About
The Kennebecasis Kayak Club is located in Rothesay, New Brunswick on the Kennebecasis River. It opened in 1983 in preparation for the 1985 Summer Canada Games and shares its name and building with the Kennebecasis Rowing and Canoe Club. With over 110 members, the seasonal summer programs are made up of recreational and competitive kayaking for children and adults ages 9 and up. The KKC staff is currently composed of a head coach and two assistant coaches who coach classes from 7am to 4pm, 5 days per week.
In 1980, Rob Lang was welcomed at the Kennebecasis Rowing Club to train for national and international competition in wildwater kayak racing. He had recently relocated from Scotland to work in Canada. Rob competed for New Brunswick at the National level and he competed for Canada at the World level in 1981 and 1982. In 1982, the province approached the rowing club, and Rob in particular, to establish a canoe/kayak section that would intend to compete in flatwater, sprint canoe/kayak at the upcoming 1985 Canada Summer Games to be held in Saint John. Canoe/kayak and rowing were to be held in Renforth on the Kennebecasis River. A new clubhouse was erected by the province and the Canada Games Foundation, which marked the beginning of the Kennebecasis Rowing and Canoe Club and the province purchased three K-1s and a K-4 for the club and the Canada Games development team. An executive committee was formed to oversee canoe/kayak development consisting of Rob Lang, Don Taylor, Greg Lisson, and John Lisson. Meanwhile, other parties were in the process of developing clubs in Moncton, Fredericton, and Nackawic.
Seven athletes competed at the 1985 Canada Games for New Brunswick, of which the most notable was Gary McDonough who went on to compete and coach for many years to follow. Gary competed in whitewater paddling for the Canadian National Team at the Pre-World Championships in Maryland in 1988. He went on to complete his Level 3 Sprint Coaching certification and he coached the 1993 NB Canada Games Team.
Club paddler and 1993 Canada Games athlete, Chris McDermott, took on the role as head coach from 1995 through 1997 and he coached the Canada Games team in 1997 at which New Brunswick won its first medals in kayaking. Kim Flood won a bronze medal in the K-1 6000m and the crew of Shawn Murray and Patrick Dohaney won silver in the K-2 6000m. Chris McDermott went on to become the head coach of Maskwa Aquatic Club in Nova Scotia.
Jane Flood became head coach from 1998 to 2002, following the success of the 1997 Canada Games Team. She coached the 2001 Canada Games Team, which was a notable year for the Flood’s success with Kim Flood winning bronze in the 200m and 1000m K-1. Laura Flood, Kim’s younger sister, joined her in winning bronze in the 500m K-2. Laura Flood coached as head coach from 2003 to 2005 and coached the 2005 Canada Games Team.
Craig Lang took his turn as the head coach at the Kennebecasis Kayak Club in 2006. He has seen the club through major program developments and has been working hard to shine a brighter light on the club in the Kennebecasis Valley community. Craig coached the 2009 New Brunswick Canada Games Team for canoe-kayak and coached athletes to achieve exceptional results in 2009 at Nationals, Atlantic Championships, and Bantam Peewee Championships.