directives of all governmental authorities at every level. Now is the opportunity for us to be diligent leaders in our communities. Through our actions, we can contribute to the control of the spread of this virus.

CKC directs all member clubs and organizations to continue the suspension of their sanctioned and organized on-water paddling and in-person activities in accordance with all Municipal, Provincial and Federal public health authority restrictions.

CKC will continue to monitor and assess the national situation, but note that Club / Divisional / Provincial / Territorial and National Team paddling programs may only commence when Municipal, Provincial and Federal Public Health authorities modify applicable restrictions and/or closures due to the COVID-19 pandemic. CKC recognizes that these restrictions may be modified or lifted at different times across the country depending on the evolution of the pandemic and the actions taken by the various levels of government in specific jurisdictions.

We have begun working with members and our partners as we look forward to the weeks and months ahead to form potential recommendations on paddling activities that respect physical distancing requirements while also taking on-water safety fully into account.

The CKC Board has asked that each Discipline Council work to review and decide on cancellation and/or postponement of competitions in accordance with these guidelines.

We must continue to prioritize our personal and community safety in relation to the pandemic, and collectively err on the side of caution and safety on all fronts.

Please stay physically isolated and safe.

It is important to note that CKC’s On-Water Safety Policies apply at all times. All members should be aware of the serious risks posed by cold water conditions in many areas of the country at this time. Specifically, for Sprint paddlers, when water temperatures are below 8°C, the Cold-Water Safety regulations (Section 2.2) must be understood and followed.

Please note that should an individual engage in on water activities independent of member organization activity, it is the responsibility of the individual to ensure they respect the Code of Safety and government restrictions as they relate to access, physical distancing and limitations on numbers regarding gatherings. Further, it must be clearly understood that paddling on your own, with your own equipment, is at your own risk.

CKC also asks that all member organizations clearly communicate to their members whether access to their facilities is restricted and, if so, the extent of those restrictions. CKC asks that all individuals respect any applicable restrictions.

Coaches must also carefully understand and act in accordance with the safe sport, liability and insurance considerations around their communication and direction to athletes while their organizations of employment may have suspended operations.

CKC has created a COVID-19 web page where all pertinent updates, recommendation, resources and further information will be shared. Please refer to CKC’s Private Boat Removal and Individual Paddling Statement for further information regarding on-water activities.

Within the context of the current COVID-19 health pandemic, Canoe Kayak Canada (CKC) recognizes that club and Provincial/Territorial Organizations (PTSO) facilities across Canada may be subject to different access restrictions depending on the directives issued by the relevant local government.

CKC also recognizes that, as the weather warms in the coming weeks and governments in different jurisdictions across Canada commence lifting physical distancing and self-isolation requirements, individuals within the Canadian paddling community will be eager to get on the water.

Recently, CKC has received a number of questions regarding whether individuals can paddle independently, on their own or in a physically distanced manner with others, outside of club/PTSO activities, from private docks, or whether they can retrieve their boats and other equipment that is currently stored inside of club facilities.

CKC understands that everyone wants to get back on the water as soon as possible – many of us at CKC are, literally, in the same boat.

In this regard, CKC issues the following notice that it asks all members in the Canadian paddling community to respect:

1. Club access

CKC has no control over club and PTSO facility (“club”) access, which is governed by local governments (either municipal or provincial, depending on the nature of the facility). As such, CKC asks that all paddlers respect facility access restrictions as issued by local governmental authorities.

CKC also recommends that, if individuals are permitted by local governmental authorities to retrieve equipment currently inside a club, they only access personal equipment and that club equipment (boats, paddles) remain inside the club facility until access restrictions are lifted.

CKC’s concern is that, if a club lets any individual take club equipment for personal use outside of club activities, liability and insurance issues may be triggered. As such, in order to err on the side of caution, CKC recommends that club equipment remain inside clubs for the duration of the access restriction periods.

1. Paddling activities

Any individual that chooses to paddle from a private dock or access point not closed due to Public Health restrictions, outside of club activities, does so at their own risk.

While CKC does not recommend that individuals paddle on their own for safety reasons, CKC’s position is that, if individuals choose to paddle independently, and potentially on their own, they should respect CKC’s Code of Safety, particularly as it relates to cold water paddling.

Should individuals choose to paddle independently, including on their own, they must do so with the understanding that the directives of local governmental authorities may not allow for safety boats to be on the water with them, which increases safety risks, especially in the sprint discipline, where self-rescue is challenging, and even more so in cold water conditions.

Further, if individuals choose to paddle independently, CKC’s position is that the directives of local government authorities as they relate to the number of individuals that are permitted to form a group – while respecting physical distancing requirements – must be followed.

CKC’s position is also that clubs, PTSO’s and coaches must ensure that their members and athletes are informed that paddling activities undertaken independently from club facilities, activities or programming, until restrictions are lifted by governmental authorities, are not associated with the club, or coach. Again, as noted above, CKC’s concern as it relates to this subject is the potential for liability or insurance issues.

CKC recognizes that all paddlers want to get back on the water and resume normal activities and that being prohibited from doing so is difficult. However, CKC’s main concerns are that our members stay safe and healthy so that they are able to return to the water as soon as the circumstances permit.

CKC thanks all members of the Canadian paddling community for their continued understanding and their efforts in this challenging time.

MARCH 23, 2020 – OTTAWA, ON – CKC is asking all members to respect the Government of Canada’s direction to carefully follow social distancing practices. Now is the opportunity for us to be diligent leaders in our communities, through our actions we can contribute to the global efforts to control of the spread of this virus.

CKC again strongly urges all member clubs and organizations to suspend all in-person activities and instead work to support athletes and other members to continue safe activity in strict accordance with home based social-distancing protocols.

Critically, all those returning from outside of Canada (Including those returning from the United States and France) must be extremely diligent in respecting mandated 14-day self-isolation.

