Burrard Canoe Club: Celebrating Indigenous War Canoe History

There is a long history carried in canoes.

Long before sport, before competition, before race days, canoes were a way of life. They carried our people across these waters, connected communities, sustained families, and held knowledge that has been passed down through generations.

At Burrard Canoe Club, we paddle with that understanding.

Single War Canoes training on burrard Inlet

Our time on the water is not just about training or racing, it’s about reconnecting. To the water. To each other. To culture, to spirit, and to the teachings that come with being in a canoe.

We paddle on the waters of Burrard Inlet, within the traditional, ancestral, and unceded territories of the Coast Salish peoples. These waters have always been places of travel, gathering, and relationship. We are grateful to be here, and we carry that responsibility with us every time we launch.

Canoe brings balance.

It challenges us physically, but it also supports our mental, emotional, and spiritual wellbeing. The rhythm of the paddle, the strength of the crew, the quiet moments on the water—these are all part of something deeper than just movement.

As a club, we are building more than a team.

We are creating space for people to come as they are, whether you are experienced or just beginning, whether you are reconnecting with culture or being introduced for the first time. We paddle in 11 man, 6 man, doubles, and singles, and we show up for each other on and off the water.

Our goal is to grow a strong, inclusive, and respectful community—one that honours where canoe comes from, while creating space for where it’s going.

This is about belonging.

This is about respect.

This is about being on the water, together.

Welcome to Burrard Canoe Club.