Fort Canoe and Kayak Club

Fort Langley has a lot of water and surprisingly few ways to get onto it without owning a boat. This club is one of them. It runs from a dock on the Bedford Channel, the sheltered side-stream between the village and Brae and McMillan islands, and it lends you the boat, the paddle and the lifejacket.

Which program fits

The club describes its programs as a ladder: try it, learn the basics, then train if you catch the bug. As of November 2, 2026 its home page showed fall registration open for the three entry points below. Program pages list the 2026 season’s days and times, so check the club’s page for the current round before you plan around them.

• Youth Intro to Paddling, ages 8 to 15 (turning 8 in 2026). One evening a week, 7 to 8:30 pm, in May and/or June. Sprint kayaks, taught by CanoeKids-certified coaches. There was a girls-only option in 2026.
• Adult Intro to Paddling, ages 15 and up. A once-a-week group paddle; you sign up one month at a time, May through August.
• Paddle All, ages 8 to 24, for autistic people and others with developmental disabilities who need support to take part in sport. Mondays and Wednesdays in May and June, Tuesdays to Thursdays in July and August. Each person paddles their own boat, so participants need to be comfortable on the water, have some swimming ability and be able to follow basic directions. No Special Olympics eligibility is needed. The club says its coaches have trained with Canucks Autism Network, and the program is supported by Jumpstart and the Province of BC.

After the intro courses the club points people to Fundamentals and Learn/Train to Compete. It also runs a summer day camp and takes bookings for school, community and corporate outings.

What sprint paddling is

Straight-line racing on flat water. It has been in the Olympic summer games since 1936. The club’s competitive athletes train all year, with gym work through winter and boat time as the weather improves, and race at regattas through the summer, mostly around the Lower Mainland. First-season racers are welcome; coaches group people by age and skill. The FAQ mentions one athlete who is 82.

Getting there

The club’s home dock is the Paddlesport Dock at the Langley Paddling Centre, across from Trails End on Billy Brown Road, just west (downriver) of the Jacob Haldi Bridge where Glover Road crosses the channel. The club lists off-street parking near the Fort Pub, west of the bridge, and in Marina Park, east of it.

When the channel runs too fast or too high, boats move to the club’s Salmon River Dock at Memorial Grove. It is a three-minute walk down the Fort-to-Fort Trail from the trailhead at 22866 Billy Brown Road, and the club says to park on Billy Brown Road. In freshet season the sprint programs can instead run from Nathan Creek in Glen Valley. The spring programs generally use the Salmon River Dock.

Good to know

• Wear something you can move in and don’t mind getting wet, with room for a lifejacket over it.
• Safety boats with motors are on the water with the paddlers at all times, and coaches hold water-safety and first-aid training.
• Families who qualify can apply to Athletics for Kids (up to $450 a year, ages 5 to 18), KidSport (ages 18 and under, for programs of at least six weeks, up to $500) or Jumpstart. The club’s FAQ has the links; those programs set the rules, not the club.
• The club is a member of Canoe Kayak BC and Canoe Kayak Canada.

Across the water is Brae Island Regional Park, and the village itself is covered in our Fort Langley guide.

Last checked: November 2, 2026.

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