MARKLEEBERG, GERMANY (June 30, 2017) – On the International Canoe Federation (ICF) World Cup circuit, Haley Daniels (Calgary, AB) has earned her first semi-final berth of the season, and Cameron Smedley (Dunrobin, ON) has qualified for the semi-finals for the third time in three races this month.

Daniels, 26, paddled into the women’s C1 semi-final after placing 29^th in the qualification heats with a time of 140.97 seconds. Spain’s Nuria Vilarrubla set the standard with a time of 109.53 seconds.

“I’m thrilled to make my first semi-final of the season,” said Daniels after the race. “It was a very difficult course but I made it through to the next stage. I’m super excited and proud to be racing on Canada’s 150^th birthday weekend.”

The technically demanding race course on Leipzig’s Kanupark features 17 downstream gates and 6 upstream gates. A total of seven Canadian athletes took to the start line looking for a semi-final spot.

Smedley, 26, finished 23^rd overall in the men’s C1 qualification round and will compete in the semifinal on Sunday morning. He recorded a fast second run with a time of 99.73 seconds with no penalties, just over two seconds behind leader, Franz Anton of Germany, who had a very strong run at 97.67 seconds. Fellow Canadian, Spencer Pomeroy (Ottawa, ON) finished 44^th overall and did not qualify for the semi-finals.

“I was happy with how I raced today,” Smedley said. “My first run went well but a penalty kept me from qualifying on that run. Second run, I kept to a similar race plan and I put down a good run time. The semifinals course looks quite technical so I’m excited to race it on Sunday.”

None of the Canadian kayakers have advanced through to the semi-finals: Keenan Simpson of Ottawa (64th), Finley Capstick of Chilliwack, BC (66th), and Darius Ramrattan of Innisfail, Alberta (DNF 2nd run). The young trio now sets their sights on the Junior and Under 23 World Championships in mid-July.

Florence Maheu (Salaberry-de-Valleyfield, QC) missed the top 30 cut needed to advance, finishing 36^th overall after producing a penalty free second run. Mallory Franklin of Great Britain led the women’s qualification round with a time of 101.38 seconds.

Sunday’s finals will be webcast on CBC’s digital platforms. CBC Sports is the Official Broadcast Partner of Canoe Kayak Canada.

CBC webcast times – watch online at cbcsports.ca or via the CBC Sports app.

• Saturday at 1:30 p.m. EST
• Sunday at 1:30 p.m. EST

Results

Summary of Results

About Canoe Kayak Canada

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

James Cartwright
High Performance Manager
613.715 0727
jcartwright@canoekayak.ca

OTTAWA, ONTARIO (June 30, 2017) — On the eve of Canada’s sesquicentennial, thousands of people across the country are gearing up to mark the occasion in a uniquely Canadian way – on lakes and rivers in canoes and kayaks.

“The paddling community is celebrating Canada 150 the way we know best – on the water,” said Ian Mortimer, Director of Development for Canoe Kayak Canada and a former national team canoe athlete and coach. “This weekend, some are competing against each other; others are enjoying relaxed family paddles; we’re bridging distance and culture on voyageur expeditions; we’re contributing to community celebrations; and we’re sporting the maple leaf in a World Cup regatta. It’s all part of a uniquely Canadian way to celebrate our country’s 150^th birthday.”

On the west coast, marathon racers will compete in Prince George, BC in the Northern Hardware Canoe Race, where competitors will paddle up to 67.5 kilometres along the beautiful Nechako River.

From the heights of Rocky Mountain House, Alberta, the grueling Voyageurs Canoe Race will see participants travel more than 1,600 kilometres across the Prairies in 23 days along the North Saskatchewan and Saskatchewan Rivers to The Pas, Manitoba.

In the North, it’s a grueling physical and mental challenge as hearty canoers take on the Peel River from Fort McPherson to Aklavik in the Race the Peel event.

On Lake Wascana in Regina, the annual Canada Day Regatta brings together teams from across Western Canada and the Western Untied States.

In the Nation’s Capital, the epicentre of Canada 150 celebrations, you’ll find Canadian paddlers all over the water. The Rideau Canoe Club plays host to the Canada Cup Regatta, drawing elite teams from Canada, Mexico, the US, and Australia, along with club teams from across Ontario and Quebec. Results will be available on the imediaC app and online.

Ottawa will also be the site of the meeting of the Four Winds Canoe Brigades Voyageur Canoe expedition. These four brigades set out from Kingston, Kitigan Zibi, Mattawa and Montreal along traditional canoe routes, and are meeting on Victoria Island, in the shadow of Parliament Hill. There, they will receive a welcome from members of the local Algonquin community.

Liz Elton of the South Wind Brigade, who is en route from Kingston, describes it as a truly unique experience: “Traditionally, voyeur canoes carried cargos of furs and trade goods, but these canoes will carry a different kind of payload – ideas, hopes and dreams.”

