It is with great sadness that Canoe Kayak Canada recognizes the passing of Frank Garner, a legendary member of the Canadian paddling community.

Hailing from Mississauga, Ontario, Garner moved to Nova Scotia to attend St. Mary’s University in 1964. He fell in love with the east coast and swiftly developed a reputation for developing some of the best paddlers in the province. When the Cheema Canoe Club opened in 1969, Garner became its first head coach and helped bring paddling in Nova Scotia to a higher level.

In 1975, Garner left a full-time physical education teaching job to become the full-time Canadian Olympic team coach preparing teams for Montréal 1976, Moscow 1980 and Los Angeles 1984. During his coaching tenure, Garners’ athletes won six Olympic medals at Los Angeles 1984 and over 50 international medals.

An international official, Garner was the chief official for canoeing at Sydney 2000, Athens 2004, Beijing 2008, London 2012, and Rio 2016 Olympic Games. He held positions on the International Canoe Federation’s Board of Directors and as Chair of Canoe Sprint he led the proposal for an Olympic program with gender equity for Tokyo 2020.

A winner of the Coaches Association Coaching Excellence Award in 1984, Garner was also named the 1985 Nova Scotia Amateur Coach of the Year and was the recipient of the CKC Edgar Gilbert Award. In 2013, the Frank Garner Boat House was named in his honour at the Cheema Canoe Club. He was inducted into the Nova Scotia Sports Hall of Fame in 1994 and Canadian Olympic Hall of Fame in 1995.

Our heartfelt condolences are extended to Frank’s family and friends, including his wife Paula and their three daughters and grandchildren.

A celebration of life in loving memory of Frank Garner on Saturday November 23, from 3:00pm-6:00pm at the Frank Garner Boat House located at the Cheema Aquatic Club – 135 Champions Way, Waverley Nova Scotia. The celebration will be available on live stream.