MOOSE JAW — Two athletes from the Moose Jaw Canoe and Kayak Club will put their skills to the test against the best in the country later this month at the 2025 Canoe Kayak Canada Sprint National Championships.
Calvin Schaaf and Jessie Halvorsen will compete in the Paddle All division at the five-day event, which runs Aug. 26 to 30 on Wascana Lake in Regina. The championships are hosted by the Wascana Racing Canoe Club (WRCC) and are expected to attract hundreds of paddlers from across Canada.
For Schaaf and Halvorsen, the racing begins Friday, Aug. 29, and continues Saturday, Aug. 30 when they line up in the K2 (two-person kayak) 200-metre races. Both are part of the WRCC Paddle All team — a blended roster featuring athletes from Moose Jaw, Regina and beyond — while continuing to train at their home club in Moose Jaw.
“The boys should do well. They’re strong. We continue to refine their mechanics with K2 boats,” said Mark Gilliland, head coach for the Moose Jaw Canoe and Kayak Club.
Halvorsen is a long-time member of the Moose Jaw club, having paddled for about 10 years under Gilliland’s guidance. Schaaf joined the team earlier this year. This is the first time either athlete will have competed at the national level.
Gilliland believes the experience will be a valuable learning opportunity and a strong test of their abilities.
“I think they’re going to do well. Locally they’re pretty strong … but we’re going to find out how strong they are when they compete at the national level. I think their biggest competition is going to come from the east, from Quebec and Ontario,” he said.
“Their crews aren’t going to be lacking any power; it’s going to come down to their mechanics, focus, and concentration during the races.”
Races at this level are often decided by the narrowest of margins.
“They’ll be very close races — within tenths of seconds — but they’re working pretty hard to set themselves up for potential success, for sure,” Gilliland said.
The nationals will feature a range of boat classes — from single kayaks to four-person crews — along with sprint canoe races over distances from 200 metres up to several kilometres. For spectators, Wascana Lake’s 10-lane course offers excellent viewing, set against the backdrop of the Saskatchewan Legislative Building in the heart of Regina’s Wascana Centre.
Gilliland expects the atmosphere to be electric.
“It’s going to be massive; it’s going to be crazy. There’s going to be wall-to-wall boats and canoes everywhere … it’s a big event for Regina, and it’s a big event for the province.”
Races will take place at the Wascana Racing Canoe Club, at 3000 Wascana Drive in Regina, with spectators welcome to take in the action from the scenic lakeside venue.
To learn more about the Moose Jaw Canoe and Kayak Club, visit “Moose Jaw Canoe and Kayak Club” on Facebook or email [email protected].
