CKNS welcomes you to join us at our Annual General Meeting

Thursday, January 15, 2026 from 6:30 – 8:30pm 

Fairbanks Interpretive Centre

54 Locks Rd, Dartmouth

and online

Celebrate an amazing year of paddling accomplishments!

Canoe Kayak Nova Scotia is seeking new Board Members! 

As CKNS approaches its 50th anniversary, we’re proud of the impact we’ve made—connecting paddlers with safe routes, hosting on‑the‑water events, and opening doors for newcomer families and at‑risk youth through the Big Canoe program.

We’re looking for dedicated leaders to join our Board of Directors in the following roles:

• Secretary
• Treasurer
• Director of Kayak Development
• Director of Canoe Development
• Director of Promotions

This is an exciting opportunity to help shape the future of paddling in Nova Scotia and ensure our community continues to thrive for the next 50 years. 

To learn more or express interest, contact admin@ckns.ca.

Let’s celebrate 50 years of paddling—and build the next 50 together!

Read more about board job descriptions here:

Click here for the form:

CKNS AWARD NOMINATIONS

Award nominations are due by December 15, 2025. Please submit your nominations to admin@ckns.ca

STEVE COOK VOLUNTEER AWARD

IN RECOGNITION OF A HIGH COMMITMENT TO THE INTRODUCTION AND INSTRUCTION OF PADDLING TECHNIQUES ON OUR PROVINCE’S WATERWAYS.

The membership and members of the public will be invited to nominate individuals and groups for this award. A letter explaining why the individual or group is worthy of the Steve Cook Volunteer of the Year Award must accompany each nomination.

FRED LYNCH CONTRIBUTION AWARD

IN RECOGNITION OF OUTSTANDING CONTRIBUTIONS TO THE OVERALL SPORT AND RECREATION OF CANOEING.

Fred Lynch Award for contributions to canoeing or kayaking, emphasizing individuals who have approached paddling with a multi-faceted style of instruction.

NS WATERWAYS STEWARDSHIP AWARD

IN RECOGNITION OF DEDICATED WORK TOWARDS THE PRESERVATION OF SUSTAINABLE ACCESS TO THE PROVINCE’S WATERWAYS.

This award is given annually, at the discretion of the Canoe Kayak Nova Scotia (CKNS) board of directors, at the CKNS annual general meeting. Recipients of the award need not be members of CKNS. It is presented to an individual (or an organization) in recognition of a high degree of initiative and commitment in working towards the preservation of our province’s waterways.

NOVA SCOTIA FOUR SEASONS PADDLING AWARD

DID YOU MANAGE TO PADDLE EACH MONTH IN 2024 – OUTDOORS AND IN NOVA SCOTIA?!

CKNS welcomes members who paddled at least once each month of the year to submit your documentation for the Nova Scotia Four Seasons Paddling Award. All we need is a list of the dates and locations of where we you paddled each month. Please submit by January 5th to admin@ckns.ca. We can’t wait to see how many year round paddlers we have in 2024!

PAST AWARD WINNERS

STEVE COOK AWARD RECIPIENTS

2024 – Robin Mullin

2023 – John Nisbet

2022 – Sarah Hrdlicka

2020 – Dusan Soudek

FRED LYNCH AWARD RECIPIENTS

2024 – Brian Smith

2023 – Sandra Phinney

2022 – Karl Vollmer

2021 – Bernie Levy

2020 – David Lewis

NS WATERWAYS STEWARDSHIP AWARD RECIPIENTS

2022 – Oliver Maass

2021 – Cathy McCarthy

2020 – Tristan Glen

LIFETIME CONTRIBUTION TO PADDLING