NEWS FROM THE POOL DECK IN OUR QUARTERLY NEWSLETTER The first part of the 2025–2026 season is off to a fantastic start, with outstanding performances and great energy across all levels of our swimming community. Congratulations to all of our athletes on their incredible results so far - including a new National Age Group Relay Record by HTAC! A sincere thank you to our dedicated coaches for their commitment to swimmer development, to our officials and volunteers for keeping events running smoothly, and to our Club Boards for their continued support and leadership, and, of course, to the Swim Nova Scotia Board for their ongoing oversight, guidance, and dedication to our community. We’d also like to recognize and thank our Club Registrars for their incredible attention to detail and dedication in ensuring all members were registered in time for competitions - we truly appreciate your time and effort navigating REMS! And a big thank you to our Meet Managers who have embraced the new meet functionality in REMS this fall and continue to help meets run seamlessly alongside our Officials! Behind the scenes, Swim Nova Scotia continues to advance key initiatives in facility development and improvement. We’re looking forward to launching our provincial facility feasibility study report in the new year, and to rolling out some exciting new events - including our first-ever combined AA/AAA Short Course Championship in March, leading into the 2026 East Coast Championships. It’s been a strong start to the season, and we’re looking forward to carrying this momentum into 2026 as we continue to build excellence, collaboration, and community across Nova Scotia. | NEW NATIONAL AGE GROUP RELAY RECORD FALLS! | Congratulations to Ainsley MacPherson, Lily Zwicker, Sophia Stade & Margaret Stewart (HTAC) for a new Short Course Female National Age Group Relay Record at HTAC Time Trial #1! 🇨🇦 11-12 400m Freestyle Relay SCM 4:02.77 | Congratulations to Halifax Trojan, Margaret Stewart for a new Individual Record at HTAC Time Trial #1: - 12 & Under 100m Freestyle SCM 59.24
| | | Congratulations to Halifax Trojan, Sophia Stade for a new Individual Record at AGD #1: 12 & Under 100m Individual Medley SCM 1:09.15 | | | Congratulations to Ainsley MacPherson, Lily Zwicker, Sophia Stade & Margaret Stewart (HTAC) for the following new Short Course Female Provincial Relay Records at AGD #1! - 12 & Under 200m Freestyle Relay 1:52.61 - 12 & Under 800m Freestyle Relay 9:06.89 - 12 & Under 200m Medley Relay 2:04.52 | | | Congratulations to Arwen Middleton Meakin, Vita Goricanec, Addison Myers, Mary-Ellen Holland (HTAC) for a new Short Course Female Provincial Relay Record at AGD #1! - 13-14 200m Medley Relay SCM 2:03.08
| | | Congratulations to Jack Quinton, Brody MacPherson, Alferd Lai, Ethan Daniel (HTAC) for a new Short Course Male Provincial Relay Record at AGD #1! - 15-17 200m Medley Relay 1:47.67
| | | Congratulations to Dal Tiger, Quinn Nolan for a new Individual Record at the AUS Invitational! - Open 100m Individual Medley SCM 57.33
| | | Congratulations to Truro Centurion, Kai Todd for a new Individual Record at the Candy Cane Invitational! - 12 & Under 50m Backstroke SCM 31.43
| | | NOVA SCOTIA AT THE 2025 WORLD AQUATICS SWIMMING WORLD CUP Nova Scotia swimmers competed at the final leg of the 2025 World Aquatics Swimming World Cup in Toronto, joining over 300 athletes from 103 clubs across the country. Congratulations to Nova Scotia’s top swimmers for their performances!! 👏 Here’s how they performed: 👊Mia Stein-Blumberg (DAL): 17th 200m Fly 👊Alexia Morgans (DAL): 23rd 200m Fly 👊Yannick Morgans (DAL): 13th 1500m Free 👊Emilie Schofield (DAL): 14th 400m IM, 19th 200m IM, 28th 200m Back 👊Morgan Sparkes (DAL): 14th 1500m Free, 29th 400m Free, 31st 400m IM 👊Brody MacPherson (HTAC): 42nd 100m Breast Congratulations to all athletes who represented the province!! | | | | Masters Skills Camp #1 Freestyle Swim Nova Scotia and Dalhousie Tigers co-hosted the first Masters Skills Camp of the season on October 18th, bringing together 17 Masters swimmers from across the province for a focused session on freestyle starts, turns, and overall technique improvement. | | | | Masters Skills Camp #2 Breaststroke On November 15th, 16 Masters swimmers joined Coaches Lance Cansdale and Liam Ferguson for an afternoon dedicated to perfecting