We have begun working with our members and partners as we look forward to the weeks and months ahead to form best practice recommendations for paddling activities that respect both social distancing requirements and water safety fully into account. As difficult as it can be, now is the time to prioritize our personal and community safety in relation to the pandemic and we must collectively err on the side of caution and safety on all fronts. Please stay socially isolated, and safe.

It is important to note that at all times CKC’s On-Water Safety Policies apply. All members should be aware of the serous risks posed by cold water conditions in many areas of the country at this time. Specifically, for Sprint paddlers, when water temperatures are below 8°C the Cold Water Safety regulations (Section 2.2) must be understood and followed.

CKC has created a COVID-19 web page where all pertinent updates, recommendation, resources and further information will be shared.

We will also be hosting CKC Member Covid-19 Information and Outreach Call on Thursday, March 26 at 8:00 pm Eastern Time. At that time, we will provide further information and be available to answer questions. More details on this call will follow.

MARCH 23, 2020 – (OTTAWA, ON) – Canoe Kayak Canada (CKC) applauds the leadership of the Canadian Olympic Committee and the Canadian Paralympic Committee in taking decisive action to protect the health and wellbeing of our athletes and the community. We also fully support advocating for postponement of the Olympic and Paralympic Games until 2021.

“On behalf of our Team we want to applaud the leadership of COC in making this difficult but necessary decision to not attend the Olympic and Paralympic Games as currently scheduled,” said CKC Chief Technical Officer, Graham Barton. “It has been a stressful week for our athletes with the cancellation of Florida Training Camp and Olympic and Paralympic Team Trials but they have been extremely supportive of prioritizing health and safety.  The COC decision provides some much needed certainty and on behalf of CKC I would like to thank them for being leaders for us and the international sport community.”

As the Coronavirus (COVID-19) global outbreak rapidly evolves, we find ourselves in unprecedented times and our number one priority remains the health and wellbeing of our athletes, staff and entire paddling community.

The CKC leadership team will continue to work diligently to support our athletes during this difficult time of significant change.

As always, we are closely monitoring this global pandemic and will provide updates to the paddling community on a regular basis. We thank the community for their continued support.

CKC Athlete Quotes :

“This was no doubt a difficult decision for the COC but I fully support their decision for a fair and safe Olympic Games for all. We are humans first and athletes second. Although this is a difficult time, the fire and desire has not died. This situation has been a reminder for me of how grateful I am to do what we do. I am counting down the days until I can get on the start line with my favourite Canada jersey again.”

– Katie Vincent, Sprint Canoe

“I personally support fully the decision from the COC. Health is the most important thing and right now, it is better to focus on making sure we take care of the pandemic before thinking of sending out athletes. I hope we will get the chance to race and represent our country at the Games but not before our people’s safety is taken care of.”

– Laurence Vincent-Lapointe, Sprint Canoe

“I think it’s the right decision and I hope that more countries follow our lead. We all have a responsibility to help stop the spread of coronavirus right now. A delay of the Olympic Games is the responsible path and I understand that the IOC is currently exploring options. I’m confident that we will know more soon and in the meantime will be upgrading my home gym.”

–Michael Tayler, Slalom Kayak (Qualified for Tokyo)

“I stand by the decision made by the COC. Of course it is heartbreaking for us but we need to do what is the best for our country and the rest of the world. I hope the IOC also stands behind this decision and postpones the Games to 2021. This will allow everyone to stay healthy and be able to prepare properly for the Games.

–Florence Maheu, Slalom Kayak (Qualified for Tokyo)

Team Canada Press Release (March 22, 2020)

For questions or concerns, contact Canoe Kayak Canada CEO, Casey Wade. For media requests, please contact Communications Lead, Colleen Coderre.

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.

March 18, 2020 – (Ottawa, ON) – Canoe Kayak Canada (CKC) continues to monitor the evolving COVID-19 health pandemic and wishes to provide the Canadian paddling community with an update regarding its response plan. The health and safety of all our community members remains of the utmost importance.

Please note that this update is being provided based on the recommendations of CKC’s leadership task force, which is composed of senior staff, medical and legal experts and representative board members. The task force has been meeting regularly to monitor and adjust CKC’s organizational response to the pandemic.

As the scope and longer term reality of the COVID-19 pandemic continue to evolve, our immediate concerns for health of all participants is joined by a concern for the financial viability of our Clubs, Provincial and Territorial Organizations and the hundreds of Canadians who are employed through our sport.

This morning, the Federal Government announced significant financial support measures, which along with Provincial measures could provide relief to our community. We will work with our own team here at CKC and with our key partners in Government and the sport sector to provide guidance on what financial support and programs are being made available and any way we can assist in this support reaching those in our community who could be in need.

CKC continues to strongly recommend that all member organizations and individuals adopt strict social distancing measures. Critically, all individuals who are returning from international travel (including the United States) should observe a strict 14-day self-isolation protocol and be very conscious about the people they come into contact with, especially those who may be at high risk, such as elderly persons or those whose current health situation would put them at risk.

In line with the recommendations immediately above, CKC strongly urges that all member clubs and organizations suspend all in-person activities and instead work to support athletes and other members to continue safe activity in accordance with social-distancing protocols. We have begun working with members and our partners as we look to the weeks and months ahead to form a potential recommendation on paddling activity which respects social distancing requirements and takes safety into account.

Graham Barton CKC Chief Technical Officer has provided an update on training approaches in this difficult time here.

