This article needs to be updated. Please help update this article to reflect recent events or newly available information. (October 2013)

The Toronto International Dragon Boat Race Festival (TIDBRF), is an annual dragon boat race and cultural event, first held in Toronto, Ontario, Canada in 1989. It developed from the Toronto Chinese Business Association held in Toronto, Ontario. An associated festival highlights Asian and other culture in Toronto.

Venue

Races were originally held at the Ontario Place West Channel at Ontario Place, and since 2007 races have taken place in the Main Channel at Centre Island, one of the Toronto Islands. The Main Channel race course is 500 metres (550 yd) long and six lanes wide.

Format and Rules

Races occur over two days. Once separated into Community and Corporate categories, races were combined into the following categories for the 18th (2006) festival:

• Premier Mixed (at least 8 women)
• Premier Women (all women)
• Junior Mixed (at least 8 girls)

In addition to divisional finals seeded by aggregate time from two heats, there are also industry finals for teams representing groups in certain categories. In 2006, these were:

• Community groups
• Non-profit groups and charities
• Universities
• Other education groups
• Hospitals
• Industries
• Breast cancer survivors
• Technology & Communications companies
• Pharmaceutical companies

References

• Toronto Star GTA Section June 25. 2005 B3

External links

• Official Website
• Toronto Chinese Business Association - principal organizer
• Dragon Boat Canada
• Dragon Boat Net - The Paddlers Site
• Dragon Boat World Magazine - The World's Leading Dragon Boat Magazine