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For ten years, paddling events in this country were dominated by Bill Brigden. He competed at an international level, he did so in many different areas of his sport and he did all of this successfully.

Brigden began his claim to paddling fame in 1948 when, as a junior, he placed second in Les Voyageurs Annual Canoe Race from Winnipeg Canoe Club to Lower Fort Garry and back – a total distance of 65 miles. Brigden would later win several titles at this event over the next five years, as a junior and senior.

Though he excelled in these endurance-style races, Brigden was truly a master of the relatively shorter 1,000 and 10,000 metre races. In 1949 Brigden placed second in both Kayak 1 single blade and double blade 1,000 events at the Canadian Canoe Association's Dominion Championships. That year Brigden also finished third in the K1 double blade 10,000 metre race.

The 1950 season was when Brigden served notice on the national scene as he won every event he entered at the Dominion Championships. An even greater showing of dominance occurred the next year as not only did Brigden virtually own the Dominion Championships, he and K2 event partner Jim Nickel won all three races they entered at the Olympic trials. Choosing to enter the K2 double blade event, the pair went to the 1952 Oslo, Norway Olympic Games and placed a remarkable 11th out of the 18 teams that took part.

Following the Olympics, Brigden maintained his control over the Dominion Championships until 1954. Along with partner Don Starkell, he took two long distance titles in the Gold Rush Canoe Race held in Flin Flon – in 1955 over 104 miles and in 1956 over 140 miles.

Bill Brigden was known to his fellow competitors as a hard-working, tireless athlete who had a rare gift – the stamina and endurance to master long events and yet power and strength to win the shorter races.