their breaststroke technique.The session focused on refining streamline, timing, and overall efficiency in the water, giving participants valuable tools to take their swimming to the next level. It was a fun and productive day of learning, teamwork, and skill development for our Masters community! | | | 2025 DAVID FRY MEMORIAL BURSARY RECIPIENT We would like to congratulate this year’s recipients of the David Fry Memorial Bursary – John Cluett from Dalhousie University. The David Fry Memorial Bursary honours the lasting legacy of David Fry, a coach, mentor, and leader whose passion and dedication continue to inspire swimmers across Nova Scotia. A graduate of Dartmouth High School, John has shown outstanding commitment both in and out of the pool. A six-time Principal’s List recipient, 2024 Swim Nova Scotia Academic Excellence Award winner, and active community volunteer, John exemplifies balance, perseverance, and leadership. In the pool, John is a provincial record holder, a two-time HTAC Top Male Swimmer, and a proud member of the Swim Nova Scotia NextGen Program. This fall, he began studying Medical Sciences at Dalhousie University, where he also competes with the Dalhousie Tigers Varsity Swim Team. John’s passion, discipline, and dedication reflect the very spirit of David Fry’s legacy - a commitment to excellence and love for the sport. Congratulations, John! | | | | 🏊♀️ Nova Tech Meets: - Nova Tech #1: North (PCM), South (YW), Central (SWAT)
- Nova Tech #2: North (CBD), South (GDSC), Central (HTAC
| | | | 🏊♂️ Age Group Development Meets: - Dal Sprint & Relays (DAL)
- Distance Meets: North (TCSC), South (GDSC), Central (HTAC)
- AGD #3 (SWAT)
- Candy Cane Invitational Meet (TCSC/SNS)
| | | | 🏊♀️ Varsity Meets: - AUS Invitational #1 (DAL)
- AUS Kemp-Fry Invitational (DAL)
| | | SWIM NS NEXT GEN PROVINCIAL PROGRAM Swim Nova Scotia is proud to announce the selection of six athletes to the 2025-2026 Next Gen Program. Congratulations to Ethan Daniel (HTAC), Harvey Hadley (KES), Eugene Legge (SWAT), Brody MacPherson (HTAC), Mary-Ellen Holland (HTAC), and Mikaela van den Berg (HTAC) on being named to this year’s roster. This refined selection process identified targeted athletes to receive financial support for enhanced competitive opportunities, including video analysis and coach mentorship. The initiative continues to strengthen the link between swimmer and coach development, helping our athletes reach the next level of performance and excellence across the province while supporting club programming. | 2025 TEAM AQUATIC SUPPLIES ATLANTIC SWIM COACHES CONFERENCE A HUGE SUCCESS! 📚 The 2025 Team Aquatic Supplies Atlantic Swim Coaches Conference brought together more than 30 coaches from across Atlantic Canada for three inspiring days of learning, collaboration, and professional growth. This year’s conference focused on practical strategies for building sustainable, high-performing swim programs and offered coaches the chance to learn directly from some of the nation’s top leaders in the sport. Keynote and guest sessions were led by Carl Simonson (Univeersity of Calgary Swim Club) on Foundations of Building a Program, Keishia Mills (Push Fitness/Dal Tigers/HTAC) on Strength & Conditioning for Swimmers, and Chris Roberts (Mount Pearl Marlins/Memorial University Seahawks) on Program Leadership and Culture. Across the weekend, coaches engaged in technical presentations, guided discussions, and networking opportunities - blending structured learning with open dialogue to foster mentorship and strengthen connections within the Atlantic coaching community. | | NEXT GEN COACHES PROGRAM LAUNCHED! Earlier this season, Swim NS launched a professional development program designed to enhance technical, tactical, and leadership skills among select Nova Scotia coaches. This initiative focuses on building long-term athlete performance through improved efficiency, aerobic development, and transformational coaching. The program is led by Lance Cansdale, Swim Nova Scotia’s Technical Director, in collaboration with Martin Gingras, Swimming Canada’s National Coach for Programming and Coach Development and includes three two-hour virtual sessions with assignments assigned to everyone in between this fall and will continue in the new year. Identified coaches: Chris Cormier (HTAC), Phil Hadley (KES), Matt