1200 paddlers from over 40 clubs across Canada are expected to attend

OTTAWA, ON (December 3, 2016) – Today at Canoe Kayak Canada’s Meeting of Members of the Sprint Racing Discipline, member clubs unanimously voted to hold the 2018 Canadian Sprint Canoe Kayak Championships in Sherbrooke, QC from August 28 to September 1. The Canadian Masters Championships – CanMas – will also take place in Sherbrooke on September 2.

“This event brings our entire sprint community together and is a real cornerstone of the sport,” said Canoe Kayak Canada’s CEO, Casey Wade. “The races, the emotion, the club pride — it’s an event paddlers look forward to all year and we’re looking forward to bringing the excitement to Sherbrook in 2018.”

The Championships – most recently hosted in Dartmouth, NS and destined for Welland, ON in 2017 – regularly draw 1200 participants from over forty clubs across Canada. Participants will include National Team athletes and upcoming paddlers in their early teens. The Championships were last hosted in Sherbrooke in 2009 and the site also hosted the paddling events for the 2013 Canada Summer Games.

“We’re really looking forward to welcoming the paddling family back to Sherbrooke,” said Nicolas Lemay, Chair of the Host Organizing Committee. “This venue is unique with the racecourse right in the heart of the city. This will be the perfect stage to showcase such an iconic sport and such renowned event.”

Athletes will compete for club pride in canoe and kayak events across several distances over the five days. War canoe races are an astonishing demonstration of fitness and teamwork as nine boats of fifteen paddlers go all out in a head-to-head race that usually comes right down to the finish line. Burgees are presented to the overall top ranking clubs in a tradition that has gone on for over a hundred years.

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 having won an impressive count of 24 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:

Ian Miller
Communications and Marketing Officer, CanoeKayak Canada
613.314.1352
imiller@canoekayak.ca