This morning, the International Canoe Federation (ICF) released its latest update on event cancelations and adjustments to Olympic and Paralympic Qualification. This release is available here. To summarize key ICF updates which relate to CKC Olympic and Paralympic preparation:

• All ICF competitions and international competitions until Sunday May 31 are postponed or cancelled.
• The International Olympic Committee (IOC) has expressed full confidence that the Olympics will proceed on time, and the ICF is working hard to ensure it is able to fill all available quota positions in the fairest and most appropriate manner.
• The Continental Olympic Qualifiers scheduled for Brazil in both Slalom and Sprint have been cancelled.
• The Pan American Canoe Championships have been postponed to a date to be determined this Fall.
• According to the canoe slalom Olympic qualification system, the ICF canoe slalom World Ranking will be used to determine the remaining Continental Athlete Quota places.
• Olympic training periods on the Tokyo Canoe Slalom venue in March and April are cancelled.
• The ICF is currently in discussion with the International Olympic Committee on using international results to determine which countries are allocated the remaining Sprint Tokyo 2020 quotas. This decision will be taken by early April.
• World Cup, Olympic qualifier, Paracanoe World Championships and Paralympic qualifiers schedule for Duisburg will be postponed or cancelled with the final decision being taken in late April.
• If Duisburg is unable to proceed, the results from the 2019 ICF Paracanoe World Championships will be used to determine final Paralympic quota allocations. There will be further discussions with the International Paralympic Committee.
• Full Details of ICF events that are cancelled, postponed or still scheduled are available in the detailed release.

All CKC in-person events are suspended indefinitely, and we will continue to monitor this position based on all information that we receive and updated our membership as this situation evolves. This includes the CKC-Sprint Racing Discipline (CKC-SRD) Olympic and Paralympic Team Trials scheduled for April 16-19, 2020 in Gainesville, Georgia.

Furthermore, CKC has decided to suspend the 2020 Valleyfield Canoe Slalom Team Trials (planned for May 9-10, 2020) until further notice in order to protect the health and safety of all athletes, coaches, officials and spectators. More information on CKC on selection procedures will be communicated once the ICF provides further information on Olympic Quota Allocation and the 2020 competition schedule.

As is clear to all of our members, this is a serious and fast moving situation, but please know we are in this together and are here to help if you have questions and concerns.

Government of Canada prevention and risk guidelines are available here.

A CKC Mental Health resource document is available 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 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.

MARCH 16, 2020 – (OTTAWA, ON) – Canoe Kayak Canada (CKC) continues to monitor the rapidly changing landscape related to COVID-19. Much of our information has come from the Government of Canada (GoC), Public Health authorities from across the country, the Canadian Olympic Committee (COC) and the International Olympic Committee (IOC) as well as the International Canoe Federation (ICF) – all of whom are following the World Health Organization’s lead on appropriate actions and precautionary measures.

CKC’s number one priority is the health and well-being of our members, including athletes, coaches, IST support, officials, staff and other volunteers and support personnel.

The CKC specific leadership task force of Senior Staff, medical experts, legal counsel and representative board members has continued to meet to monitor and adjust our organizational response to the pandemic.

Based on this on-going process the following measures and recommendations are effective immediately :

• CKC has closed its office in Ottawa effective immediately. Staff will be working remotely and will be accessible via email and phone. Please note that CKC’s operations will be focused on our collective response to the COVID-19 Pandemic and other operations may be de-prioritized in the short term.
• All CKC in-person events for the next 30 days are canceled, and we will continue to monitor this position based on all information which we receive. As mentioned previously, this includes the CKC-Sprint Racing Discipline (CKC-SRD) Olympic and Paralympic Team Trials scheduled for April 16-19, 2020 in Gainesville, Georgia.
• CKC strongly recommends that all member organizations and individuals adopt social isolation measures. This critically includes all individuals who are returning from international travel who should observe a strict 14-day self isolation and be very aware of the people they come into contact with, especially those at high risk. Please refer to link below for guidance.

Ottawa Public Health Recommendations for all travellers returning to Canada 

• In line with the recommendation above, CKC strongly recommends all member clubs and organizations suspend all in-person activities and instead work to support athletes and other members to continue safe activity within their own self isolation protocols.
• CKC’s athletes and staff are either home or enroute home from our Slalom Development Camp in France.
• CKC’s Sprint National Team Training Camp has closed in Indian Harbour Beach Florida, all athletes will be out of the camp by Wednesday, and CKC staff are expected to be back in Canada by Saturday.
• CKC re-affirms its recommendation based on the Government of Canada’s recommendation that all Provincial and Club camps wrap up their operations and bring their athletes and staff home to Canada as quickly as possible, in a safe manner.
• Based on the Government of Canada recommendation, any persons currently outside of Canada should register as a Canadian Abroad – https://travel.gc.ca/travelling/registration

Own the Podium’s Sport Medicine Advisory Committee has also been issuing recommendations, which CKC considers should be adopted by the entire Canadian paddling community. Those recommendations include:

• As it relates to travel, consideration be given to being stranded in a foreign country with (or potentially without) insurance that covers travel or medical expenses. Further, medical access in foreign countries may be limited;
• Apart from compulsory Paralympic or Olympic qualification, travel for training or competition should not be considered for the next 30 days. However, there are currently no restrictions or policies to traveling within Canada;
• As it relates to training environments, athletes, coaches or other staff should not attend training; training outside is permissible in isolation, but training groups should be avoided; hygienic training environments should be put in place, including modified training numbers, enhanced spacing of equipment, increased hand-washing and sanitizing approaches.

CKC will update these measures and recommendations as the situation evolves and/or as it receives additional information.

CKC will continue to work with all partners to first, ensure the safety of all our our community members, and will also continually assess the shifting situation in relation to key events including Trials, World Cups, National Championships and the Olympic and Paralympic Games.

Athletes and Coaches should feel comfortable reaching out to CKC coaches, staff, parents or other trusted individuals to share their concerns and any issues arising from this situation.

A CKC Mental Health resource document is available 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 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. 

MARCH 12, 2020 – OTTAWA, ON — Canoe Kayak Canada (CKC) continues to monitor the rapidly changing landscape related to COVID-19 and its potential impact on the well-being of our athletes and coaches. To date, much of our information has come from the Canadian Olympic Committee (COC), Canadian Paralympic Committee (CPC), and the International Olympic Committee (IOC), as well as the International Canoe Federation (ICF), all of whom are following the World Health Organization lead on appropriate actions and precautionary measures.

CKC’s number one priority is the health and well-being of our members, including athletes, coaches, IST support, officials, staff and other volunteers and support personnel.

