A couple of top paddlers from Eastern Canada are currently calling Fort 91原创 home, as they lend their expertise to others along Fort 91原创鈥檚 Bedford Channel.
Former Canadian team member Emily Raymond and national team hopeful Zaffia Laplante, both from Ontario, are working for the growing Fort 91原创 Canoe Club (FLCC), which in 2015 had 625 members on board.
Both were busy introducing the community to paddling during the FLCC鈥檚 open house on Saturday.
Laplante, a 19-year-old from North Bay, Ont., is spending the next few months in Fort 91原创 as the FLCC鈥檚 summer camps coordinator.
Camps start this week and run through to the final week of August. And from the first week of July into the late August, the FLCC hosts day camps that run from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m.
鈥淎nybody from [the ages of] eight to 14 can come out and try out the boats,鈥� Laplante said.
This is Laplante鈥檚 first experience in Fort 91原创 and with the club.
鈥淚t鈥檚 still building but we鈥檙e hoping for a great turnout, especially with the try out day today,鈥� Laplante told the 91原创 Advance on Saturday.
During the summer, Laplante will be teaching balance in the boats, while offering tips in both the sprint kayak and sprint canoe disciplines.
鈥淲e just want to offer kids the full paddling experience,鈥� she added.
Laplante is very comfortable in a boat seat.
鈥淚鈥檝e been paddling my whole life,鈥� Laplante said. 鈥淚鈥檝e been racing for about seven years, now.鈥�
Laplante has competed twice as a member of Team Ontario and made Canada鈥檚 U17 travelling team a couple of years ago. She also plans on going to the nationals this year.
Laplante saw the FLCC job posting on the Canoe Kayak B.C. website. She applied, scored the position, and arrived earlier in May.
She was buoyed by the turnout at the May 14 open house.
鈥淭he weekly programs start six weeks from now so this is really encouraging, seeing all these people out, trying the boats,鈥� Laplante said. 鈥淚t definitely gives some 鈥榯humbs up鈥� for the programs ahead.鈥�
While here, Laplante will also be training under the tutelage of Otttawa native Raymond.
鈥淓mily is a great coach,鈥� Laplante said. 鈥淚鈥檓 learning from Emily and I鈥檓 learning from these kids. They鈥檙e obviously teaching me as I鈥檓 teaching them.鈥�
They鈥檒l all be honing their skills along the Bedford Channel, a body of water that Leplante calls 鈥済reat.鈥�
鈥淭hese kids are very privileged in having such calm water [to paddle on],鈥� Laplante said. 鈥淓ven though the water does move fast it is very calm versus where I鈥檓 from, in North Bay, we鈥檙e on a lake and there鈥檚 whitecaps almost every single day.鈥�
Experience abroad
FLCC has former national team member Raymond helping to steer the boat, as the club鈥檚 sprint head coach.
鈥淚鈥檓 teaching all ranges,鈥� Raymond said. 鈥淩ight now, we鈥檙e a developing club, so we want to offer as many programs to the community as we can.鈥�
Raymond raced for team Canada at the world championships held in Dartmouth, N.S., in 2009, garnering a 10th place finish in the K2 200m race.
She was also part of Canada鈥檚 World Cup teams the same year, and has raced in Mexico City, the U.S., and Europe.
At the tender age of 27, Raymond already has two decades of paddling experience.
鈥淚 started the sport when I was seven,鈥� Raymond said. 鈥淢y whole family is involved. Still, to this day, my grandfather who is in his 80s, is still kayaking. It鈥檚 a lifelong sport.鈥�
Raymond鈥檚 transition to coaching came organically. At a young age, she started volunteering with the younger paddlers before her focus turned to high performance paddling and training as an elite athlete.
鈥淎fter not making the London Olympics [in 2010] I took some time off to finish my degree, did coaching, and I sort of did a full circle and realized this is my biggest passion, this is what I wanted to pursue,鈥� Raymond said.
Her duties include 鈥渃oordinating everything,鈥� Raymond said.
That includes supervising the FLCC鈥檚 summer staff, running a high performance group, as well as guiding the club鈥檚 sprint program.
For more about the club鈥檚 kayaking programs, click and any questions can be directed via email: fwrep@fortlangleycanoeclub.ca.
