Top-ranked paddlers from 55 countries spend Canada Day racing in Dartmouth, N.S.

DARTMOUTH — Top-ranked paddlers from 55 countries spent Canada Day racing in Dartmouth, N.S., for the first day of the Canoe Sprint World Championship.

Ian Gaudet, a 22-year-old athlete representing Team Canada at the five-day event, said hearing the roar of fans in his hometown helped propel the C4 crew to a second-place finish in their heat.

“The energy is absolutely electrifying for us in the water. It’s so great to have a home-crowd advantage and I do believe that it’s definitely helping us paddle faster,” he said in an interview after Wednesday’s race.

With the second-place finish, the boat moves directly to the finals for the under-23 International Canoe Federation event, which is scheduled for Friday.

Gaudet said the four-person, 500-metre dash was a “super fun” race for the team that had only been training together for about a week.

The Canadian team finished 0.54 seconds behind the team from Hungary.

“We came together and put together a really good race and we’re happy with the result,” he said.

Gaudet grew up training at the Banook Canoe Club, and said it’s special to race at this calibre on the water that feels like home.

“I’ve been paddling on this lake for almost my whole life, since I was a little kid … so it’s absolute amazing that I get to finally race on my home lake, by my home club. And everybody I know can come watch,” he said.

Hundreds of spectators and dozens of volunteers lined the lake in Dartmouth, where fans, many decked out in red and white, cheered the athletes on.

Among those fans were Makenna Ruelokke and Jack Theunissen, who described the atmosphere of the event as upbeat and fun.

Theunissen got to cheer on his sister, Grace Theunissen, who placed first in her heat of the junior C2 race with Team Canada teammate Victoria Tran.

He said it was awesome to watch them speed by.

“Everybody’s just here having a good time. People from so many different countries, so many people with different backgrounds are out here. You know, we love to see it,” Theunissen said.

Fans for Germany, Mexico, Japan, Australia, Portugal and many other countries were along the lakefront cheering athletes on.

Cecilia Farias, the vice-president of the International Canoe Federation, said in an interview Friday it’s wonderful to be back in Dartmouth for this major event.

The federation’s 2022 Canoe Sprint and Paracanoe World Championships also took place on Lake Banook.

She said the athletes are set to have an excellent experience in Dartmouth because of the beautiful lake and facilities and hospitality of the community.

“This is a wonderful place. People are always smiling, always ready to support… and very welcoming. Altogether that makes for a very good experience, so that’s why I like it so much to come here,” Farias said.

Ayden Pierro, a Mi’kmaw sport development coordinator working with the event, said the name of the historic Lake Banook comes from the Mi’kmaq word for “at the opening.”

“For generations, this waterway was a vital route for travel, fishing, and gathering. Today, we are so proud that this venue continues the legacy of connection to these waters that stretch us back millennia, now welcoming global paddling competitions,” Pierro said during a media conference Friday.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published July 1, 2026.

Lyndsay Armstrong, The Canadian Press