WELCOME TO OUR SECOND QUARTERLY NEWSLETTER We’re excited to bring you the latest updates from across the province! In this edition, you’ll find highlights from recent competitions, exciting initiatives, and inspiring stories that celebrate the incredible achievements of our athletes, coaches, and officials. Thank you for being part of our swimming community—dive in and enjoy! | A FANTASTIC START TO 2025🎉🎉 2025 is off to an incredible start! The year has already been packed with exciting competitions, championships, and impactful provincial team initiatives. We’re also thrilled to share that Swimming Canada has recognized some of our outstanding members for their remarkable contributions and achievements. What an inspiring way to kick off the year! | | | 🏊♀️ Nova Tech Meets: - Nova Tech #3: North (PHAST) South (GDSC) Central (HTAC)
- Nova Tech #4:North (PCM) South (YW) Central (DCSC)
| | | | 🏊♂️ Age Group Development Meets: - AA #1 (DCSC)
- AAA #1 (SNS)
- AA #2 (SWAT)
- AAA #2 (SNS)
- AA Winter Champs (WTSC/SNS)
- AAA Winter Champs (HTAC/SNS)
- East Coast Championships (SNS)
| | | | 🏊♀️ Masters Meets: - Invitational #3(TRU)
- Invitational #4 (SNS)
- LCM Invit #5 (HALT)
| | | CHAMPIONSHIP SEASON WRAP UP 👏 | | | AA WINTER CHAMPS A thank you to the Wolfville Tritons Swim Club for working with Swim NS in co-hosting this terrific event! 🙏 Congratulations to our High Point Winners! 12 & Under Females: - Grace Baxter (YW)
- Erica Roberts (SWAT)
- Leah Dondale (WTSC)
12 & Under Males: - Elliott Vacon (YW)
- Wyatt MacKeigan (WTSC)
- Finley MacDonald (PCM)
13-14 Females: - Gracie-Lynn Ennis (TCSC)
- Lola Bonaparte (PCM)
- Kaye Wilson (HTAC)
13-14 Males: - Charlie Laceby (WTSC)
- Henry Oakley (PCM)
- Lochlan MacRae (WTSC)
15 & Over Females: - Sophie Hannah (PHAST)
- Sophie Langley (PHAST)
- Isla Corkum (PHAST)
15 & Over Males: - Gerrit Versteeg (PHAST)
- Keagan Hillier (CBD)
- Julien Gingras (KES)
Congratulations to the WolfvilleTritons Swim Club for earning the Team Spirit Award and bringing lots of great energy to the deck all weekend long!! 🎉 | | | AAA WINTER CHAMPS A thank you to the Halifax Trojan Aquatic Club for working with Swim NS in co-hosting this terrific event! 🙏 Congratulations to our High Point Winners! 12 & Under Females: 12 & Under Males: 13-14 Females: 13-14 Males: 15 & Over Females: 15 & Over Males: Female Swim of the Meet: Male Swim of the Meet: | | | EAST COAST CHAMPS A thank you to all officials and volunteers for helping run terrific championship events🙏 Congratulations to our High Point Winners! 12 & Under Females: 12 & Under Males: 13-14 Females: 13-14 Males: 15 & Over Females: - Julie Nolan-McCarthy (HTAC)
15 & Over Males: Female Swim of the Meet: - Emma Carrier-Clarke (DAL)
Male Swim of the Meet: Top Overall Female Team: HTAC Top Overall Male Team: HTAC Top Overall Team: HTAC | | THANK YOU OFFICIALS! As our first championship window wraps up, we want to extend a big thank you to all the officials who gave their time and expertise to support our events. Your dedication is essential to the success of our meets, and we’re very grateful for everything you do to make competitive swimming possible. We couldn’t do it without you! | | PROVINCIAL RECORDS FALL! Congratulations to Halifax Trojan Swimmer Brody MacPherson for achieving the following new Long Course Provincial Records! - 13-14 50m Breaststroke 31.40 & 30.66
- 13-14 100m Breaststroke 1:09.13, 1:08.65 & 1:07.87
- 13-14 200m Breaststroke 2:31.23 & 2:29.14
| | | Congrats to the Female 12 & Under 800m Freestyle Relay 9:38.52 (HTAC) for their new Record! Margaret Stewart Sophia Stade Ainsley MacPherson Hannah Greek | | | Congrats to the 13-14 400m Medley Relay (HTAC) 4:26.26 for their new Record! Ben Iwasaki Brody MacPherson Samuel Murphy Henry Bretzler | | | Congratulations to the Halifax Trojan Aquatic Club for achieving the following new Short Course Provincial Records: Male 13-14 Male 200m Medley Relay 1:54.21 Ben Iwasaki Brody MacPherson Samuel Murphy Benjamin Nguyen | | | Congrats to the Female 12 & Under 200m Medley Relay 2:08.44 (HTAC) Sophia Stade Anna Rivers-Bowerman Ainsley MacPherson Margaret Stewart | | | WINTER