Mississauga News, June 11, 2011
Canoe club wins host regatta
The Mississauga Canoe Club (MCC) captured the overall points total at their 52nd annual Canoe/Kayak Regatta today in Port Credit.
Hundreds of men, women and children aged six all the way to sixty paddled their way down the Credit River in the first independent race of the season.
Clubs throughout the GTA including Pickering, Rouge Valley, Richmond Hill, Burloak, Balmey Beach, Niagara South and Cobourg, who were a first time entry competed in this year’s races.
The regatta featured paddlers competing in the one, two and four person canoe and kayak events. Burloak Canoe Club finished second overall with 883 points, 73 behind Mississauga. Balmy Beach finished a distant third with 383 points.
“It’s one of those little known sports that the people who are part of the sport are very passionate about it,” said Mary Ellen Bench, marketing and communications director of the Mississauga Canoe Club. “They live for the sport the same way other athletes treat soccer or tennis. It’s an up and coming sport.”
There was also a 15-man war canoe race where 14-year old Ethan Zita of the Mississauga Canoe Club was competing in as one of his four events on the day. His enjoyment on the water has brought him back to the canoe club for the past three years.
“It’s just the environment of the sport,” said Zita, who placed first in the midget men’s C4 and third in the C2. “It’s a lot of fun to be with your friends.”
Many of the athletes will compete on June 25 at the Ontario Team Trials in Welland, leading up to the National Championships on August 24, also in Welland.
Others will head to Welland for the Trillium Championship qualifiers taking place in July. Paddlers will attempt to qualify for the Trillium Championships on August 14 in Ottawa.
The MCC is also hosting the Mississauga Dragon Boat Festival tomorrow, which is held in support of breast cancer on behalf of the Betty Wallace Women’s Health Centre and the Trillium Health Centre.
“We hope people can enjoy the waterfront, learn what Mississauga has to offer,” said Bench. “We have great competitive venues and great recreational venues as well.”
