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BANOOK CANOE CLUB
The Next 120 Years!

Paddles Up Capital Campaign

For the first time since 1903, we're undergoing a major revitalization to ensure our club remains a cornerstone of Dartmouth for the next 120 years. We've lifted, leveled, and are in the home stretch as we modernize, and make our facility fully accessible. Construction kicked off September 2023 and will be completed in 2025. We call it our 'Paddles Up' campaign. All donations are going toward the completion of this fantastic project.

The Banook Paddles Up campaign has partnered with the National Sport Trust Fund (NSTF). As a registered Canadian Amateur Athletic Association (RCAAA), the NSTF is able to issue an official tax receipt for all qualifying donations of $20 or greater.

Donations are being collected through the National Sport Trust Fund
Banook Sept 2024 progress
Become a Banook Canoe Club Champion!
Your donation will provide more opportunities for youth, families, and athletes of all abilities to access one of the world’s most unique paddling venues.
Your donation supports initiatives to improve the health of Lake Banook.
Your support will bring new life to an establishment that serves the community since 1903.
Your donation will allow our Club to provide another century of fun, physical activity, and community support.
Donations are being collected through the National Sport Trust Fund
 
Banook Canoe Club at night in 2021

History

Situated in the heart of Dartmouth, the iconic red buildings of the Banook Canoe Club, set up on Lake Banook in 1903, have been a century-old touchstone for the people of the Halifax region and paddlers from around the world.

But the lovingly maintained buildings have become time-worn thanks to the hundreds of thousand of visitors, 120 years of East Coast weather and a changing climate. Our floors are warped and uneven, our stairs are steep, the foundations are sagging. The revitilization project will make our complex of buildings fully accessible for people of all abilities.

The time has come to build on the legacy of our forefathers. Please donate now!

Donations are being collected through the National Sport Trust Fund
Four Masters Women laughing and having fun after a regatta race in a K4

Opportunity Abounds

Dartmouth has more paddlers per capita than any other place in the country, a popularity that was founded on the leadership shown by the Banook Canoe Club.

The project will include such features as:

  • Modernization of the clubhouse and its surroundings, making them fully accessible and safer;
  • Infrastructure improvements that support a healthy lake;
  • Enhancements to our multi-purpose spaces to support the community;
  • Enhancements to respect the historic character of the buildings.

Please Donate now!

Donations are being collected through the National Sport Trust Fund
Over 5,000
people use the Banook Canoe Club complex annually.
Your support will bring new life to an establishment that serves the community since 1903.
 
Mass start on Lake Banook

A World-Class Lake needs a World-Class Club

Considered one of the world’s best natural paddling courses, Lake Banook has played host to many international athletes and guests. The World Championships have taken place every non-Olympic year since 1970, and Canada has hosted three out of the four times on Lake Banook.

At 1.5 km long, Lake Banook can accommodate 1000 metre-races, offering nine beautifully wide lanes with little or no wash. This is what attracts the very best paddlers. Canoe ’22 attracted paddlers from all over the world to Lake Banook for a third time in 25 years.

Please donate now!

Donations are being collected through the National Sport Trust Fund
To Learn More or to book a tour of Banook

Please contact:


Geoff Bennett
[email protected]
Banook Canoe Club Facilities Director

 
A C15 makes its way up the lake to the start line during a regatta