2026 Regatta Dates:
May 2-3, 2026
July 11-12, 2026
September 12-13, 2026.
Every Summer, the Ridge Canoe and Kayak Club (RCKC) hosts sprint kayak and canoe competitions at Whonnock Lake for competitors from Western Canada and Washington State.
Paddlers of all ages and abilities come to Whonnock Lake to practice, compete and prepare for national and international regattas. These regattas can draw hundreds of athletes, officials and volunteers. Based on previous agreements with the City and due to Provincial and National requirements, RCKC uses motor boats as safety boats to both officiate the regatta and pick up paddlers who fall in the water and need assistance re-entering their boats or returning to shore.
During these regattas we appreciate those community members who are willing to postpone using the lake for swimming (outside the marked swimming area), fishing and boating activities that may interfere with the running of these regattas.
For those community members who still want to enjoy the lake during these regattas, please be advised as follows:
- Beach Parking Lot area will be CLOSED for event parking only (starting Friday through Sunday of a regatta weekend). This is to accommodate the large boat trailers and event staff parking. This has been organized with the City of Maple Ridge.
- It is dangerous for swimmers and others to enter the race course while races are being conducted (usually between 8 a.m. and 6 p.m.) The race course is marked by Green, Yellow, and Red buoys up and down a 500m length of the lake. The entry of unauthorized persons into the race course will also interfere with our ability to run timely races.
- Other than RCKC safety boats, no motorized boats (including boats using electric motors) are allowed on Whonnock Lake.
- Please avoid fishing from the docks areas, to allow paddlers a place to enter and exit their boats.
- The RCKC dock (in front of the Community Centre) is not a public dock and should not be used by the public while paddlers are present.
- Generally speaking, paddlers do not use the north side of the lake during regattas; as such, to the extent fishing and other activities can be limited to the area north of the race course (and out of the way of safety boats traversing the north side of the course), it would be much appreciated!
If you have any questions or concerns, or are interested in volunteering to help us run these regattas, please contact our Volunteer Coordinator at ( programs@rckc.ca ) or the City of Maple Ridge