Nova Scotia ties best ever medal count at Canada Games

Led by a strong contingent of paddlers, Nova Scotia tied its best total of medals at the Canada Summer Games this year.

Nova Scotia placed fifth in the overall medals standings with 56 medals, including 22 gold, at the games in Niagara, Ont., from Aug. 6 to 21. 

Dartmouth's Lily Baert led the Nova Scotia canoe/kayak team by winning six of the team's 34 medals.

"It was a lot of fun and it was a cool event because as paddlers we don't normally compete with a lot of other athletes in different sports," said Baert, a 20-year-old member of the Senobe Aquatic Club on Dartmouth's Lake Banook.

"I had six races and I was hoping to medal in each of them and I was pretty happy when I did."

Every paddler on the Nova Scotia team brought home at least one medal from the games. Jacy Grant of Wellington, Alex MacNeil of Timberlea, Eric Chouinard of Cole Harbour and Ian Gaudet of Dartmouth all won five medals each.

Many Nova Scotia athletes set new provincial records and recorded personal bests at the games.

"We are absolutely glowing and extremely proud of our athletes and coaches," said Lori Lancaster, the chef de mission for Team Nova Scotia. "Coming out of the pandemic I think these athletes performed well above expectations because there were no tournaments and training was somewhat halted."

Team Nova Scotia also won more team medals than ever before.

Nova Scotia won silver in men's softball. They lost to Ontario in the final after going undefeated in the tournament up to that point, including two earlier wins against Ontario.

"In the final there were a few pretty hard hit balls where they made some pretty nice plays on and if some of those had gotten through, I think it would have been a different result," said David Watson, a