Canada Day Dragon Boat Regatta
Centre Island Toronto, ON, Canada

Registration is now open for teams wanting to race at the 137th annual Dominion Day Regatta on Toronto's Centre Island. We want you to join us! Each team gets three races" 500m and 200m qualifier race, and 500m final. We also form some women's collective teams for a bonus 200m race & Flower Ceremony (not just for BCS paddlers). We also fun a short Hand Paddle charity race, and also two 200m races for Spirit Challenge teams (teams for youth and young adults with an intellectual disability). Contact us at [email protected] for details.

The Dominion Day Regatta Association (DDRA) held a planning meeting this past Monday to work on the 2019 Canada Day Regatta on Centre Island. This event is not only for canoe and rowing clubs (since 1884), but also dragon boat teams (since 2003). There is space for 1 or 2 more recreational teams before the event sells out (each team gets a 500m and 200m preliminary race, then a 500m. Contact [email protected] if your team is interested in joining this historic event. #DDRA #DragonBoat #Rowing #CanoeKayak #Toronto #TorontoIsland #CanadaDay

2019 Canada Day Regatta - Toronto Island. We just received our new wristbands for the event, which we are introducing this year for insurance purposes. And yes, we will have the shiny new medals again that we designed and used last year (via Crown Awards). This week we also signed a contract with Great White North (GWN) to supply dragon boats and docks for our event. Details for the races have also been confirmed with the Dominion Day Regatta Association (DDRA). This event is open to any team - contact [email protected] for details. #DDRA #RustyDragons #CanadaDayDragonBoat #CanadaDay #DragonBoat #Toronto #TorontoIsland #AccessibleDragonboat

This week so far, we signed a contract with Great White North (GWN) to supply boats and docks for our Canada Day Regatta on Toronto Island. We also just ordered wristbands, as we make improvements in support of both insurance requirements and ensuring all races are fair.

A planning meeting (conference call) will be held at the end of May for all team captains, coaches, and volunteers. Stay tuned for details. We look forward to being back on the Toronto Island racing as part of the oldest mixed sport regatta in the world (canoe, kayak, and rowing since 1884, and dragon boat added in 2003).

Event Update (April 21): It is looking like we will have 8 mixed teams and 4 women's teams at the event. We will likely drop the men's race due to lack of enough men and instead may be running a demonstration multi-sport race (Canoe, kayak, rowing, and dragon boat). Stay tuned! Also, NEW custom medals have been designed for the event (full metal customization). We can't wait for the big reveal. The event will be back on the Toronto Island this year. Interested teams need to contact me ASAP if interested at [email protected] or cell 647-971-7332.

Just two more sleeps before the big day at the Welland International Flatwater Centre. The medals have arrived, and so have the team and anniversary event jerseys. About 200 athletes will compete in the oldest mixed-sport regatta in the world (rowing and canoe since 1884), with dragon boat introduced as the third sport 15 years ago in 2003. The mixed teams are also re-forming as women's and men's teams for some extra 200m and 100m races.

All participating team captains need to notify the event coordinator ([email protected]) by Friday, June 23 with the number of people on their team (and supporters) who will be taking the bus shuttle from Toronto (with Mississauga and Burlington stops near QEW) on race day. The cost is $20 return. Bus leaves Toronto (Chestnut St, south of Dundas St) at 6:45 AM, and leaves Welland back for Toronto about 6:15 PM.

The first public draft of the Canada Day Dragon Boat Regatta race schedule was sent to all team captains and coaches yesterday. Each team will have a 500m and 200m qualifier (ranking) race, then a 500m final. In addition, there will be a 200m women's sprint race (ending in a Flower Ceremony) and also a Men's 100m Mad Dash. The medals were ordered today, and the graphics for the souvenir event shirts were finalized. The shirt will be sold at the event and besides a spiffy logo on the front, the back will list names of all participating teams as well as our business partners. Just over two weeks until the big day!

We are still open to accept dragon boat teams for this regatta. The current list of teams in the Community Division is as follows (in alphabetical order)... 1. Community Wave (coach Terence Yu) 2. East West Dragons (TBD) 3. Harbord Village (Caroline Cook) 4. Motley Crew (Peter Polyzotis)... 5. MTCS Oars to Discover (Natalie Wong) 6. One Gorgeous Boat (Tim MacFarlane / Caroline Cook) 7. OPS Diversity EANG Dragons (Stephane Vertefeuille) 8. Pink Crusaders (Tim MacFarlane) 9. U of T Library of Conquest (Ann Forbes Arndt) See more

The Canada Day race schedule is in the final stages of planning and will likely be released on Monday, June 12th. The Canada Day anniversary T-shirts designs are being finalized, as are the Canada Day medals. We will also have several vendors at the event, which will be announced here soon. GWN will be supplying our boats for the event as usual, and buses are being arranged for those interested. Can I have a volunteer organize the weather for us so it is like today?! ...Tim

As planning for Canada Day continues, I am thankful for some anonymous donors who are paying for the flowers for the first-ever Flower Ceremony at the Canada Day Regatta at the Welland International Flatwater Centre.

Created this page to share information directly related to the dragon boat portion of the annual DDRA Canada Day Regatta. This is a VERY SPECIAL and UNIQUE event in that it is held on Canada Day, as part of one of the oldest mixed sports regattas in the world: Rowing and Canoe/Kayak since 1884, and dragon boats added as the third sport in 2003. The Rusty Dragons are honoured to be running the dragon boat portion of this event.