Our Coaches

Head Coach: Amy Canuel watergirl112@hotmail.com

I am very pleased and excited to be returning to the Ladner Stingrays for my fifth summer. This summer I am stepping into the rather formidable shoes left over from Eric Moore, our Head Coach for the past 3 summers. I am looking forward to all the challenges that I am sure to find as my first summer as Head Coach.

I’ve been involved with swimming for as long as I can remember. My mom had me in waterbabies at only a couple of months and my love for the water and swimming grew from there. It hit me that I have now been involved with BCSSA for 2/3rds of my life, starting out as a swimmer for the Surrey Sea Lions in 1994. I started to volunteer coach at the age of 12 and became a full time coach at the age of 16. That gives me over a decade of being involved with coaching swimming and I still love it as much today as I did that first summer! This will be my eighth summer as a full time coach and I look forward to sharing all my knowledge and experience with our newer coaches.

This past winter I became involved with winter swimming. I have been coaching full time with the Richmond Rapids since September and have been really enjoying the experience. I always love working with other coaches and picking their brains for new techniques, insights, and sets. I’ve been so lucky to get to work with Doug Thompson, having a coach with almost 20 years experience there to pester with questions and watch work is an unbelievable learning experience. Because this is something I do because I love and enjoy it, I am always ready, willing, and able to talk to any parents or swimmers who may have questions, comments, or concerns. It feels like I spend my life at the pool, so as long as I’m not in the middle of coaching I am there for anyone who wants to talk.

As for the rest of my life: I am still slowly working towards my bachelor's degree in History, with a double minor of french & classical studies. Eventually I want to move on and get my Teaching degree (which is, in my mind, just a variation of what i get to do on the pool deck every day during the summer with my swimmers). I am already thinking about this upcoming season and getting excited to be back at my home away from home. I can't wait to get back on the deck and start working towards another great season. I'm sure it will be another great summer, because as far as I am concerned we at Ladner have the best swimmers, coaches and parents in the region. I look forward to seeing you all in May and remember, I am always open to talking with parents and swimmers, whether in person or by e-mail, and I look forward to working with everyone to make this summer the best Ladner's had!

C-ya around the pool!

~Amy


Assistant Head Coach: Melanie Francis melstar2000@hotmail.com

 I am very pleased to be returning this summer, it will be my sixth year coaching for the Ladner Stingrays, and my first year as assistant head coach. I started swimming with the Stingrays 15 years ago and haven't missed a summer! I have completed my NLS, WSI, LSI and have full NCCP Level 1.

In the past, I have coached the Winskill Dolphins Winter Club for two seasons, and one season with the Winskill Otters Masters Swim Team. I have also been coaching with the Ladner Stingrays Winter Maintenance programs for the last seven years.

In the fall I got accepted into BCIT’s nursing program, and began there in January. I am really enjoying the program so far!

I am very excited for the upcoming season: the club had an awesome year last summer and I think this year will be even better! I am looking forward to helping my swimmers reach their full potential and have a fun summer!

Senior Coach: Kelly Smitas tropical_surf085@hotmail.com

Hey Everyone! I’m excited for another season with Ladner! I believe this will be either my seventh or eighth year coaching with the team (I’m starting to lose count)! I am still in school at U.B.C. working towards a degree in Interdisciplinary Studies. My future career goal is to become an elementary school teacher (how fitting, I know)! I have been involved with the Ladner Stingrays as both a swimmer and coach since 1996. I have also had experience coaching the Winskill Dolphins winter team and working as a lifeguard and swim instructor at the L.L.C.. I am a very energetic person and hope to motivate my swimmers to do their best and remain positive at every practice. I plan to set several goals for my groups this summer; commitment and good attendance will help make these goals more attainable. My certifications include NLS, WSI, LSI and NCCP level 1-theory and technical. I look forward to an excellent summer!

Intermediate Coach: Nick Angrignon the_eternal_fro@hotmail.com

After a year off at UVic, I’m really excited to be coming back again this summer for my third year of coaching. Last year was an awesome year, with great effort from swimmers all around, and I hope to see that again this year.

I’m in my first year at UVic, and graduated from D.S.S. last year. UVic has been a great experience, and I’ve met loads of great people and learned a lot (especially that linguistics is NOT for me!). I’m not positive as to whether I’ll be going back to UVic next year yet - I have this crazy urge to travel after hearing of some of the adventures of friends of mine, but I definitely plan on going back and finishing a degree.

I have been with the Ladner Stingrays for more years than I can count, first as a swimmer, then as a junior coach, and finally as a coach. This club has always been an excellent one, with a great atmosphere and environment both on the deck and off, and I think that’s why I’ve stayed with it for so long. A summer without swimming just wouldn’t be the same!

I’m super excited to be back coaching this year. It’s going to be a great year full of crazy meets, great swims, and fun times.

Jr/ Development Coach: Victoria Francis hawaiian_surf99@hotmail.com

I am really excited to be coaching again this summer for the Ladner Stingrays. This will be my second year coaching. I had so much fun last year and I'm looking forward to another great season. Summer swimming has always been a big part of my summer as I have been swimming for the past fifteen years.

I am currently a first year science student at the University of Victoria and I'm working towards a bachelor of Geography.

I am certified with my NLS, standard first aid, CPR C, and my NCCP Level one: theory and technical. I am presently completing the practical part of my NCCP.

This summer I hope to encourage my swimmers to develop a love of swimming and learn the fundamentals for competitive swimming.

Jr/ Development Coach: Alex Montague alexm_is@hotmail.com

I’m very thankful to be re-hired this year as a developmental coach, and I can't wait to start this year’s season. I have some new ideas, and will hopefully be able to improve on my last year’s standard of improvement for the Otters and Little Stingrays. I'm currently in grade 12 at Delta Secondary, and am hoping to continue my education in engineering and applied sciences at either UVIC or UBC.

Last year I was a developmental coach and a little stingrays coach, and before that I’ve helped out as a volunteer coach for the Stingrays in their winter maintenance program and summer season. I am also currently a senior swimmer for the stingrays, and a water polo player for the club’s newly developed team. At Delta Secondary, I took the position as head coach and captain for the high school swim team. As far as coaching goes, I’m still quite new to this, and it's a great opportunity to be able to coach along side the much more experienced and talented coaches the stingrays swim club has to offer. With their influence, I hope to gain valuable teaching skills, and impart this knowledge onto the athletes I coach. My goal is to help each and every one of them reach their full potential, but more importantly have a few laughs, and lots of fun along the way.

Water polo Coach: Leah Canuel redterror2001@hotmail.com

I am looking forward to coaching once again this summer. I am looking forward to attending more tournaments with both age groups, hopefully that we have enough for an older kids team this year. There should be a fair amount of tournaments that we shall be able to attend, and I am looking forward to the kids playing and having fun. We are going to have practices that could combined for a bit with the older kids, which will allow all the kids to have a fun little scrimmage. I can't wait to see all the kids again. This summer is hopefully going to be a blast for me and the kids.

I have graduated from high school, with diplomas in english and french immersion, and I am currently working two jobs, and just looking forward to having fun with coaching at the practices and the tournaments.

I am certified with my NLS, standard first aid, CPR, and am getting my NCCP Level one: theory this coming March.

I hope to see all the same faces as I have in the past, as well as new faces. I will see you all very soon, can't wait to see you all again.