The association had its beginning on November 28th, 1973, when the Nova Scotia Department of Recreation (currently the Sport and Recreation Commission) held a meeting with "canoeing enthusiasts" to establish an organization that would be responsible for developing all aspects of canoeing and making it available to interested people. Represented at
this meeting were the Canadian Canoe Association,
Canadian Youth Hostel, Canadian White Water Association, Canadian Camping Association, Dalhousie University, Physical Education Department of Halifax City Schools and the Canadian Red Cross Society. The result of this meeting led to the development of the Canoe Nova Scotia (CNS), which registered under the Societies Act in 1976. In its early years, the association embodied the major disciplines of the time: flat water (competitive racing), white water, and recreational canoeing. It was through these affiliations that opportunities were developed for people who were interested in learning or improving their canoeing skills or wanted to get involved in instructing, coaching or officiating. Through time the disciplines and the structure of the association improved. Marathon canoeing, a new discipline, developed under the auspices of Canoe Nova Scotia. However, competitive racing, under the long standing arm of the Canadian Canoe Association continued on its own, and when marathon canoeing matured to association status it moved under the umbrella of flat water racing. White water canoeing in the province, which had a rapid growth for several years, experienced an acute decline by the early 1980's. At the same time, when it appeared as if we were losing all our relations in the early eighties, others came along to replace them. Many members embraced the new sports of whitewater and sea kayaking in the province in the 1990's and CNS began to provide limited support for these sports. The organization changed its name in 2000 to Canoe Kayak Nova Scotia to reflect its changed role, as it began to offer additional services to kayakers as well as canoeists. At about the same time (1996) we adopted the national banner program of the Canadian Recreational Canoe Association, which is now Paddle Canada. Today, even with all the developments that have occurred over the past three decades, the intent to provide interested individuals with the information, leadership, guidance and assistance still remains.