CKC has formed a specific leadership task force of Senior Staff, medical experts, legal counsel and representative board members to meet daily to assess the situation and adjust our measures as needed.

Specific to our National Teams and Development Programs, our CKC technical and coaching staff will continue to evaluate and adjust plans following guidance from this task force to ensure our paddlers are provided with the safest training and competition environment in the lead up to the 2020 Tokyo Olympic and Paralympic Games and that appropriate actions can be taken if and when necessary.

CKC sent out information to the paddling community concerning the spread of COVID-19 last week, and will continue to do so on a regular basis. Please understand that the sport, medical and public authority understanding of COVID-19 continues to evolve and that decisions, recommendations and guidelines may change as new information emerges. In this regard, we expect that further updates could be forthcoming within the next 24-48 hours, if not sooner.

CKC is keenly aware of the community concern and disruptions related to the COVID-19 outbreak and recognize that these disruptions particularly affect our athletes and their competitive aspirations for the upcoming season. CKC will do everything within its control to ensure that disruptions to selection and Olympic qualification opportunities are minimized to the greatest extent possible and will communicate any further information that it has in relation to selection and Olympic qualification as soon as it is available. In the meantime, athletes should feel comfortable reaching out to coaches, staff, parents or other trusted individuals to share their concerns and any issues arising from this situation, or to ask questions. A CKC Mental Health resource document is available here.

As of today (March 12), the following measures will be put in place to ensure we are minimizing risk to our athletes and support staff who are currently out of the country at training camps:

1) Any CKC person or team currently located outside of North America should return home as soon as possible. There is a Junior Slalom Development Camp currently in France and arrangements are currently being made for their return.

2) CKC will be restricting all non-essential travel for staff, athletes and personnel, and recommend that any individuals, provincial or club teams that have not departed to camps or competitions outside of the country cancel these trips that were planned to take place in the next 30-days or until it is considered safe to resume travel. We will continue to evaluate this recommendation based on all relevant information.

3) CKC further recommends that all individuals, Clubs and Provincial or Territorial Organizations consult relevant governmental health guidelines for travel, as well as ensure that all participants are fully covered with medical travel insurance. A linked resource is available for organizations to assess the risk associated with different travel and activities.

4) The CKC Sprint National Team training in Indian Harbour Beach (CKC Florida Camp) will remain there and will continue training as we monitor the situation on an on-going basis. However, an area of risk for CKC is movement in and out of the CKC Florida Camp; as such the following measures will be put in place:

• CKC will restrict any additional athletes, family, friends and support personnel from joining or entering the CKC Florida Camp to reduce the risk for our athletes already training at the camp. This will include athletes scheduled to join the U21 training camp.
• Athletes and Staff currently in the CKC Florida Camp environment will be asked, at the present time, to not leave the environment for travel home or to other locations, in an effort to limit the risks associated with travel. CKC staff will specifically follow up with athletes who planned on traveling as part of their preparation over the coming weeks.

5) From a medical perspective, CKC will put in place the following measures which will be further encouraged with all individuals within the CKC training environments, and within the wider CKC community;

• Engage in “social distancing”
• Avoid non-essential travel
• No mass gatherings
• Limit changes to the environment
• Avoid people who are ill
• Wash hands frequently and avoid touching your face
• If you are sick, stay home or isolated and wear a face mask to avoid infecting others
• The above is what you’re likely aware of, but be committed.
• Please find further details here.

6) We know that Event/Competition confirmation or cancellations will assist in guiding further decisions, and we will continue to engage with the ICF, COPAC, COC, CPC and our partners at the American Canoe Association, regarding these events.

7) If additional restrictions are imposed by governments, this will also guide further decisions.

8) We are aware that the COC, CPC, IPC, Sport Canada and OTP are meeting this afternoon to discuss further. We are hopeful that additional messaging will be forthcoming from this group and if so, we will be sure to communicate it promptly.

Please rest assured that CKC is doing everything possible to stay up to date on any and all developments related to COVID-19 and that we will continue to do so moving forward.

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.

-30-

For more information:

Maryn Sommerfeldt

Communications

msommerfeldt@canoekayak.ca

Colleen Coderre

Communications Lead

ccoderre@canoekayak.ca

Canoe Kayak Canada is looking for individuals to join the Canoe Slalom Development Committee. This committee will meet at least twice per year via online conference call. The main role of the CS-DC is to provide technical direction and oversight of the domestic development of the Canoe Slalom discipline. The following positions on the Canoe Slalom Development Committee are up for election.

• Canoe Slalom Development Committee Chair (2 year term)
• 2 Canoe Slalom Development Committee Coaching Representatives (2 year term)
• 3 Canoe Slalom Development Committee Provincial Representatives (1 year term)

All candidates must meet the following criteria:

• Be 18 years of age or older
• Be a current member in good standing of a CKC Whitewater Provincial Territorial Sport Organization (PTSO)

In addition, the ideal candidate will have:

• Extensive knowledge of Canoe Slalom discipline, Long-Term Athlete Development principles and the Canadian sport system
• Experience working on volunteer committees
• Excellent communication and leadership skills
• Ability to work in both official languages is an asset
• A specific skill set or expertise that would be of benefit to the Domestic Development Committee

These are all volunteer positions. Interested candidates should submit the Candidate Qualification Form to James Cartwright by email at jcartwright@canoekayak.ca. Deadline for applications is Midnight EST on March 20, 2020.

Canoe Kayak Canada (CKC) is proud to announce the launch of our new Safe Sport Policy Manual, which is now in effect.

The Policy Manual reflects the outcome of an extensive consultation process with our community members, sport disciplines (Sprint, Whitewater, Marathon) and Athlete Council members with supporting policies for the entire CKC paddling community. It also incorporates the critical aspects of the new Universal Code of Conduct to Prevent and Address Maltreatment in Sport (UCCMS).

