Action will take place until September 16 on Lake Banook in Nova Scotia.

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

Canadian interest will largely focus on Laurence Vincent-Lapointe, who won three gold medals at last month's World Championships in Montemor-o-Velho in Portugal to take her total global tally to 11.

She was victorious in the C1 women's 5,000 metres, the C1 women's 200m and the C2 women's 500m, alongside Katie Vincent.

Vincent, a bronze medallist in the C1 500m in Portugal, will also be competing in Dartmouth.

Brazil's Isaquias Dos Santos, a double gold medallist at this year's Worlds, will be one to watch out for in men's events.

He won gold in both the C1 and C2 men's 500m, as well as bronze in the C1 1,000m.

Dos Santos won three medals at his home Rio 2016 Olympics and will be joined in Dartmouth by compatriot Igor Tofalini, the men's 200m world champion from Portugal.

"Having just returned to Halifax from the World Championships in Portugal, I am impressed by the calibre of athletes that will be joining us in Dartmouth from across the Americas," said 2018 Pan American Canoe Sprint and Paracanoe Championships co chair, LA Dempster. 

"Paracanoe athletes in particular will be impressive, along with the dominant Canadian women's canoe team." 

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