Two races at this year’s Great Canadian Kayak Challenge and Festival will have new names this year.
Tourism Timmins and the city have officially named two of the races after people who have passed away after helping with the event in various and passionate ways.
Tourism Timmins says one race is now called the Dr. John Shaw Senior Masters Recreational Challenge because of all the work Shaw put in over the years. Tourism Manager Guy Lamarche says Shaw was not a boardroom kind of guy, but always coming up with new ideas. Shaw’s wife Gwen says he would have loved this dedication.
Lamarche says Shaw was 77 when he ran his final race before passing away in 2016.
Lamarehe says another race was named as the Marcel Pelchat Ontario Power Generation Elite Challenge. He says Pelchat was president of the La Ronde Cultural Centre at the time and offered rubber ducks to add as a small activity at the challenge. He says that was really the start of a much bigger program where all of a sudden the challenge was bringing in children inflatables, magicians, face painters,bigger musical acts, and a cultural component. Lamarche says a lot of that was brought forward because of Marcel’s insight into this whole thing. Pelchat’s wife Robyn says this dedication means a lot to her family.
Tourism Manager Lamarche says it is very important to build on and recognize the kayak challenge’s legacy.