“You’ll find paddlers on dry land too,” added Mortimer. “On the East Coast, Sackawa Canoe Club has a special reason to celebrate, with two of its members, James McPhee and Tyler Laidlaw, serving as Grand Marshalls in the Canada Day Parade in Lower Sackville, Nova Scotia.”

Overseas, Canada’s National Slalom Team will don the maple leaf at World Cup #3 in Markkleeberg Germany. Follow their progress here.

About Canoe Kayak Canada

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

Ian Mortimer
Director of Development
(O) 613.260.1818 ext 2201
(M) 613.323.2264
imortimer@canoekayak.ca

DARTMOUTH, NOVA SCOTIA (June 24, 2017) – Three standout paddlers stole the spotlight on Day 2 of the immediaC Canadian Sprint Canoe Kayak Team Trials in Dartmouth, Nova Scotia.

Fifteen-year-old Sophia Jensen (Chelsea, QC) took the gold in the Junior Women’s C-1 500m. It follows her Day 1 victory in the Junior Women’s C-1 200m.

Among the junior men, Issac Finkelstein, 18, who paddles out of the Rideau Canoe Club in Ottawa, added two more gold medals, winning the Junior C-1 500m title and the Junior C- 2 1000m with his 18-year-old partner, Conor O’Neil (Ottawa, ON). Finkelstein provided one of the most dominant performances on Day 1, leaving the rest of the field in his wake in taking the gold in the Junior Men’s C-1 1000m.

In Senior Women’s competition, 26-year-old, Lissa Bissonnette (Pointe-Claire, QC) confirmed why she’s considered the class of the field in women’s kayak, winning the K-1 200m. It’s her second gold medal of the regatta, having won the Senior Women’s K-1 500m on Day One.

Among other Day 2 winners was 17-year-old Ashley Card (Halifax, NS) who overcame pre-race nerves to power to victory in the Junior Women’s K-1 500m. “I was pretty nervous at the start but stuck to my race plan and it went perfectly,” she said from the regatta on Lake Banook. “It felt really good to get the win – I’ve been nervous all week and crossing the line felt great.”

Ashley Card of the Maskwa Aquatic Club in Halifax receives her gold medal for the Junior Women’s K-1 500m at the immediaC Canadian Sprint Team Trials. Presenting the medal is Halifax Regional Municipality Councillor, Sam Austin, while silver medalist, Samantha Sula (Toronto, ON), looks on.

In the Men’s KL3 K-1 200m Paracanoe competition, Zacharie Lauzière-Fitzgerald, 18, of Sherbrooke beat out Trinity Tratch, 18, of Calgary for the top spot.

“A lot of great things are happening that I didn’t expect this year,” said Lauzière-Fitzgerald, who qualified for a final at his first World Cup earlier this spring. “Getting four races at the international level has really helped my confidence.”

Men’s KL3 K-1 200m gold medalist, Zacharie Lauzière-Fitzgerald (left) of Sherbrooke, along with silver medalist, Trinity Tratch, of Calgary.

This weekend’s immediaC Canadian Sprint Canoe Kayak Team Trials are being used to select Canada’s 2017 Junior World Championship Team and to continue the selection process for this year’s U23 World Championships and the Senior World Championships, where both able bodied and Para athletes will compete.

The top three finishers in each event are listed in the table below, along with their home clubs. Full regatta results can be found here. Follow the action live by using the immediaC Canoe Kayak app available through the App Store.

Junior Men’s C2 1000m

Junior Men’s K1 500m

Junior Women’s K1 500m

Junior Women’s C-1 500m

Junior Men’s C-1 500m

Senior Men’s K-1 1000m

Senior Women’s K-1 200m

Open Men’s Para K1 200m

About Canoe Kayak Canada

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

About immediaC

immediaC is Canada’s most experienced web shop, having built more than 3500 websites since 1998. The company provides websites, search marketing, and mobile apps for organizations across Canada including Neptune Theatre, Atlantic Division Canoe Kayak, Senobe, Nova Scotia International Tattoo, Massage Addict, and the Nova Scotia Teacher’s Union.

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For more information:

Ian Mortimer
Director of Development
(O) 613.260.1818 ext 2201
(M) 613.323.2264
imortimer@canoekayak.ca

OTTAWA, ONTARIO (June 23, 2017) – Canada’s top paddlers are the big winners following Canoe Kayak Canada’s announcement today of a long-term sponsorship with Apogee Sports, a leading performance apparel company based in Quebec City.

The renewed partnership will see Apogee Sports provide both performance apparel and casual wear to all National Teams in all disciplines as part of Canoe Kayak Canada’s ongoing efforts to strengthen the organization under one unified brand. The sponsorship will provide extensive support to Canada’s top paddlers for international competition through the 2020 Olympic Summer Games in Tokyo. Selected items will also be available for purchase online and at Canoe Kayak Canada events.

