Ice canoeing

Originally a means of winter transport between the islands and shores of the Saint Lawrence River, ice canoeing is now a sport.

The advent of steamboats capable of breaking through the ice put an end to icecanoeing as a means of transportation in the late 1800s.

[1] Ice canoeing is still utilized as a means of travel for those that live on McKenzie Island, Ontario.

The Association des Coureurs en Canot à Glace du Québec (ACCGQ) was formed in 1984 to organise and standardise races.

More than 40 teams compete (78 boats in 2025), struggling with the powerful current, large chunks of ice and cold water.

Originally wooden, canoes are now made with epoxy and fibreglass with an internal metal frame.