Athletes ready to shine at canoe world championships in Dartmouth, N.S.

Athletes are ready for the canoe championships in Dartmouth, N.S.

After years of training, some of the world’s top young canoe sprint athletes are set to take to the waters of Lake Banook in Dartmouth, N.S., as the International Canoe Federation Junior and U23 Canoe Sprint World Championships get underway on Wednesday.

The five-day competition runs through Sunday and will bring roughly 800 athletes from around the world to Dartmouth, with organizers expecting between 15,000 and 17,000 spectators along the shoreline.

Dartmouth paddler Ian Gaudette has dreamed about competing on his home course while representing Canada for years.

“I’m super excited to race. I’ve been paddling on this lake for almost my entire life, since I was a kid, and to finally be able to race in an international competition here is almost a dream come true. It’s absolutely amazing,” said Gaudette.

“This is my 14th time competing for Canada, and first time I get to paddle on Lake Banook for Canada, so I’m super excited.”

Gaudette said paddling has long been woven into the fabric of Dartmouth.

“This will be my 13^th year paddling. It’s such a classic part of every kid who grows up in Dartmouth to paddle at one of the lakes here. It’s a great and a massive part of the culture for Dartmouth. Anybody who is from around the area will have some connection to the sport or to the lake.”

He said years of competing internationally and training with Canada’s national team have prepared him for the event.

“We’ve been training in California all through the winter and here on Lake Banook through the fall and spring. I feel like I’m in top shape.”

For Ontario’s Isabel Lowery, racing in Nova Scotia carries its own significance.

“I love Nova Scotia, being here, just like the atmosphere, the energy, the people, like it’s just such a big paddling community,” she said.

“I’ve been here for nationals and just like the energy. There was one time I was in the grocery store with my mom, and someone asked me if I was a paddler and not a rower, and that was the coolest thing ever to me.”

Lowery said representing Canada on Canada Day is a milestone.

“I’m super honoured to be a part of Canada, in Canada, racing on Canada Day. This is literally a dream come true.”

A former competitive swimmer, Lowery said she only began training full-time in canoe sprint during the COVID-19 pandemic.

“I definitely thought I’d be at the Olympics in a totally different sport,” she said. “I did spring training one year and I never really looked back.

“This is something I’ve prayed for, and I sometimes forget that I’m living a prayer that I used to pray for. This is literally the biggest and coolest experience of my life.”

The event came together on relatively short notice after organizers were given only months instead of the typical two-to-three years to prepare, said Dartmouth-Cole Harbour MP Darren Fisher.

“This was a last-minute thing. I don’t think they’ve had more than six, seven, eight months to put this whole thing together,” Fisher said.

He credited local organizers with having the experience to host major international sporting events.

“This community has the ability to put on an event with two years’ notice, or a year’s notice, or several months’ notice.”

Federal funding included $250,000 through the Atlantic Canada Opportunities Agency for infrastructure improvements, including docks, internet upgrades and sound systems that will remain after the championships, along with another $250,000 to operate the event.

Fisher said those improvements will help strengthen future bids.

“Every time we host an international event here, there’s legacy, that’s only going to add to our ability to apply for future events.”

To accommodate spectators, Prince Albert Road is closed between Hawthorne Street and Sinclair Street until July 5.

Mark James, technical director of Atlantic Division Canoe Kayak Canada, said the closure creates room for thousands of fans to watch the races free of charge.

“We’re projecting around 15 to 17,000 spectators over the week,” he said.

The organization has also expanded the athlete village in nearby Erwin Park and added temporary infrastructure for competitors and officials.

Long term, James said organizers hope to work with Halifax Regional Municipality to install permanent washroom facilities and additional infrastructure to support future international events, including a bid for the 2031 Sprint and Paracanoe World Championships.

“We’d love to have everybody come down and watch the event,” he said. “We recognize the impact it has on the community. We want to ensure that it’s as seamless as we possibly can, but for any of the local residents, we’d love to come down and join the festivities.”

Competition begins Wednesday morning and continues through Sunday, giving spectators a rare opportunity to watch some of the world’s fastest young paddlers compete on one of Canada’s most storied canoe sprint courses.

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