Vernice won in 3min 45.839sec on Lake Banook in Dartmouth, Nova Scotia, with silver going to home paddler Brian Malfesi, who clocked 3:49.407.

Cuba's Fidel Duany took bronze in 3:52.075.

Michelle Russell struck home gold in the women's K1 500m event, clocking 1:56.783 ahead of Cuba's Yureni Herrera, who recorded 1:59.319, and Brazil's Ana Vergutz, who clocked 2:01.557.

Mexico's Karina Morales and Beatriz Fragoza won the senior women's K2 1,000m in 3:57.875 over Canada's Natalie Davidson and Alexa Irvin, who clocked 4:02.057.

Third place went to Samantha Barlow and Kaitlyn McElroy of the United States who timed in at 4:04.813.

Canada's Nicholas Matveev and Pierre-Luc Poulin gave the home crowd more cause for celebration as they won the men's K2 500m event in 1:37.043, with Argentina's Juan Cacares and Abraham Dietz taking silver in 1:37.189 in front of Mexico's Osbaldo Juarez and Javier Quintero who ended in 1:42.305.

There are 16 participating countries in the event including Mexico, Cuba, Argentina and Chile.

In all, 350 athletes from both North and South America are taking part, including 73 paddlers from the host nation.

In many disciplines, the Championships will serve as a qualifier for the 2019 Pan American Games in Lima.