About the Quinte Paddling Club

Club History

Our club began with a Dragon Boat focus, racing under the crew names Quinte Top Gunnels, and Great Lake Paddlers.

A New year and new members brought many opportunities for the club to grow.  We developed our Get On The Water Program for the community.  This program allows participants to try everything our club has to offer including Kayaking, Stand-Up Paddle Boarding (SUP), Outrigger Canoes (OC6, OC1), and Dragon Boating. Our exciting 5 week program is run annually from June-July. 

In 2022 We grew again, adding an OC6 program that practices Monday’s and Wednesday’s out of Victoria Park. This popular new program has allowed our members to experience one of Canada’s newest and fastest growing water sports.

The Competitive Dragon Boat program help form the racing crew, Great Lake Paddlers.  They are a passionate group of people dedicated to fun, fitness, camaraderie, while paddling and competing at the highest level.  We foster excellence, sportsmanship, inclusiveness and friendship. Training year round, we are on the water from May to October, paddling out of the Quinte Paddling Club located at 35 Keegan Parkway.  Practices are held Tuesday and Thursday evenings with the goal of competing on the world stage.

Our Recreational Dragon Boat Team,  the Quinte Top Gunnels, have been training together for 12 years.  They meet each week on Tuesdays for an energetic and fun team building practice located at the Quinte Paddling Club in Belleville. With a goal to compete in 2-3 local Community Dragonboat Festivals during the season, this crew is perfect for all levels of paddlers.

Together our World Class Competitive Dragon Boat Program has become one of Canada’s best, with a fist full of medals to prove it. Our members range in experience, age, and ability, but we all love being on water and working together as a team to make our boats go faster.

Meet Coach Cheryl Shannon!

    Cheryl Shannon is a world class athlete and coach who has competed at Club Crew World Championships 5 times with her club teams.  She became inspired by other paddlers who became fitter, and stronger paddlers racing internationally.  She then began to put in the work needed to achieve the goal of making the National Team.  This hard work led to her being named as a paddler for Team Canada 6 times, and this year is her first year that she has been named as a steer! Her inspiration to become a coach transferred from her experience as a teacher. As a teacher, one of the greatest gifts she was given was the opportunity to see the faces of those she supports achieving something new.  Whether that be understanding new science concepts, or how to make a boat move faster, the excitement that a student showed was positive reinforcement for her to keep helping the next group of students. 

     Cheryl’s greatest accomplishment really shows her love of family and community. She raised two strong, independent children who are happy in their life.  It is a great joy for her to watch them do what they love. Cheryl believes that the Quinte Paddling Club is a great asset to the community.  It offers both beginners and experienced paddlers the opportunity to work together, to make social connections and to have fun while staying fit. Currently we have a great competitive Dragon Boat crew competing internationally. As our club grows, Cheryl hopes we will be able to offer competitive  SUP and Outrigger Canoe programs to our members.

A new sport can be a bit intimidating for some, but you never know where it will take you. There are so many options out there in terms of commitment, and something will be just right for you.

Cheryl Shannon

Facility and Equipment

The Quinte Paddling Club offers a diverse selection of watercraft for its members, catering to various preferences and skill levels. Here’s a summary of the club’s offerings and facilities: