Lake Banook Canoe & Kayak facilities

Overview

Lake Banook is the first natural lake in the Shubenacadie Canal Waterway. It is located in Dartmouth and is directly connected to Lake Micmac. Like the rest of the Shubenacadie Waterway, Lake Banook has been inhabited by the Mi’kmaq people for thousands of years. This lake was the first in a series of lakes that the Mi’kmaq used as a marine highway through the interior of the province, portaging (carrying) their canoes from one body of water to the next.

Lake Banook is an important recreation hub and world-class paddling event venue, recognized for hosting local, national, and international and paddling events. In 2018, Lake Banook was selected as the venue for the ICF World Canoe Sprint and Paracanoe Championships (Canoe ’22) that will be held in August 2022. The event will feature five days of formal competition with athletes and families from 70 countries along with thousands of anticipated spectators. Lake Banook is one of the most popular lakes in the province for rowing and kayaking. It hosts several long-standing aquatic clubs and public docks and is home to three sprint canoe and kayak clubs, two rowing clubs, and a dragon boat club.