The 10th Annual Great Canadian Kayak Challenge and Festival is coming up at the end of August, and there are some new titles for kayak racers this year.

Two contributors and friends of the festival were honored last night at a dedication ceremony at the Timmins Museum: National Exhibition Centre with challenges in their name. Dr. John Shaw, who passed away in 2016, was a quiet sportsman with lots of ideas on how to improve the kayak challenge festival and make it more senior-friendly. Marcel Pelchat, the president of La Ronde Cultural Centre, and the mind behind bringing more kids activities to the festival, lost his battle to cancer last year at the age of 38.

The ceremony last night introduced the two new challenges for this year’s festival: the Dr. John Shaw Seniors Masters Recreational Challenge and the Marcel Pelchat Ontario Power Generation Elite Challenge. On hand to accept the dedications was Shaw’s wife, Gwen Shaw, and Pelchat’s wife, Robyn Pelchat. Mayor Steve Black was also in attendance, as was Tourism Timmins manager, Guy Lamarche.

Lamarche recalled Shaw’s quiet enthusiasm for the festival and his dedication to including more seniors in the activities. “He would often come and see me and provide some critical input in terms of how we should be tweaking the challenges that mattered to his age group.”

Staying active kept Shaw young at heart, says Lamarche. “Although he was at least 77 years old when he last paddled this challenge,” Lamarche said, “in my mind, it was a 77 years young. Because the guy may have been there in age, but certainly not there in heart. He was still a kid at heart. So it’s very important to recognize and build on that legacy.”

Lamarche went on to speak of his friend, Marcel Pelchat, who passed away at a young age, but, according to Lamarche, he had wisdom beyond his years.

“Marcel was much older in character than his young age,” he said. “A total opposite from John. Didn’t paddle. But had a critical mind. He would tell you what was on his mind. He would challenge you in the boardroom. And it was all done for the betterment of the event.”

Pelchat had a hand in making the Kayak Festival more kid-friendly by introducing a rubber duck activity. Lemarche said this was the start of bringing in more activities for kids and families, like magicians, face painters and inflatables.

“A lot of that was brought forward because of Marcel’s insight into this whole thing,” Lemarche said. “He truly believed in the festival. […] Because he knew, as I did, that, for many many families in this community, this was the closest thing to a vacation.”

“So I want Marcel’s legacy to live on. I want those things that he believed in and pushed for, to resonate with others that are coming aboard. And frankly, I want this festival to celebrate significant milestones into the future when I’m no longer working for tourism.”

The 10th Annual Great Canadian Kayak Challenge and Festival takes place August 24th-26th this summer.

 

–With files from Timmins Today