Dragonflies Compete in Dragon Boat Races at the Sun Life Waterfest

This year’s Sun Life Waterfest was held over the weekend at Lock 19 in the Old Cornwall Canal. Among the many things to do and see at the fest, which included artists, food, and performers, another draw was the dragonboat races. A free event, The Heart and Stroke Foundation of Canada benefits from the event, with entry fees going to support the foundation. Each team pays $735, which translates to $35 a person. The boats are crewed by 20 people plus the helmsman who steers the boat. At the front of the boat is a drummer who helps the crew by setting the tempo to paddle.

This year, Akwesasne’s Dragon Boat team, The Dragonflies, raced against 7 teams in the community division. Losing their first heat by just two seconds, they managed a win in their second heat, crossing just a fraction of a second before the other team. Their times were not enough to put them in the final, but they had a blast, and it was for a good cause.

There are 4 original team members on the crew who have raced for the last 4 years. Leading up to the race, the team had practices, and trained for the event. Some joked that teammates Kellie Jacobs and Tisha Thompson only practice during storms. The team consists of Ietsi Skidders, Diabbo, Larry-Lee Skidders, Gus Bova, Zach Mitchell, Clayton Barnes, Kristen Ransom, Tisha Thompson, Sarah Sunday-Diabo, Pat David, April Thompson, Frank David, Jr. and Sr., Julia Back-Skidders, Aronhiaronnions Beauvais, Curtis Lazore, Carlene Cree, Kellie Jacobs, and Ian Mitchell Jr. was the drummer boy.

Team member Diabbo said, “We wanna paddle, it’s interesting and fun, and also for the Heart and Stroke Foundation.”

Being that there is a lot of heart and stroke issues in the community, the team also hoped to raise awareness for this issue.