“This is a huge development for our sport and especially for our high performance program,” said Casey Wade, CEO of Canoe Kayak Canada. “Apogee designs and manufactures cutting edge performance apparel right here in Canada. We’re delighted to be associated with a world-class organization that promotes the maple leaf as proudly as our athletes do.”

Members of CKC’s high performance staff have visited Apogee’s facility in Saint-Augustin-de-Desmaures, just outside Quebec City, to witness firsthand how the gear is designed and manufactured to meet the unique needs of Canada’s National Sprint and Slalom Canoe Kayak Teams.

“Apogee is proud to renew our commitment with Canoe Kayak Canada, partners who share our goals, both in terms of performance and in pushing the limits,” added Stéphane Roy, President of Apogee Sports. “It’s important for us to demonstrate our intention to invest in high performance sport for several reasons. One of them is to support the athletes, and work with them to develop new products that help them perform better.”

National Team athletes were consulted on the design of the performance apparel and casual wear and are offering rave reviews of the new gear. “All I can say is that the clothing feels so good while I’m wearing it that I don’t even need to be paddling to feel fast!” said Laurence Vincent-Lapointe, 8-time world championship gold medalist, and arguably the top female canoer in the world.

Members of Canada’s National Team will be sporting the new apparel at this weekend’s ICF Canoe Slalom World Cup in Markkleeberg, Germany.

About Canoe Kayak Canada

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

Casey Wade
Chief Executive Officer
Canoe Kayak Canada
(O) 613.260.1818 ext 2203
cwade@canoekayak.ca

Stéphane Roy
President
Apogee Sports
(O) 418.878.6808
Toll-free 1.877.770.9090
stephane@apogee-sports.com

DARTMOUTH, NOVA SCOTIA (June 22, 2017) – As Canada’s top paddlers prepare for this weekend’s National Sprint Canoe Kayak Team Trials at Lake Banook, Nova Scotia, Canoe Kayak Canada (CKC) is pleased to announce immediaC as the event’s title sponsor.

immediaC has developed exciting new technology that puts real-time race results into the hands of paddling fans across the country. Originally developed for the 2016 Canadian Sprint Championships, the mobile app is connected to finish line software and sends race results immediately to connected mobile devices.

“We’re so pleased to have immediaC as a title sponsor for such a high stakes competition,” said Ian Mortimer, Director of Development for Canoe Kayak Canada. “With athletes competing for spots on World Championship teams, the support of immediaC through their app will again mean that fans, friends and family members will be able to stay on top of the action.”

Through the immediaC app (available through the App Store), spectators can easily view a list of upcoming races and can even search all the times a particular athlete is racing. Full functionality is also available via the mobile web.

“We are very pleased to support this event in Dartmouth where Canoe Kayak plays an important role in our summer and the vibrancy of the community,” added John Leahy of immediaC. “We want to welcome everyone to Dartmouth and wish them good luck in the regatta!”

The national trials from June 23 – 25 will be used to select Canada’s Junior World Championship Team and to continue the selection process for the U23 and Senior World Championships.

About Canoe Kayak Canada

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

About immediaC

immediaC is Canada’s most experienced web shop, having built more than 3500 websites since 1998. The company provides websites, search marketing, and mobile apps for organizations across Canada including Neptune Theatre, Atlantic Division Canoe Kayak, Senobe, Nova Scotia International Tattoo, Massage Addict, and the Nova Scotia Teacher’s Union.

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For more information:

Ian Mortimer
Director of Development
(O) 613.260.1818 ext 2201
(M) 613.323.2264
imortimer@canoekayak.ca

OTTAWA, ON (June 16, 2017) – Canoe Kayak Canada is proud to name its first group of athletes to represent Canada at the 2017 Senior World Championships in Racice, Czech Republic (August 23-27) and the U23 World Championships in Bascov, Romania (July 27–30). The selections follow a National Team Trials event in May and two World Cups in Szeged, Hungary and Belgrade, Serbia.

“We saw several impressive performances in Europe, including two gold medals and a world record by Laurence Vincent-Lapointe in the C-1 200m event,” said Graham Barton, Chief Technical Officer of Canoe Kayak Canada. “I’m confident we’ll be adding other strong performers to this team before we reach the selection deadlines in July.”

Athletes will have additional opportunities to earn a nomination following a second set of National Team Trials from June 23-25 in Dartmouth, Nova Scotia.

Team Announcement – Senior World Championships

Women’s Kayak

Men’s Canoe

Women’s Canoe

Team Announcement – U23 World Championships

Men’s Kayak

Men’s Canoe

Women’s Canoe

Athletes are being chosen based on the following Selection Criteria.

About Canoe Kayak Canada

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