Onake Paddling Club New Facility in the Works

A new 3.5-million-dollar facility is in the works for the Onake Paddling Club. The announcement coming this morning from the club and Kahnawake Shakotiia’takehnhas Community Services (KSCS). The current structure is now more than 50 years old. According to a release from the 2 groups, the facility is showing its age and can no longer accommodate the programming. The plan is for a 2-story facility that includes a gym, office space, a kitchen, and sufficient storage for all of the boats. A workshop to maintain those boats is also in the plans. Derek Montour is the Executive Director of KSCS:

“I think it reconnects us culturally. We were and are a rive people. We’ve always been connected to the river in many ways and our river was taken from us in many ways to some degree with the Seaway. So, ensuring that our connection to the river remains strong through the next generation I think is critical for us as leaders in our community to stabilize that and doing this investment and supporting the investment of Onake to me is critical for us, because of that cultural connection that we have to maintain.”

Sharon Rice, The Manager of Onake sent a statement to K1037 News. “The Onake Paddling Club is so grateful to be given the opportunity to increase services and ‘quality’ programming for Families, Youth and Community. It is ‘bittersweet’ as we will have to say ‘good-bye’ to the original building but we do plan to have pieces of the ‘club’ present in the new building. The opportunity to build a new facility is a much needed ‘gift’ for the paddlers and families for the next 50 years and more.”

The hope is to break ground this fall and then open in the spring of 2025. The current structure will be torn down and the new building erected in its place. The goal is to secure the funding from Indigenous Services Canada.