“We are both pleased and proud of the leading role Canoe Kayak Canada has taken to ensure the safest possible environment for its athletes and participants,” said CKC Athlete Board Member, Genevieve Orton. “The policies and procedures coming into effect set a necessary high standard of behavior and conduct, and are equipped to follow up with an efficient and qualified response. If athletes – or any individual – feel they need to come forward, they should be comfortable that they can do so in a safe and secure environment with processes that protect their rights”.

By adopting the new CKC Safe Sport Policy Manual, Canoe Kayak Canada has sought to further augment the manner in which it ensures that the health and well-being of its member and participants is protected. The policies are intended to promote a Safe Sport environment by setting a standard of expected behaviour and conduct, while allowing for consistent, immediate, appropriate and meaningful action should any issues arise.

“This is a significant step forward for our organization and we are very proud to be a leading National Sport Federation on Safe Sport initiatives in Canada,” said CKC CEO Casey Wade. “We look forward to working with our member organizations to ensure the entire paddling community feels safe and supported in their respective sporting environments.”

Key Elements of the CKC Safe Sport Manual are:

1. An Independent Case Manager
2. Integration of the Coaching Association of Canada’s Rule of Two, specific to paddling
3. Screening Policy
4. Independent awareness and education program.

Member Organizations will be supported in the adoption of this Policy Manual for their own organizations, and will be able to do so through a declaration provided by CKC.

For more information on the CKC Safe Sport Policies or the implementation plan, please contact Ian Mortimer at imortimer@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.

Canoe Kayak Canada (CKC) is aware of the community concerns relating to the Coronavirus (COVID-19). CKC is working closely with the International Canoe Federation (ICF), the Canadian Olympic Committee (COC), the Canadian Paralympic Committee (CPC), and Sport Canada, to ensure the health and safety of our paddling community is always the top priority.

As of today, the national and international canoeing program has not been impacted by this situation however the ICF, COC, CPC, and CKC will continue to monitor this fast-evolving global situation and provide updates to the paddling community as necessary.

Please reference the below statements and information from our partners:

ICF update on Coronavirus

Government of Canada update and current travel restrictions

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.

Canoe Kayak Canada (CKC) is proud to inform you that a new Safe Sport Policy Manual has been approved by the CKC Board of Directors. The Safe Sport Policy Manual, including a new Safe Sport Member Declaration comes into effect at the national level on March 1, 2020, after which members will be asked to formally adopt the policies by June 1, 2020.

The content of the Policy Manual reflects the outcome of an extensive consultation process with our community members, sport disciplines (Sprint, Whitewater, Marathon) and Athlete Council members and contains policies for the entire CKC paddling community. It also incorporates the critical aspects of the new Universal Code of Conduct to Prevent and Address Maltreatment in Sport (UCCMS).

“We are both pleased and proud of the leading role Canoe Kayak Canada has taken to ensure the safest possible environment for its athletes and participants,” said CKC Athlete Council Chair, Genevieve Orton. “The policies and procedures coming into effect set a necessary high standard of behavior and conduct, and are equipped to follow up with an efficient and qualified response. If athletes – or any individual – feel they need to come forward, they should be comfortable that they can do so in a safe and secure environment with processes that protect their rights”.  

By adopting the new CKC Safe Sport Policy Manual, Canoe Kayak Canada has sought to further augment the manner in which it ensures that the health and well-being of its member and participants is protected. The policies are intended to promote a Safe Sport environment by setting a standard of expected behaviour and conduct, while allowing for consistent, immediate, appropriate and meaningful action should any issues arise.

Key Elements of the CKC Safe Sport Manual are:

1. An Independent Case Manager will review any complaints received from the CKC Community, and determine the appropriate level (Club, PTSO/Division, National – See Appendix A)to deal with the complaint using the appropriate policy (or policies) within the CKC Safe Sport Policy Manual. This Case Manager will be independent of CKC staff and volunteer leadership and will have the expertise and authority to delegate the handling of any complaint received to the relevant and appropriate level. The Case Manager will also be able to provide support to member organizations so that they follow proper procedures.
2. Rule of Two Integration of Coaching Association of Canada (CAC) Rule of Two, with clear direction for situations where only one person of authority can be present for interactions with athletes. These modifications follow the spirit of the Rule of Two, to ensure environments are open, observable and that persons of authority are transparent about the environments for which they are responsible.
3. Screening Policy: Updated screening requirements will be put in place that are tiered based on the level of authority a person holds and who the participants they are interacting with. Screening forms and tracking will be integrated into the new CKC Member Management System to facilitate these updated requirements and to assist member organizations in implementation.
4. Education Policy will provide guidance for both mandatory and recommended education around ethical behaviour, and creating environments free of harassment, discrimination and abuse for Athletes, Coaches, Officials, Sport Administrators and Volunteers in specific roles. This education will be through the CAC’s Making Ethical Decision Module and the Respect in Sport for Activity Leaders Program.

CKC will be hosting webinars, in both official languages, to help members better understand the new policy manual, the CKC approach and process for adoption. The following dates have been identified and we will send out more formal invitations for each session shortly:

• Tuesday, April 21, English (8:00 pm Eastern Standard Time – EST)
• Wednesday, April 22, French (8:00 pm EST)
• Wednesday May 13, 2020 English (8:00 pm EST)

This Policy Manual has been intentionally designed to be applicable at all levels of our paddling community. As such, Member Organizations are encouraged to adopt this

Policy Manual for their own organizations, and will be able to do so through a declaration, which will be provided by CKC. The specifics of this adoption process will be outlined in the webinar series and will be highlighted in subsequent communications with member Presidents and Commodores.

For more information on the CKC Safe Sport Policies or implementation plan, please contact Ian Mortimer at imortimer@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.

Canoe Kayak Canada is looking for an individual to join the Sprint Racing Domestic Development Committee. The Domestic Development Committee (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.

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 support the committee in its work to ensure the ongoing development of the sport.