PROVINCIAL EVENTS: BUILDING SKILLS ACROSS ALL LEVELS This winter, we continued to host diverse provincial initiatives, offering opportunities for swimmers and coaches alike to enhance their skills and knowledge. These events reflect Swim NS's commitment to fostering excellence across all levels of swimming, from developing young athletes to supporting lifelong learning for Masters swimmers and coaches. | | | 🏊♀️ February Masters Skills Camps: In partnership with the Dalhousie Tigers, Masters swimmers attended one camp. Our third camp focused on backstroke, offering participants the chance to sharpen their technique and improve performance. | | | 🏊♀️ February Next Gen Camp: Led by Technical Director, Lance Cansdale, this camp had something to offer everyone. The camp objectives were to build off the previous NG and Distance Camps with a focus on efficiencies and the balance between stroke rates and stroke counts. And at the end of the water session, we also spend a good bit of time on the dive start, especially on the push-off and entry to focus on carrying speed into the water. We finished the day with a presentation on “Energy for the Week”, where we examined the food, recovery, and sleep necessary for a consistent week of training. | | MAINE PROVINCIAL TOUR TEAM! Congratulations to all members of the 2025 Maine Provincial Tour Team for a terrific weekend of racing at the 2025 Maine Winter Swimming Championships!! Swim Nova Scotia sent a team of 51 swimmers from 9 different clubs across the province along with 4 coaches. Swimmers earned 57 medals over the 3 1/2 day meet that took place at Bowdoin College in Brunswick, Maine. Special congratulations to the following swimmers for their outstanding accomplishments: - Sophia Stade–1st place 11-12 High Point Female
- Maggie Stewart–2nd place 11-12 High Point Female
- Maria Legge–3rd place 11-12 High Point Female
Nova Scotia finished 2nd place Overall Team and was the 2nd place Female Team! Many thanks to Maine State Swimming & Bowdoin College for hosting an amazing swim meet and to our incredible coaching staff for leading another successful provincial team initiative – Lance Cansdale, Angela MacAlpine, Meghan Todd & Daniel Sutherland! | | CONGRATULATIONS TO KRIS BELL & LANCE CANSDALE! Swim Nova Scotia is proud to celebrate Kris Bell, named Women's Coach of the Year, and Lance Cansdale, named Men's Coach of the Year at the 2025 Bell Atlantic University Swimming Championships this past weekend! Their dedication, leadership, and passion for the sport continue to inspire athletes and elevate university swimming in Nova Scotia. | On International Women's Day, we celebrated our athletes, coaches, officials and volunteers whoe are shaping the future of swimming in Nova Scotia! Your dedication, leadership and passion strengthen our sport and inspire the next generation! Our sport continues to grow because of the women who push boundaries, break records and build community - both in and out of the pool! Thank you for spending the day with us! | | CELEBRATING OUR LEADERSHIP 👏 | | | Diane MacKenzie- Ken Filippelli Award for Excellence in Officiating for 2023-24! This well-deserved recognition highlights Diane's contributions to the sport of swimming. Her ability to contribute meaningfully to meets at all levels (small market to large) has been truly inspiring. Being described by the Executive Director of Swim Nova Scotia, as a "cornerstone in the province" perfectly captures her significant impact on our community. As an international official, she has also brought great pride to the Canadian swimming family, showcasing your expertise and professionalism internationally. Diane's dedication to fostering collegiality, collaboration, and respect among all members of the swimming community has created a positive and inclusive environment that serves as a model for others. Her unwavering commitment to excellence and her broader contributions to the sport at every level embody the values that this award celebrates. Congratulations Diane! Your passion and dedication elevate our sport, and we are so fortunate to have you as such an integral part of our community. Swimming