Dr. John Shaw and Marcel Pelchat’s contributions to the Great Canadian Kayak Challenge were made in different ways.
With the dedication of two races, both of their legacies will be celebrated at the popular family event every summer.
At a small ceremony at the Timmins Museum: National Exhibition Centre, two events were officially renamed. The last weekend in August when kayakers take to the waters of the Mattagami River, winners will be crowned in the Marcel Pelchat Ontario Power Generation Elite Challenge, and the Dr. John Shaw Seniors Masters Recreational Challenge.
Tourism Timmins manager Guy Lamarche recalled how Pelchat, who died in 2017 at the age of 38 after a battle with cancer, was pivotal in growing the festival.
Lamarche said Pelchat was president of the La Ronde Cultural Centre at the time and offered rubber ducks to add as a small activity at the challenge.
“And that was really the start of a much bigger program where all of a sudden we were bringing in children inflatables, we were bringing in magicians, we were bringing in face painters, bringing in much bigger musical acts, bringing in a cultural component. A lot of that was brought forward because of Marcel’s insight into this whole thing,” said Lamarche.
“He truly believed in the festival and truly believed in having his corporate partner continue to fund us because he knew, as I did, that for many, many families in this community, this was the closest thing for vacation. I want Marcel’s legacy to live on, I want those things that he believed in and pushed for to resonate with others that are coming aboard.”
When it came to the community, Pelchat’s wife, Robyn, said he loved having an event dedicated to families.
“It was just involving the community, anything to do with families was his thing,” she said. “He was really into his own family and he liked to spread that around the community to everybody else as well.”
Shaw, who died in late 2016, was a part of many things in town.
His wife, Gwen, said he was a sportsman and did everything there was — from running, flying, skiing, hockey to playing ball.
“And this was one of the great events that he enjoyed and he enjoyed it very much,” she said, adding he would have been delighted by the honour.
Lamarche said he played an important part in rallying seniors to participate.
“John was very humble, very quiet, not a boardroom type of guy, but a backroom type of guy,” Lamarche. “He would often come to see me and provide some critical input in terms of how we should be tweaking the challenges that mattered to his age group.”
Shaw was 77 the last time he paddled at the challenge.
“He was still a kid at heart,” recalled Lamarche. “It was very important to recognize and build on that legacy.”
