Whitewater Ontario

10/25/2026

Amazing community effort! 🛶✨

A huge thank you and shoutout to the 25 incredible volunteers who came out to support the Minden Whitewater Preserve! Whether you traveled 5 minutes or 3 hours, your dedication and hard work make our paddler community thrive.

Together, we’re keeping Whitewater Ontario places vibrant and ready for next season. See you on the river! 🌊👇

10/04/2026

🎬🚣 Attention Paddlers!

The Paddling Film Festival World Tour is making its way to The Village Playhouse in Bancroft for the very first time, hosted by Hastings Trails!

Whether you love whitewater, canoe tripping, or wild outdoors conservation, this is an afternoon of incredible short films from around the globe celebrating the paddling community and the waterways we love.

🗓 When: Sunday, October 25, 2026 | 1:00 PM – 5:00 PM

📍 Where: Bancroft Village Playhouse

🎟 Tickets: Available online at the Bancroft Village Playhouse website https://www.villageplayhouse.ca/paddling-film-festival

👥 Group Discount: Going with a group of friends or club members? If enough members are interested, group ticket rates may be available. Reach out to the organizers to coordinate a group booking: https://hastingstrails.ca/contact-us/

Come out for a great afternoon with fellow paddlers from across the region! 🌊🎬

09/26/2026

Celebrating Excellence & Heritage in Canadian Whitewater! 🏆🌊

We are thrilled to congratulate Paige Cartwright, recipient of the Christa Kerckhoff Cup!

Presented at the Whitewater Ontario Provincial Championships, the Christa Kerckhoff Cup is awarded to the female athlete who delivers the ultimate performance across all disciplines, combining top results in Canoe Slalom, Kayak Slalom, and Kayak Cross.

The History Behind the Cup:

To hold this cup is to walk in the footsteps of a true pioneer. Christa Kerckhoff helped build the foundation for women’s whitewater paddling in Canada and beyond:

🏆 Building the Field: When Christa won the 1968 Canadian Slalom Championship, female participation was so rare that she personally recruited friends to join so a women's class could officially run.

🏜️ Making History: In 1971, Christa and Barbara Wright became the first women to kayak the full length of the Grand Canyon.

🏫 Creating Community: In 1972, Christa and her family opened the world-renowned Madawaska Kanu Centre in Barry’s Bay, Ontario - inspiring generations of paddlers ever since.

Congratulations, Paige, on continuing this incredible legacy of grit, skill, and passion on the water! 👏👏

09/14/2026

Big news from Provincials! 🎉

Huge congratulations to Paige Cartwright (Ottawa) and Tyler Gevaert (Huntsville) for taking top spots in the Junior K1W and K1M categories at the Andrew Westlake Memorial Cup!

Shoutout to both Ottawa River Runners members on a stellar performance on the rapids! 🚣‍♂️💨

09/12/2026

🚣‍♂️ Free NCCP Training for Whitewater Coaches & Leaders! 🚣‍♀️

National Coaches Week is back from September 14–20, and the Coaching Association of Canada / Association canadienne des entraîneurs is giving back to the coaching community with FREE daily NCCP eLearning modules!

Whether you're guiding beginners, leading river trips, or coaching performance paddlers, this is a great chance to sharpen your skills and maintain your certification - 100% free on the date listed:

🗓 Daily Free eLearning Schedule:

Sept 14: NCCP Coach Initiation in Sport

Sept 15: NCCP Creating a Positive Sport Environment

Sept 16: NCCP Sport Nutrition

Sept 17: NCCP Coaching Athletes with a Disability

👉 Get started: https://coach.ca/national-coaches-week

09/06/2026

🛶 2026 Andrew Westlake Ontario Provincial Championships! 🏆

The biggest weekend on the Ontario whitewater racing calendar is almost here! Join us for two action-packed days of racing, community, and fun at The Pumphouse in Ottawa.

📅 Dates: September 12–13, 2026
📍 Location: The Pumphouse, Ottawa, ON

Weekend Schedule:
💥 Saturday, Sept 12: Kayak Cross + Saturday Afternoon Development Race (Great for beginners & first-timers!)
⏱️ Sunday, Sept 13: Slalom Provincial Championships

Whether you’re going after a provincial title, trying out racing for the very first time in the Development Race, or cheering from the bank - we want to see you there!

📝 Racer Registration: https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSfstvIqqqpUVBVVCYm_ZKDXWmqHLaovV-gNqEPn9trPT3Utaw/viewform
🙋 Volunteer Registration: https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSd1o_AvVFIsj0G_ZzWe_nG1rZ-WGowhSDmdmSk7toLOr-Vc0g/viewform

See you on the river! 🌊

09/05/2026

🚣‍♂️ GET READY FOR THE 2026 ICF CANOE FREESTYLE WORLD CUP! 🇵🇱

The world’s top freestyle kayakers are heading to Kraków, Poland from September 21–27 to throw down massive loops, phonics, and space god tricks on the big stage! 🌊🔥

Whether you’re planning to head to Kraków to feel the energy in person or tuning in to support your national team, you won't want to miss a single ride.

📍 Location: Kraków, Poland
📅 Dates: September 21–27, 2026
⏰ Athletes Note: Nominal entries close September 15 - make sure your spot is secured!

Are you heading out to Poland or cheering from home? Drop a comment below and let us know who you’re rooting for! 👇👇

Official source of athlete bios, event schedule, live coverage, results, video highlights and news for Olympic Canoe Freestyle WORLD CUP in KRAKOW, 21 - 27 September 2026 .

08/17/2026

🌊 Massive high fives to Andrea Mills, Eric Chaplin, and the entire volunteer team for putting on another incredible Gull River Gala! 🚣‍♂️✨

As our friends at the Minden Whitewater Preserve noted, this event was built around community, fun, and bringing paddlers together — and this weekend delivered on all fronts.

A huge thank you to everyone who came out, adapted with the schedule, and brought top-tier energy to the river. Events like this truly show what makes the Ontario paddling community so special. 🇨🇦💙

📸 Got epic photos or clips from the Gala? Tag us or drop them in the comments below!

A big shout out to Andrea Mills and Eric Chaplin for organizing the Gull River Gala.
Since its inception after Covid, its purpose is to bring the paddling community together and have fun. Andrea and Eric and the support team did that very well.
Thanks to all who participated for the fun factor and for being flexible in the schedule.