Author: Graeme Galves

CORA recognized that there were many individuals who had made “Significant and Exemplary Contributions” to Canadian outrigger canoeing, but their stories had never been captured, and they had never been formally recognized. CORA spent January 2021 thru June 2026 tracking down this history, and fact-checking as best as possible the exploits of those individuals who founded CORA, who founded / nurtured CORA clubs, who inaugurated / perpetuated races, who excelled at IVF / Molokai / Catalina / Queen Liliuokalani events, and who designed / built / imported / distributed canoes to grow the sport.

As of the August 2026 CORA Board Meeting there were 7 individuals inducted into the Canadian Outrigger Hall Of Fame for 2026.

CORA will have an online Town Hall late in 2026 or early in 2027 to recognize the inductees for 2026. CORA invites individuals who have known these Inductees to speak on their behalf at the upcoming virtual Town Hall session.

CORA wishes to congratulate the 7 Canadian Outrigger Hall Of Fame 2026 Inductees:

• Bob Woodman (Vernon, BC)
• Melanie Durban (Kelowna, BC)
• Mike Billy Sr (North Vancouver, BC)
• Karen Simpson (Mississauga, ON)
• Joey Hertz (Kelowna, BC)
• Á’a:líya (Theresa) Warbus (Cultus Lake, BC)
• John Roberts (Calgary, AB)

You can visit the CORA website and view the “Virtual Hall Of Fame” that has the names / headshots of the 7 individuals inducted this year and links to a 3-page PDF that has their contributions in 2-pages and a 1-page set of references on every online article that CORA could find where they were mentioned.

Congratulations to Mississauga Canoe Club (MCC) on hosting their first ever CORA sanctioned event, the Mississauga Open Water Challenge (MOWC) on 2026-June-21. Congratulations as well to Westshore Paddling Club on hosting their first ever CORA sanctioned event, the Durham Outrigger Challenge 30Km Relay/Iron with 200 participants on 2026-Jul-25. Sunnyside Paddling Club and Toronto Harbour Va’a will be hosting the CORA Eastern Canada OC Sprints Championships on 2026-Aug-2, shortly before Team Canada athletes travel to the 2026 Singapore IVF World Sprints Championships.

Although the 2026 Wai Nui Why Not event on 2026-Aug-8/9 is not a CORA sanctioned event, Wai Nui O Kanaka is a 2026 CORA Member Club. Likewise, while the 2026 Toronto International Outrigger Challenge (TIOC) on 2026-Sep-19 is not a CORA sanctioned event, TSCC Maka Koa Outrigger is a 2026 CORA Member Club. Thank you for supporting events hosted by these Eastern Canada CORA Member Clubs. There very well may be additional 2026 Eastern Canada OC races. Please refer to the CORA Race Schedule for the latest updates on CORA Sanctioned Events.

Hugh Fisher was oifficially recognized as the 2025 Hugh Town Builder Award Recipient at the 2025 CORA AGM. However, Hugh Fisher and MI6 were away at the Cook Islands Vaka Eiva event at the time.

CORA was able to coordinate a formal presentation as per the Hugh Town Memorial Builder Award Policy at the 2026 Jericho Iron Classic.

The CORA Awards Committee wishes to extend a round of appreciation to Jan Chavarie (2022 Hugh Town Builder Award Recipient) and Jericho Paddling Club for offering time on the 2026 Jericho Iron Classic agenda, to Don Mulhall (2021 Hugh Town Builder Award Recipient) for taking the time to have his hair coiffured and making the presentation of the Trophy to Hugh Fisher, to the MI6 crew for delaying their pre-race warmup so that the presentation could proceed with decorum, and to the attendees who sent in photos of the presentation. CORA wishes to thank Hugh Fisher for his lifetime of contributions to paddlesports and to congratulate him as the 2025 Hugh Town Builder Award Recipient.