In addition, the ideal candidate will have:

• Knowledge of Canoe Kayak Canada’s domestic club system, domestic competition in Canada, as well as the Sprint Racing Discipline Competition Rulebook
• Experience working on CKC volunteer committees
• Knowledge of the Canadian sport system is an asset
• Ability to work in both official languages is an asset
• Ability to commit to at least one or two-hour phone call a month, (though sometimes more during the racing season when specific issues arise.)
• Willing and able to travel to two or three in person meetings a year, which take place over a weekend (including the Canadian National Championships and CKC Annual Summit)

This volunteer position is to fill a vacancy on the DDC and therefore has a term ending at the 2020 CKC Summit. The position could be renewed for a 2 year term at that date should the SRC choose to appoint the successful individual for a full 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 March 13, 2020.

Please send applications to Pierre Luc Laliberte, by email to pierreluclaliberte@gmail.com

Canoe Kayak Canada is seeking qualified candidates who are willing to file the role of Chief Judge, Assistant Chief Judge as well as Chief Scoring Officer at the Canoe Slalom Team Trials and National Championships. The positions of Chief Judge, Assistant Chief Judge and Chief Scoring Officer are unpaid volunteer positions. Interested candidates are invited to submit an expression of interest in accordance with the guidelines set out in this notice.

2020 Canoe Slalom Team Trials

The Team Trials will be held in Salaberry-de-Valleyfield, QC from May 4-10, with slalom competitions held the 9th – 10th.

2020 Canoe Slalom National Championships

The Whitewater National Championships will be held in Chilliwack, BC from August 3-9, with slalom competitions held the 8th – 9th.

Chief Judge

Job Description

The Chief Judge’s primary responsibility is to ensure that the competition is run as per the International Canoe Federation (ICF) competition rules. The Chief Judge is the final arbiter on all judging matters and may disqualify competitors and grant reruns when appropriate. The Chief Judge will also review all inquiries and protests to ensure the ICF competition rules are followed. The Chief Judge is a member of the course approval committee and will use available technology to be aware of changes to race conditions and respond accordingly. The Chief Judge will also lead the Team Leaders Meeting, Gate Judge meeting, direct section gate judges and fulfill all other usual duties.

Recommended Qualifications & Experience

The Chief Judge should hold a valid ICF Canoe Slalom ITO license and will have previous experience as a Chief Judge or Assistant Chief Judge at a previous National Championships or Team Trials. Candidates who don’t have an ICF ITO license who can demonstrate the appropriate level of experience may also be considered.

Assistant Chief Judge

Job Description

The Assistant Chief Judge will collaborate closely with the Chief Judge and will assist with administrative tasks related to the competition. The assistant Chief Judge will collect inquiries from Team Leaders and review

judging documents for accuracy. The Assistant Chief Judge will assist the Chief Judge in the formulation of decisions concerning protests. The Assistant Chief Judge will report to the Chief Judge.

Recommended Qualifications & Experience

The Assistant Chief Judge should hold a valid ICF Canoe Slalom ITO license and will have previous experience as a Chief Judge or Assistant Chief Judge at Provincial Championships or competitions. Candidates who don’t hold an ICF ITO license who can demonstrate the appropriate level of experience may also be considered.

Chief scoring officer

Job Description

The Chief Scoring Officer is responsible for the calculation and posting of accurate competition results based on data received under the direction of the Chief Judge. He/she shall indicate the time of posting for each category as it is completed. Furthermore, they are also responsible for the setup and maintenance of lines of communication between start and finish and between the judges and the scoring office. He/she is responsible for the installation and proper functioning of all technical equipment required for the competition. The Chief of Scoring is also responsible for the management of the competition start lists throughout the Championships.

Recommended Qualifications & Experience

The Chief of Scoring Officer should hold a valid ICF Canoe Slalom ITO license and will have extensive knowledge of the operation of Canoe 123 Timing Software and the set-up of Alge Timing equipment required at start, finish and the scoring office. Candidates who don’t hold an ICF ITO license who can demonstrate the appropriate level of experience may also be considered.

Application Deadline

Please send applications with a summary of qualifications and experience to jcartwright@canoekayak.ca by end of day on March 1st, 2020.

OTTAWA, ONTARIO (January 6, 2020) – Canoe Kayak Canada (CKC) is delighted to announce that Kalob Grady has been confirmed by the CKC Freestyle Committee as the Freestyle Head Coach.

Hailing from Lapasse, Ontario in the Ottawa Valley, Kalob started kayaking when he was 9 and competing when he was 13. In 2010 he won Junior Freestyle Nationals, placed 3rd at the Pan American Junior Championships and placed 6th the following year at the ICF Junior World Championships. That kick started his competitive kayaking career, which has continued to grow year after year. He was especially pleased to place 6th at the 2015 ICF World Championships in front of the hometown crowd on the Ottawa River.

Kalob has been coaching with the Ottawa Kayak School since 2011, as well as contributing to youth kayak development through the Teen Development Keeners Program. Building on his strengths of working with youth, both on and off the water, Kalob took on the position of Head Coach for World Class Kayak Academy in 2017.

Kalob is also recognized for his work as part of the SEND team, who have been pushing the boundaries of whitewater kayaking competitions for the past three years. His passion for the sport of kayaking shows through in everything he does.

“We’re delighted to have Kalob join us to help develop a strong and diverse competitive Freestyle Kayaking program in Canada,” said Lee Vincent, Chair of the CKC Freestyle Committee. “He is a well-respected paddler in his own right, with extensive international competition experience. That knowledge, partnered with his ability to inspire and motivate other paddlers, will help us grow the strength and skills of the national team and next generation athletes.

CKC Freestyle will be working with partners in Alberta and Ontario to host athlete development camps in July, as well as a camp in August leading up to National Team Trials in Minden on August 23rd. Please follow our Facebook page for more details.

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

Maryn Sommerfeldt

Communications Assistant

intern@canoekayak.ca

PENRITH, AUSTRALIA (January 13, 2020) – Florence Maheu (Salaberry-de-Valleyfield, QC) clinches the second Olympic spot for Team Canada in the women’s K1 event this weekend at the Australian Canoe Slalom Championships.

