Canal Dock Boathouse, Inc.

Opening New Haven’s Waterfront for Adventure, Discovery and Growth

The Mission and Vision of Canal Dock

Canal Dock is a newly formed non-profit established to bring the community to New Haven’s waterfront: This includes the historic New Haven Harbor on Long Island Sound, along with the Quinnipiac and Mill Rivers. Canal Dock’s community programs introduce residents to paddle boarding, Dragon boating, kayaking and rowing. More importantly for the future of our community, these programs connect people to the outdoors, the environment, a shared heritage and ultimately to each other.

Our youth programs use rowing machines, watercraft and in some cases competition to encourage young people to develop leadership skills and positive peer relationships. All of Canal Dock programs are designed to be affordable and accessible, particularly to low income communities and communities of color.

Our goal is that Canal Dock will provide a gathering place in a diverse and urban context unparalleled in the State of Connecticut. Its proximity to multiple modes of transportation will attract the diverse population of New Haven and surrounding towns. Most importantly, it will incorporate the waterfront into the identity of the city in a way that has been prevented for decades by transportation infrastructure, providing an opportunity to interpret both the history of the Adee building, collegiate rowing, and the harbor in general.

Please consider supporting Canal Dock by making a tax deductible donation today.

If you wish to donate by check, donations can be sent to:

Canal Dock Boathouse, Inc.
P.O. Box 8442
New Haven, CT 06530

A Most Beautiful Thing

A Virtual Fundraising Event

Attend A Virtual Replay Of The Event

On October 22, 2020 Canal Dock hosted Arshay Cooper, author of the memoir that inspired the documentary, A Most Beautiful Thing and philanthropist and Olympic Rower, Ginny Gilder for a discussion about diversity in sports and the impact of the documentary A Most Beautiful Thing.

The film chronicles the story of the first African American high school rowing team in the nation, made up of young men from the West Side of Chicago. Based on Arshay Cooper’s memoir, the documentary takes a deep dive into the backstories of the young men that founded the Manley High School Rowing Team. It also examines how closing the opportunity gap for underserved youth can have a lasting impact into adulthood. The movie also tackles the difficult topics of intergenerational trauma and violence. The documentary tells a compelling tale of how these young men managed to overcome numerous obstacles and to experience success both on and off the water.

Canal Dock hosted 80 participants, one quarter of which were New Haven Public School students, who participated via an interactive virtual platform. This virtual fundraiser has sparked an increased interest in competitive and recreational rowing and paddling activities among New Haven’s youth. We at Canal Dock are excited to see what the future holds for these young people!

If you were unable to attend on October 22, but still wish to view the event, you can CLICK HERE to purchase a ticket.

“When we were on the water, we were in a place where we couldn’t hear the sound of sirens or bullets, and that allowed us to shape a different vision for ourselves, of who and what we could become. And that was a beautiful thing.”-Arshay Cooper