Update – October 13, 2011
ANNUAL GENERAL MEETING AND GULL RIVER SUMMIT
SATURDAY, OCTOBER 22ND
Whitewater Ontario’s 2011 Annual General Meeting and Gull River Summit will take place on Saturday, October 22nd at the Minden Wild Water Preserve's Roger Parsons Centre. Members of Whitewater Ontario are cordially invited to attend as are interested non-members from within the paddling community.
The Annual General Meeting will commence at 10:30a.m. and, upon completion, be followed by the Gull River Summit. As many of our members know, the two previous Gull River Summits have proven to be important and very successful planning sessions for the Board. By combining the two, we are able to provide a single meeting that will help to celebrate and acknowledge the success of the 2011 paddling season and to begin the necessary planning for 2012.
During the AGM we will be conducting the election for next year's board and I would ask that, as a member of Whitewater Ontario, you consider becoming an active member of our board or be part of any one of our operating committees.
The AGM is scheduled to begin at 10:30a.m. and be completed by 1:00p.m. After a short lunch break (provided) the Gull River Summit begins at 1:30 and will end by 4:00p.m.
We are looking forward to a great turnout and your opportunity to help us set direction for the 2012 paddling season. Hope to see you there!
MINDEN WILD WATER PRESERVE
With fall in full swing, the Preserve and campground is ending one of its most successful years ever. Many thanks to all our visitors and volunteers and especially to the dedicated Preserve Committee.
As a reminder, the lower washrooms and outdoor rinse station at the Roger Parson Centre are now closed for the winter.
The Preserve will be shut down for winter, including closing the front gate, after the October 22nd AGM. However, camping is still available for any hardy fall paddlers.
Whitewater Ontario has just completed a very successful two year pilot project for the operation of a whitewater instructional program at the Minden Wild Water Preserve.
WO recently issued a Request for Proposal for the rental of space at the Roger Parson’s Centre to a service provider for the operation of a whitewater instructional program.
To view the full text of the RFP please visit http://whitewaterontario.ca/the-preserve-news/462-2011-09-19-rfp-announcement.html
There has been recent dialogue about ‘safety concerns’ as posed by fire-rescue-training groups who also use the Gull for their training. WO has been trying to work out how we can avoid the tensions between river access groups and paddlers on the Gull.
As a reminder to our members and the paddling community in general, the Gull River is a public waterway. We respectfully request responsible conduct, tactful communication and respect for the rights of all users of the river by all parties at all times. Thanks for doing your part.
Watch for the Preserve 2011 Year in Review in the upcoming AGM Report.
John Slot
Director, MWWP
ADVOCACY NEWS
The new Ontario Rivers Alliance website is up and worth a read for anyone interested in river access issues in Ontario. Whitewater Ontario has attended their meetings and hopes to be able to offer some financial support to help the organization get themselves up and running.
The Advocacy Committee is currently looking into Lorne access on the Ottawa and trying to negotiate an agreement for recreational paddlers. We will keep members posted on our progress. We are always on the look out for local river advocates so if there is an access issue important to you, consider joining our committee as a river advocate who works on that one river with the support of the WO Advocacy Committee.
Whitewater Ontario will be switching its Facebook page from a group to a page in order to make communication and updates easier. We will be posting regular updates about WO matters and we encourage members to bring suggestions and discussion to the page. Anyone who is currently a member of the WO group, keep an eye out for an invitation to 'like' our new page in the next week or so.
Laura Duncan
Advocacy Committee
THE OTTAWA RIVER RUNNERS NEED YOUR SUPPORT
The Ottawa River Runners are fundraising in order to build a clubhouse/boat storage building at the Pumphouse whitewater site. We have entered the Aviva Community Fund contest and need help by adding your vote. This costs you nothing except a few minutes to register and vote daily.
The Aviva Community Fund has just opened voting, and we have submitted an 'idea' from ORR, to try to win support for building our clubhouse. We are in the medium project category, which could get the club up to $100,000 if we make it into the finals. The first stages of the contest are based on online voting.
Here is how you can help:
We are in Round 1 of voting, each person can vote 15 times, and only 1 time/day.
Step 1: Register on the Aviva Community Fund Website, or log-in through their Facebook Page
Step 2: Search for Idea #11842 or go to http://www.avivacommunityfund.org/ideas/acf11842
Step 3: VOTE for us!
Step 4: Bookmark the page, and return to vote every day that you can
Step 5: Share this with others!
From our idea's page, you can use Facebook, Tweet, or Google+, to share our entry with others.
The key to this contest is to gather a group of voters who will return and keep voting for ORR. Please feel free to pass this on to other paddlers or family/friends who would support us - it would be much appreciated. You can let them know that our clubhouse has been designed, approved, and fundraising has already been going on for years. We are completely committed to getting this building, and $100,000 would make it happen!
Having a building would give us the opportunity to provide so much more to the community that already uses the site, as well as expanding our outreach to get more local kids and adults involved in a fantastic and exciting outdoor sport.
Thanks for your support!
AN INVITATION TO WHITEWATER ONTARIO MEMBERS
Canoe North Adventures would like to invite members of Whitewater Ontario to attend a special event, Legacy Wild, that is being held on October 21st at the Isabel Bader Theatre at Victoria University, University of Toronto. Wendy Cecil, Chancellor of Victoria University, will be the MC for the event. Legacy Wild is a show celebrating Canada's Northern Wilderness and would appeal to our members. If you need more information, please call or email.
Lin Ward and Al Pace
Canoe North Adventures
519-941-6654
www.canoenorthadventures.com
Remember….
ANNUAL GENERAL MEETING AND GULL RIVER SUMMIT
SATURDAY, OCTOBER 22ND
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