Florence finished 8th in the finals, booking her ticket to Tokyo for her first-ever Olympic Games.

Team Canada had previously qualified the women’s K1 boat for Tokyo 2020 at the 2019 World Slalom Championships in La Seu D’Urgell, Spain.

“I am extremely excited for the new challenge,” said Maheu. “It has been a long road to get there and there is still a lot of work to do before the Games. This is a dream come true for me and I couldn’t be happier to have the chance to compete amongst the best paddlers at the Olympics.”

Michael Tayler (Ottawa, ON) finished as top Canadian in the men’s K1 event in 6th place overall. Ben Hayward (Edmonton, AB) placed 9th in the final. Final selection for the men’s K1 slalom spot will be decided February 20-23 at the Sydney International Whitewater Festival.

“I’m thrilled to see that we now have two athletes booked to the Tokyo Games,” said CKC Senior High Performance Manager, James Cartwright. “Our paddlers have worked hard to accomplish their goals and I know they will continue to strive for excellence with less than 192 days remaining. I think the competition process for the Olympic Team in the remaining events will challenge our paddlers to perform on demand and this will surely help them to reach their potential in international competition next summer.”

Team Canada secured three Olympic spots in the women’s K1, men’s C1, and K1 event at the 2019 Slalom World Championships. Cameron Smedley (Dunrobin, ON) booked his ticket to Tokyo with an 8th place finish in the men’s C1 event.

The next Tokyo qualification opportunity to compete for the women’s C1 Tokyo entry will be at the 2020 Pan-Am Championships scheduled in Rio de Janeiro from April 3-5, 2020.

What:

2020 Australian Canoe Slalom Championships

Where:

Penrith, Australia

MAP

Visit the event website and results here.

The Canadian entries are listed below.

To view Canada’s Tokyo 2020 Olympic Team Criteria, 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

Maryn Sommerfeldt

Communications Intern

intern@canoekayak.ca

OTTAWA, ON (January 7, 2020) — Canoe Kayak Canada (CKC) is pleased to name Mathieu Pelletier as sprint National Team Assistant Coach. Mathieu will play a key role in assisting our National Discipline Coaches prepare our athletes for international success at the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games and beyond.

Mathieu is a certified competition development coach and is registered in the advanced coaching diploma program at the INS Quebec. Mathieu has been Head Coach of the Trois-Rivieres Canoe and Kayak Club for almost twenty years, coaching multiple athletes to podium success. Mathieu also has a degree in physical education from the University of Quebec – Trois Rivieres.

“As the coaching structure continues to take shape, I am pleased to have Mathieu on board. He has proven leadership skills and the technical knowledge to move our team forward,” said Graham Barton, CKC Chief Technical Officer. “He has consistently produced athletes at the international level and I am confident that his contributions to our coaching team will see Canada reemerge as a world power in paddling as we move together to Tokyo and beyond to 2024.”

Mathieu will commence his role in late January at our National Teams preparation camp in Indian Harbor Beach, Florida.

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

Photo: Le Nouvelliste

CKC has launched its CKC membership management system at https://ckcmember.ca/. This registration system will form the backbone of our communities’ digital infrastructure moving forward and presents an opportunity for our collective growth and improvement in delivering quality programming to our paddlers, coaches, officials, administrators, and volunteers.

As a starting point, our new registration system will replace the PadTrac registration system that has been used by the sprint discipline and some other key groups in our community for the past 15 years. Using extensive feedback from the member organizations, the system is being customized for the required functionality for our varied disciplines, and member organizational structures. We are also finalizing our fully bilingual functionality for the system, which will be in place by January 1.

Unlike in the previous system, individual registrants, be they paddlers, parents, officials, volunteers are able to directly register in the system. The basic concept is that all members of our CKC community will have a registration profile in the new system.

All CKC member Clubs and Provincial/Territorial Organizations will be required to register their organizations in the CKC member management system and will be able to pay fees and sign waivers through this system.

The new membership management system is open for all member organizations to use as their own membership management system with functionality for customized membership registration, online payment, event registration, and contact list management. One key benefit of using this new system will be the seamless registration in the national database, reducing the need for a duplicate registration process. Fee splitting functionality is also available through the new system, further reducing cumbersome administrative work for CKC members.

CKC recognizes many member organizations have digital registration systems with which they are comfortable and currently using. To support these members, the new CKC system has the functionality to import the required membership information from these systems to facilitate registration in the national database.

Looking ahead the CKC membership management system will be the foundation for continued innovation and expanded support for our member organizations, athletes, volunteers, coaches, and officials.

CKC Membership Management System Q & A

When can I access the new system?

Right now! The CKC membership management system is live at https://ckcmember.ca/, and everyone is free to go make an account!

How do I access my CKC member club or Provincial/Territorial Organization in the new system?

 After you’ve created an account in the system, authorized representatives are able to request an administrator role for their member organization: https://ckcmember.ca/Registrations/Create?configId=7

These requested will be put through a CKC credentialing process overseen by CKC staff to ensure authorized representatives are given the required access.

CKC staff will verify the identity and status of those looking to set themselves up in the role of a member administrator through our credentialing process, and grant this status and access to those that are authorized to hold these roles.

How do I use the system?

We understand new software can be overwhelming for new users. We want this to be easy for you! We’ve created an administrator manual for creating registrations, we’re also in the process of creating video tutorials to supplement this manual.

When can I begin registering users in this system?

immediaC received extensive feedback from coaches, commodores, and CKC staff at the 2019 summit, and we’re currently working on customizing our sports management core application. You can begin creating registrations, memberships, and fees right now, and users will be able to register for these by January 1st.

How much does it cost to use the system?

Our system is free to use. We’re working on integrating PTSO and National fees into Sprint memberships.

Who can I contact if I need help?

immediaC created a manual for administrators to help familiarize admins, but if you have a question that isn’t answered by this manual, immediaC also has a monitored help desk that is active from 9:00 am – 5:00 pm EST, via email: support@immediac.com

Thank you!

