| WHITEWATER ONTARIO UPDATE-JUNE 30, 2010 | |||
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WHITEWATER ONTARIO RECEIVES DONATION FROM HOHW Whitewater Ontario was the recent recipient of a generous donation from the Hell or High Water organizers to support river access issues. The Hell or High Water event on the Petawawa River was a huge success both this year and last year and draws attention to the river access issues that the river faces. We would like to thank the organizers of this event and for the generous donation and commend them for their hard work for such a worthy cause. For more information on the event check out their website: http://www.liquidlore.com/hohw/race.html But the hard work continues.... The HOHW organizers are planning to set up a booth at the forthcoming Canada Day celebrations in Petawawa to raise public awareness of the proposed damming of the river and collect signatures for a petition. They extend an invitation to all Whitewater Ontario members in the Petawawa area to drop by the booth and sign the petition. Please drop in and help with this worthy cause.
As most Whitewater Ontario members are aware, the 2010 version of GullFest has been cancelled due to lower than expected water levels. Let’s hope for a strong and robust return in 2011. With minimal snow fall this winter, and no precipitation in March, April or May, water systems are extremely low across the province, but good paddling is still to be found on the following whitewater runs: Madawaska River: Palmer Rapids - has become a popular destination this summer with it being the narrowest section along the 240km Madawaska River. Present flows are 25cms, but weekly updates can be found at MKC's gauge page: http://www.owl-mkc.ca/gauge_page.htm Middle Madawaska - flows are planned for Tuesday through Thursdays to support downstream recreational needs. Lower Madawaska River (aka Snake rapids) - the same flow going through the Palmer Rapids Dam runs through this section of the Madawaska River and is a great day trip for Novice to Intermediate whitewater paddlers. The take-out at Buck Bay has been expanded and the road re-built thanks to the support of numerous river users and a valuable grant from MEC. Find out more at: Don't Mess with the Mad: http://www.boundlessadventures.org/mad/index.html Ottawa River: The water on the Ottawa is warm and at amazing summer levels. Check the levels on the OWL gauge: http://www.owl-mkc.ca/gauge_page.htm
INSTRUCTOR UPDATE We are in the process of organizing two new L2I2 courses for OKS and Paddler Co-op. Watch for dates in July and August. The next Leader / Instructor courses are scheduled for: Leader2 - July 30/31 Leader2/Instructor2 - July 30-August 2 More information is available on the WO website: http://www.whitewaterontario.ca/programs/instructor/instructor-certification-course-dates.html Just click on the Instructor Certification link.
MEMBERSHIP We have been working together with the website team to get our club information updated and to identify those clubs which offer Learn 2 Kayak programs so that visitors to the website can see the various avenues into paddling available - commercial members, clubs, intro courses etc. If you are part of a club and your information is not up on this page (http://www.whitewaterontario.ca/community/clubs.html), encourage your club executive to contact Donna to get the information posted.
INSURANCE FAQ’S POSTED ON WEBSITE Details of the new Whitewater Ontario insurance policy have been posted on the WO web site. This has important details for members and for those participating in sanctioned events. The documents can be accessed from the main page under PROGRAMS -> INSURANCE. Please feel free to forward any questions you might have to Steve Pomeroy ( This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it )
Come visit the Preserve this summer and see the changes and look to the property. The long awaited outdoor shower for the Preserve is nearing completion! The building has a fresh appearance thanks to Connor who patched and painted the interior. Screen doors on the washrooms will now keep the bugs out although this has been a lean year for the pesky critters. Members of the Preserve Committee are keeping up the tradition of introducing new kayakers to the sport by holding Opportunities for Youth Paddling Camp July 10-11. Come out and help or just enjoy the river and camping. As a reminder to all campers, please do not remove the fire pits from their current locations as it leaves a mess and kills vegetation over a large area.
Whitewater Ontario recently received this email from member David Walker: Hi: I was just looking at the Whitewater Ontario website. I just thought that I'd check it to see if there was anything new. I don't do that often because in the past nothing much seemed to change and the info was usually out of date. Usually, the Boatwerks Boaterboard seems to be the place to keep up with what is going on in the paddling community. Well I got quite a surprise this time! Lots of new, up to date information. Some one has been putting a lot of hard work into the site and I just want to let them know that I appreciate it. Well done! I'm sending an email to rest of my club to tell them to check it out. Dave Walker President, Georgian Bay Kayak Club *Thank you Dave for taking the time to let us know what you think. We have had a great response from members who are able to volunteer at the upcoming Canadian National Whitewater Slalom Championships being held at the Gull July 31- August 1. Contact Jim Tayler ( This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it ) and Doug Corkery ( This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it ) if you think you may be able to help out that weekend.
Three Whitewater Ontario slalom paddlers who are members of our National Junior A team are now in Foix, France preparing for the 2010 Junior World Championships. Michael Tayler (K1), Rachael Penman (K1W) and Alexandra McGee (C1W) are proudly representing Canada at this important international competition and we wish them all the best when competition gets underway July 10th.
In the next few weeks we will be mailing out our newly minted Whitewater Ontario stickers that will look great on your boat. To keep mailing costs to a minimum we are sending the stickers to our clubs and commercial members for distribution. If you have an individual membership and are not affiliated with a member club just email Donna at This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it and we will do our best to get some stickers sent out to you. We are also in the process of ordering some new Whitewater Ontario long and short sleeved shirts. We will have them at the Nationals on the August long weekend and plan to keep a supply at the Gull. We are not quite ready to take orders but as we move through this first step we will identify ways to increase distribution. Have a great summer on the water! |