About

Paddling history in Nova Scotia is recorded as far back as the Mic Mac Indians. Mic Mac Indians were the only paddlers in the earliest military regatta of 1826. According to William Adams, paddling for white competitors did not start until 1846 on Lake Banook. Races exclusively for Indians continued until 1904.

The Knockabout Club was holding annual regattas on Lake Banook by 1866. The Chebucto Club followed, ran a few and then faded. The Woodside Aquatic Club from southern Dartmouth and the North Star Rowing Club from Northern Dartmouth were also among the early clubs. The Lorne Amateur Aquatic Club (1873), which was primarily interested in rowing, also provided paddling competitions before the Halifax Explosion levelled their clubhouse, actually killing some members.

The Banook Canoe Club officially became incorporated in 1903, although they didn't become truly active until the following year when they built their new clubhouse on the same site as the old Knockabout Clubhouse. The Mic Mac Amateur Aquatic Club started in 1922 with more of an emphasis on developing competitors in both rowing and paddling. They originally used a swastika as their club symbol, the mirror image of the one which later became the hated symbol of Hitler's Nazi party. The Mic Macs discarded it in 1939 for obvious reasons. Their new symbol itself is a primitive representative of the sun and is in frequent evidence among many early civilizations including the Greeks and the Egyptians. The red and gold of the Mic Mac club has become a common aquatic sight ever since. Their willingness to put any interested kid in the water and their constant support of serious programs for younger competitors has kept their name among the best in the Province. In 1950, Mic Mac's Henry Mosher was the first Maritimer to compete nationally.

Since the 1950's several other clubs have joing the ADCKC and seen great levels of success.