National Canoe Day

National Canoe Day Is June 26th - Come Join The Party

The next National Canoe Day is Sunday, June 26 2012 - mark your calendars now!

Thousands of paddlers from across Canada and around the world celebrate National Canoe Day every year - individuals and their families who participated by going for a paddle or a portage, attending an event, making a canoe-themed craft or working on their canoes that day. There are as many ways to celebrate as there are paddlers, and we're asking you to show us how you celebrate National Canoe Day!

In 2007, the canoe was named one of the Seven Wonders of Canada via a CBC Radio feature in which over 1 million votes were cast. In celebration of this, the Canadian Canoe Museum founded National Canoe Day with the aim of increasing participation in paddlesports in Canada, engaging new paddlers and reaching across generational and cultural divides to introduce the canoe to those who haven't had the opportunity to experience this great national heritage. In the intervening years, National Canoe Day has grown to become a truly countrywide event, with participants paddling across the country, from the midnight sun of the north to the urban rivers of the south. National Canoe Day is also celebrated internationally by groups in the United States, the United Kingdom, France, and beyond.

National Canoe Day Song

The Phillip Aziz Foundation and Nova Craft Canoes, both from London Ontario, forwarded a song written for National Canoe Day. This song was written by Marcel Gelinas and Adrian Torrington, local London artists

National Canoe Day Song

Journée Nationale du Canot

Le 26 juin – Venez vous joindre à nous
On a qualifié le canot de merveille du Canada à l’automne 2007. Le Musée canadien du canot a célébré, les deux dernières années, en organisant un party. Quand cet événement a été connu, plusieurs autres personnes dans le pays ont sauté dans leur canot ce jour-là pour participer à la célébration. En 2008 des parties pour la journée nationale du canot ont eu lieu à London, Windsor, Toronto et Yellowknife, pour n’en nommer que quelques-unes. Certains pays, comme les États-Unis et le Royaume-Uni, ont également participé. Cette année, nous espérons poursuivre cet élan magique du canot en ayant une autre partie à Peterborough et en encourageant les pagayeurs d’un océan à l’autre à se joindre aux activités liées au canotage dans les eaux de leur choix. Nous visons à créer une célébration annuelle des citoyens appelée La journée nationale du canot. Nous espérons que vous nous aiderez à répandre cette nouvelle.

How can you get involved?

We're asking individuals across the country to coordinate and document a canoe-related event in their area on or around June 26, 2012. It can be as simple as going for a paddle down a local river or strapping your canoe to your roof-rack and driving around with it for the day. Your business can offer canoe-related discounts or themes, or distribute National Canoe Day information. You can organize a main-street-portage with local canoe groups, a canoe-a-thon, a race, or a party.

Small or large, we ask that you register your event here on our website and document and share your participation via photo, video, or blog. With the assistance of our media sponsors, we'll be collecting your stories and images and highlighting them online.

National Canoe Day belongs to all of us - let's celebrate!