OTTAWA, ON (November 5, 2026) – Canoe Kayak Canada (CKC) is shaping its kayak program around a clearer focus on each discipline, built on what athletes and coaches shared through this fall’s season review. As part of that work, CKC has named Kevin McIntyre National Discipline Coach, Women’s Kayak.
Through the Individual Development Plan (IDP) process and conversations with athletes, personal coaches and club coaches, two priorities came through clearly: programs adapted to each athlete within the structure needed to reach the international level, and technical feedback each athlete can act on. CKC’s kayak program will focus on both, discipline by discipline, alongside crew boat development in K2 and K4.
“As part of the hiring committee, I am very excited to welcome Kevin to lead the women’s kayak discipline into 2028 and beyond,” said Alanna Dickie, Tokyo 2020 Olympian and High-Performance Committee Athletes’ Representative. “Technical expertise and the ability to build a culture of excellence and trust were at the forefront of this hiring process, and Kevin strongly embodies those qualities. He brings the experience, leadership and vision our women’s kayak program needs, and I look forward to seeing the team grow under his leadership.”
Kevin McIntyre leads women’s kayak and Chad Brooks leads men’s kayak, with KC Dalton leading the junior pathway, working together at the national training centre in Dartmouth with the Integrated Support Team and the Canadian Sport Institute Atlantic.
McIntyre comes to CKC from Banook Canoe Club in Dartmouth, where he has been Head Coach since 2021. He previously served as Regional Coach for Atlantic Canada with the Atlantic Division (ADCKC), Lead Development Coach and Men’s Kayak Coach at Mic Mac AAC, and Assistant Head Coach at Balmy Beach Canoe Club in Toronto.
“Listening to our athletes and coaches has shaped where we are putting our focus,” said Ian Mortimer, Chief Technical Officer and Head Coach at Canoe Kayak Canada. “Each discipline has its own needs, and each athlete takes in feedback in their own way. A lead coach for each kayak group lets us build the program around those needs. Kevin brings the energy, care and focus on crews to lead that work in women’s kayak, and Chad’s focus on building depth in our K4 group is exactly where men’s kayak needs to be.”
“There is so much talent in this country, and the chance to help develop it into performances on the international stage is what drew me to this role,” said McIntyre. “Personal coaches know their athletes as people and as athletes better than anyone, so I see this as a collaborative effort, learning from them and working together to get the best out of each athlete. Coaching in different clubs and structures, from Balmy Beach to Banook and across Atlantic Canada, has taught me to stay open to new ideas.”
Brooks, who has coached with CKC since 2013, leads men’s kayak with a focus on a strong K4 group and the depth behind it, as the team works toward Olympic qualification in 2027.
“I’ve known Chad for a long time, and it’s exciting to have him as our coach,” said Nick Matveev, two-time Olympian and current National Team athlete. “Men’s kayak is still part of one team, but we have our own path and our own goals. Qualifying the K4 shouldn’t be the only goal. We have the talent to make the Olympic final, and if we train with that confidence every day, we’ll be one step closer to success.”
“Heading into 2027, I want to build a men’s kayak group that supports each other and pushes each other every day,” said Brooks. “Our K4 goal is to qualify for LA28 and race in the Olympic final, and that will take real commitment from a group of six to ten athletes. Working alongside Kevin and KC, success in one kayak group lifts the whole program.”
The kayak program will also keep working more closely with club, provincial and territorial coaches, who bring every one of CKC’s athletes to the water, and continue to build opportunities to train and learn alongside leading international teams and coaches.
“Every athlete on our national team started in a club boat with a coach who believed in them,” said Mortimer. “From first strokes to full speed, we want a program that keeps listening to athletes and coaches across the country, and gives our best athletes a structure that fits them.”
McIntyre officially joins CKC on November 25, the first day of the national team’s winter training block in Chula Vista, California.
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For more information:
Colleen Coderre
Communications Lead
Canoe Kayak Canada
ccoderre@canoekayak.ca
Emmalee Nother
Communications Manager
Canoe Kayak Canada
enother@canoekayak.ca