Finally, thank you for your insight and interest in using the new CKC membership management system. We’re excited to be making a system that fits the needs of every club, and we couldn’t do that without the support and feedback of CKC’s members.

Sincerely,

Ian Mortimer

CKC Director of Development

&

Isaac Lohnes

immediaC Project Manager

OTTAWA, ONTARIO (November 28, 2019) — Canoe Kayak Canada honoured numerous coaches and their coaching achievements during the CKC Annual Summit this past weekend in Dartmouth, Nova Scotia. Coach Recognition and Coach Development Awards were presented to coaches demonstrating excellence in leadership, initiative, and competitive success this year. Below is a full list of this year’s award recipients.

CKC Development Award

The Coach Development Award is presented to a coach who has demonstrated excellence in developing a club or the sport through the implementation of new programs such as aboriginal paddling or PaddleALL, the improvement of Provincial and National level performance, and the concern for all-round athlete improvement and health. Nominations are submitted in this category following specific criteria, with a final recipient selected by Canoe Kayak Canada. This year, two coaches received this prestigious award.

CKC Recognition Awards

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.

Congratulations to all our recipients of the 2019 CKC Coach Recognition and Coach Development awards.

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

Maryn Sommerfeldt – Communications Assistant

intern@canoekayak.ca

Canoe Kayak Canada will be holding its election for SRC Commodore/Chair through electronic voting from November 12, 2019 to November 23, 2019. Sprint Paddling Association member in good standing will be eligible to vote at any time during the election period including in person at the Sprint Meeting of Members to be held on Nov 23, 2019 in Dartmouth.

A call for candidates was circulated over the past year and resulted in two candidates putting their names forward:

• DEAN, Paul
• SCHMIDT, LA

Bio information for candidates is attached.

Voting Process for Sprint Members in Good Standing

The election is for the Commodore/Chair of the Spring Racing Council. Sprint Paddling Association Members are asked to vote for one candidate from the list of names.

All CKC Sprint Paddling Association members in good standing will be receiving an electronic invitation to vote in the 2019 SRC Commodore/Chair elections. A list of Electors in good standing is shown below. If elector information needs to be updated, please reply to this email at intern@canoekayak.ca. The voting information will be sent to the email address CKC has on file for the President/Commodore of the Paddling Association. The voting information may be forwarded to another individual if the President/Commodore would like to designate someone else to vote on their behalf.

This voting information email will be coming to you from <canoekayakcanada@simplyvoting.com> on Tuesday, November 12 at 9 a.m. EST. We are writing to inform you about this in the event that your filters direct the email to your spam folder. Should you not receive an invitation to vote email by Wednesday, Nov 13 and it is not in your spam/junk folder, please contact Kathy Hare at khare@canoekayak.ca.

Members with Outstanding Accounts

A list of sprint Paddling Association Members with outstanding payments is shown below. An electronic invitation to vote will be sent as soon as accounts are settled. Invoices for outstanding accounts went out last on September 1. The election will close on November 23 at 11am EST during the SRD Meeting of Members. Accounts must be settled prior to this deadline in order to be eligible to vote in this election. For information on outstanding accounts and payment methods, please contact: jhache@canoekayak.ca.

OTTAWA, ON (November 1, 2019) – Canoe Kayak Canada (CKC) is thrilled to confirm that Canada has qualified the women’s kayak entry for Tokyo 2020 following a reallocation process of eligible countries.

Canada finished as the 21st nation in the women’s kayak event at the 2019 ICF Slalom World Championships with Florence Maheu (Salaberry-de-Valleyfield, QC) placing 40th overall. There were 18 country berths available at this event which meant that Canada would have to wait to confirm a ticket to Tokyo.

“The team just wrapped up a successful Test Event competition in Tokyo and the women’s K1 entry is a perfect way to end the 2019 season,” reflects CKC Senior High Performance Manager, James Cartwright. “I am really proud of what our team has accomplished this season. Everyone is dedicated to the Tokyo project and on maximizing our performance with the available resources to achieve our goals.”

Team Canada has now confirmed three Olympic spots in the men’s slalom C1, K1 and women’s slalom K1 events with further opportunity to secure the women’s C1 entry at the 2020 Pan-Am Championships scheduled in Rio de Janeiro from April 3-5, 2020.

To view Olympic quota allocations, click here.

To view Canada’s Tokyo 2020 Olympic Team Criteria, 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 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

Maryn Sommerfeldt

Communications

intern@canoekayak.ca

QINGDAO, CHINA (OCTOBER 28, 2019) – Canada’s top Stand Up Paddlers earned three medals at the International Canoe Federation (ICF) Stand Up Paddling (SUP) World Championships in Qingdao, China. This competition was a significant event for the ICF and SUP community, with over 40 nations and 200 athletes participating in this inaugural event.

CKC alumni Tamas Buday Jr. (L’Île-Perrot, QC) and 16 year old Jack Seymour (Toronto, ON) donned the maple leaf in three events – long distance, sprint and technical races.

Tamas Buday Jr. was crowned world champion on the first day of competition, with a gold medal in Long Distance Masters 40+ Men race.

Seymour also stood on the podium with two bronze medals for his Long Distance Junior and Technical Junior performances.

“The inaugural ICF Stand Up Paddling World Championships proved to be a great success both in terms of the event itself, and our Canadian athlete’s results,” said Ian Mortimer CKC Director of Development, “It was fantastic to see the future of the sport with Jack Seymour reaching the podium twice in the Junior Men’s division events, and it was a special moment to see Tamas Buday Jr., an alumni of our Sprint Canoe program, back on top of the podium wearing the Maple Leaf in the master’s distance event.”

Results 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

Maryn Sommerfeldt

Communications Intern

intern@canoekayak.ca

Photo: Georgia S Photography

TOKYO, JAPAN (October 28, 2019) – Canadian slalom paddlers put the 2020 Olympic venue to the test at the Ready, Steady, Tokyo Olympic Test Event from October 25 – 27.