Pederson (SWAT), Meagan Todd (TCSC). | SUPPORTING OUR CLUB LEADERS Coaches Swim Nova Scotia’s Technical Director, Lance Cansdale continues to bring coaches together each month for his popular Tech Talks with Lance series - a space for learning, discussion, and sharing best practices across the province. These sessions have become a valuable touchpoint for professional growth and collaboration, with coaches from across the province regularly attending. Each conversation focuses on practical ways to enhance coaching techniques, athlete development, and program delivery - helping to build a stronger, more connected coaching community across Nova Scotia. Club Boards & Presidents This season, Swim Nova Scotia continued to strengthen collaboration and communication with club leaders through two key meetings - a Club Presidents Session in October and a joint session including Club Presidents and Head Coaches in December. These sessions provided valuable opportunities to share updates, exchange ideas, and review swimmer retention statistics while identifying opportunities for continued improvement and club development. We are incredibly grateful for the dedication and leadership of our Club Presidents and Board members, who work tirelessly behind the scenes to support their teams, coaches, and communities. We remain committed to working closely with our club leaders to ensure the ongoing growth and success of our clubs across the province. Together, we’re building a stronger, more connected swimming community! | THANK YOU OFFICIALS & VOLUNTEERS!🙏🏼 A huge thank you to all of our officials who have volunteered their time and expertise so far this season to ensure the success of our swim meets across the province. Your dedication and professionalism help create a fair, safe, and enjoyable environment for all swimmers to perform at their best. We’d also like to extend special thanks to our Officials Leadership Team - Kelley Polley, Diane MacKenzie, and Maureen Nolan for their continued commitment to mentoring and supporting our next generation of officials. Your guidance and leadership are instrumental in keeping our officiating community strong and thriving. Thank you for everything you do to make our sport better! | | SWIM NOVA SCOTIA FACILITY FEASIBILITY STUDY... Swim Nova Scotia, in partnership with the Recreation Facilities Association of Nova Scotia (RFANS) and with support from the Province of Nova Scotia, launched a provincial swimming pool infrastructure feasibility study in late June. The report is now being finalized and will be ready for distribution early in the New Year. The goal of this project is to assess the current condition, sustainability, and future viability of aquatic facilities across Nova Scotia to ensure long-term access to pools that meet both recreational and competitive needs. The study is being led by Aquatic Associates, a nationally recognized consulting firm specializing in aquatic facility planning and development. With support from RFANS, data collection took place for all 55 pools across the province over the summer. In September, we launched a survey with Swim Nova Scotia members to gather input on the training and competition needs of our clubs-now and into the future. | 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: - AA/NT #3 Meets North, South, Central - January 25 and/or 26th
- AAA #1 - January 30-31st
- Masters Skills Camp #3 (Backstroke) - February 7th
- AA/NT #4 Meets North, South, Central - February 24 and/or 25th
- AAA #2 - February 21st
- Masters Invitational - February 22nd
- AA/AAA Winter Champs - March 5 or 6-8th
- HALT Masters Invitational - March 16th
- Maine Provincial Tour Team - March 12-16th
- East Coast Champs - March 26-29th
2025-2026 Schedule of Events & Competition Information Stay tuned for more details and updates through Club Contacts! | HAVE A SAFE & ENJOYABLE HOLIDAY SEASON! ❄️☃️ From all of us at Swim Nova Scotia, we extend our warmest wishes for a wonderful holiday season and a successful year ahead! Thank you to everyone that has contributed to a successful season so far! We look forward to welcoming you back to the pool deck in 2026!! The Swim Nova Scotia office will be closed on December 19th and will re-open on January 5th. Stay tuned for our next edition of our quarterly newsletter in early April! | | | | |
