From May 11 to 12, Salaberry-de-Valleyfield will host the Canadian national whitewater canoe-kayak team trials. More than 50 athletes from Canada, the United States and France will be in attendance. Among them will be five kayakers from Vaudreuil-Soulanges. 

Among the participants at this important event are Florence Maheu (Salaberry-de-Valleyfield), the first woman from Quebec and Campivalens to take part in the Olympic Games, Pierre Lévesque (Sainte-Anne-des-Plaines), a member of the Canadian team for many years and several top 40 world cup competitors, who will be returning to his former training site, Lois Betteridge (Ontario), a member of the 2024 Olympic team, and Alex Baldoni (France), a member of the 2024 Olympic team.

Among the up-and-coming athletes, a group of local youngsters are training hard under the supervision of Patrick Gagné, in the hope of earning a place on the Canadian junior development team: Sarah Maude Barette (St-Zotique), Benjamin Chagnon (St-Zotique) Benjamin Forgues (Rivière Beaudette) Justin Gagné (Coteau du Lac), Olivier Gagné (Coteau du Lac) who will compete in the junior and cadet categories.

Competitions will be held on the Rivière Saint-Charles site, downtown, behind the Valleyfield Shopping Center. This whitewater training site is one of the best in Canada.

This is an incredible opportunity to see Florence Maheu and the Olympians who will be representing the country at the Paris Olympics this summer, in action.  Access to the site is free, and competitions will run from 9:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. on Saturday and Sunday, from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m.The most spectacular event will be the boatercross final on Sunday between 5 and 6 pm. This 4 vs 4 competition will make its Olympic debut this summer.

Holding such a large-scale event will clearly demonstrate the site's vocation and potential for hosting world-class events.  Kayak Valleyfield is piloting a project to redevelop the site and propel it to world-class status.