Armelle VAN HAUWAERT and Peter STOKX from "Canad" company (Belgium).

Armelle and Peter are joining us from Belgium to take part in the Festival and lead several canoe technique workshops. They have been running and teaching at the canoe school Canad.be for over 30 years. These two trilingual paddlers are passionate canoe professionals who have turned their passion into their profession. Together with their team, they teach and guide more than 300 paddlers every year. They are instructors with the American Canoe Association (ACA) and have also trained in Québec.

Each year, Peter is joined by one member of their team to lead the workshops. Last year you met Fred, and this year Steve is joining them. Steve is also trilingual and has been guiding and coaching with Canad.be for 15 years. He completed his training within the team with an additional year in Canada (Vancouver), where he became certified in outdoor recreation and adventure tourism.

After guiding trips and expeditions in Norway for more than 20 years, they decided to work more locally and now focus primarily on training. They offer canoe courses at all levels—on flatwater and whitewater—in Belgium (the Ardennes) and abroad, either with a sporty approach or with a focus on travel and discovery.

Competition is not what drives their work. Those who learn to paddle with them are taught the trapper’s way of life: respect for nature and the team, camp life, and safety. They also coach tailor-made teams preparing for expeditions to Canada, Scandinavia, and beyond, working on technique, safety, teamwork, and environmental awareness.

Their website: Canad.be