Canada Announcement | | | | Lance Cansdale- 2024 Volunteer Contribution Award A true leader in Canadian swimming, Lance Cansdale has been recognized with Swimming Canada’s Volunteer Contribution Awardfor his unwavering dedication and impact on the sport—both in and out of the pool. From shaping the future of swim coaching as President of the Canadian Swimming Coaches Association (CSCA) to leading Dalhousie University’s swim teams and serving as Swim Nova Scotia’s Technical Director, Lance’s passion for swimming is unmatched. His leadership has helped coaches nationwide stay connected, educated, and supported—ensuring the sport continued to thrive. Swimming Canada Announcement | | | Empowering Women in Swim Coaching: Brunch & Learn for Growth and Leadership Swim Nova Scotia is proud to launch a new initiative designed to support, connect, and empower female swim coaches across the province. This program offers structured learning and networking opportunities focused on mentorship, professional development, and leadership growth in a welcoming and inclusive environment. Our first Brunch & Learn session took place during the 2025 East Coast Championships and brought together coaches to share experiences, build connections, and engage in meaningful conversations around coaching pathways and leadership in sport. We are grateful to Coach Mikayla Tyrrell for sharing her experiences as part of SNC's Women in Coaching Project! We’re excited to continue offering these valuable sessions throughout the year and look forward to growing a stronger, more connected community of female swim coaches across Nova Scotia and our Region. | | HELP SAVE ACADIA UNIVERSITY POOL Acadia University has announced the closure of its pool, citing maintenance concerns. Following a detailed review of the engineering reports commissioned by Acadia, we have found no immediate structural concerns that would require an abrupt closure. Instead, the reports highlight typical maintenance and capital renewal needs that are common for a facility of this age. Despite multiple attempts to engage with Acadia’s administration, our offers to collaborate on a State of Good Repair Assessment have not been acknowledged or accepted. This assessment would help clarify real maintenance needs and identify a practical approach to keeping the pool operational until a replacement facility is in place. Advocacy Efforts & Next Steps We continue to explore all available avenues, including: - Working with the province to initiate a feasibility study on pools across Nova Scotia to assess long-term facility needs.
- Engagement with local municipalities, with more details expected to be shared in April.
- Seeking additional meetings with Acadia leadership to push for transparency and collaboration.
How You Can Help Please continue advocating by reaching out to government officials and Acadia University - visit our webpage for letter templates and further advocacy information. Link to Save Acadia Pool Page | ADVOCATING FOR AQUATIC INFRASTRUCTURE ACROSS NOVA SCOTIA Swim Nova Scotia continues to advocate for infratstructure across the province - stay tuned for updates in April on what's been going on in HRM, Yarmouth and Queen's County along with other province wide initiatives that are underway! Swim Nova Scotia Facilities Information Page | MARK YOUR CALENDERS - MORE EXCITING EVENTS TO COME! Get ready for more exciting events this season! From competitions to development camps and professional development opportunities, there's something for everyone in our Swim NS community. Don’t miss out on the action—check out what’s coming up and join us poolside! 📅 Upcoming Events: - Coaches Honor Roll - April 2025 (social media release coming soon)
- Tech Talks with Lance – April 2nd, 2025
- Masters Skills Camp- Butterfly/IM (DAL/SNS) - April 5th, 2025
- NT #5 (PHAST/WTSC/SWAT) – April 5th or 6th, 2025
- Canadian Senior Open (SNC) - April 10-12th, 2025
- AAA/AA #5 (SWAT) – April 26-27th, 2025
- NS Masters Provincial Championships (DW) – May 3rd, 2025
- Tech to Best Camp – May 3rd, 2025
Stay tuned for more details and updates through Club Contacts! | | | | |
