Canadian Canoe Association

= Organization =

CanoeKayak Canada is the governing body of competitive canoeing and kayaking disciplines in Canada. The three specific disciplines represented are flatwater, whitewater and marathon. CanoeKayak Canada officially replaced the name "Canadian Canoe Association" in 2005, although the former title is still used by the organization. The name change came about from a desire to include the kayaking discipline in the organization's name.

CKC head offices are located in Ottawa, Ontario although divisional and provincial offices as well as high performance centres are maintained throughout the country.

Beginnings

The Canadian Canoe Association was founded [Johnston, C. Fred. "100 Years of Champions - The Canadian Canoe Association 1900-2000". Queens University, Kingston. 2003.] in 1900 in Brockville, Ontario. There were nine initial charter clubs: "Carleton Place Canoe Club" (Carleton Place), "Brockville Rowing Club" (Brockville), "Brockville Y.M.C.A." (Brockville), "Bohemian Amateur Athletic Association" (Brockville), "Lachine Boat & Canoe Club" (Montreal), "Grand Trunk Boating Club" (Montreal), "Britannia Boat House Club" (Ottawa), "Ottawa Canoe Club" (Ottawa), "Kingston Yacht Club" (Kingston). Carleton Place Canoe Club is the only surviving charter member within the organization although the Lachine club has survived through revival. Brockville Rowing, Ottawa, Britannia and Kingston still operate but outside of the organization.

Activities

The Association was founded in an effort to coordinate Canadian canoe clubs into a national competition separate from that of the American Canoe Association (to which these clubs belonged until 1900). The national championship was initiated in 1900 although no club champion was designated until 1904, the Ottawa Canoe Club becoming the first official Canadian Champion at that time.

Championships were cancelled during the years 1916-1918 and 1942-1945 due to the two world wars. While the national championship continues to this day and is considered the premier national regatta, provincial divisions and regions have organized a variety of events to fill out the seasonal schedule of events for competitors. CanoeKayak Canada also runs annual selection trials to determine their national team squad - athletes chosen to compete in international events including Pan American Games, Junior and Senior World Championships, and the Olympic Games.

Today

CanoeKayak Canada now boasts the largest membership it has ever had. Club membership has risen to over 60 member clubs across the country and individual membership continues to grow. The organization has initiated two recent programs to assist with domestic development: Canoe Kids, a program aimed at introducing more young people to the sport of canoe-kayak, and the Aboriginal Paddling Initiative, a program aimed at incorporating more aboriginal clubs into the organization's membership.

Disciplines

FLATWATER

[http://www.canoekayak.ca/links/eng/ Club Members]

Champions [Birch, Liam. "Canada's Sprint Canoe Clubs - A Pictorial Guide". London, Ontario. 2006.]

The following clubs have won the Canadian Canoe Championships

Mississauga (19), Cartierville (10), Lachine (10), Toronto (9), Burloak (7), Rideau (6), Grand Trunk (6), Balmy Beach (5), Toronto Island (5), Cheema (4), Gananoque (3), Orenda (3), Banook (2), Quebec (2), Radisson (2), Parkdale (2), Ottawa (New Edinburgh) (2), Lac Beauport (1), Winnipeg (1), Humber Bay (1), Parkdale-Swansea (1)

Athletes

CanoeKayak Canada is responsible for athlete selection for international canoeing events including the Olympic Games. Notable athletes produced by CanoeKayak Canada and its precursor, the Canadian Canoe Association, include:

Larry Cain (Oakville) - Olympics 1984: Gold and Silver medallist

Alwyn Morris (Onake) - Olympics 1984: Gold and Bronze medallist

Hugh Fisher (Burnaby) - Olympics 1984: Gold and Bronze medallist

Caroline Brunet (Lac Beauport) - Olympics 1996, 2000 - Silver medallist; Olympics 2004 - Bronze medallist

Adam van Koeverden (Oakville) - Olympics 2004 - Gold and Bronze medallist; Olympics 2008 - Silver medallist

Steve Giles (Lake Echo) - Olympics 2000 - Bronze medallist

WHITEWATER

CanoeKayak Canada maintains a whitewater canoe and kayak discipline in much the same manner as flatwater in that both disciplines are contested at the Summer Olympic Games.

Several whitewater disciplines are supported: Whitewater Slalom (canoe & kayak), freestyle kayaking (playboating) and canoe polo.

Member clubs of the CKC are located in British Columbia, Alberta, Ontario and Quebec.

Notable athletes developed by CanoeKayak Canada who have qualified to compete at the Olympic Games include David Ford (1992, 1996) and Margaret Langford (1992, 1996, 2000).

MARATHON

DRAGONBOAT

Notes

Links
[http://www.canoekayak.ca CanoeKayak Canada]
[http://www.canoeicf.com International Canoe Federation]
[http://www.usack.org/ US Canoe Kayak]
[http://sportsportal.ca/events/Canoe%20Kayak/ Canadian Canoe Kayak Results & Events]