Lac La Peche Day Trip Report
On Saturday, August 1st five club members and one guest enjoyed a day’s canoeing and kayaking on Lac La Peche in Gatineau Park. After a short delay occasioned by two different identifications of the “put in” location, we found ourselves quite delighted with both the setting and the company for our outing. Lac La Peche is a relatively large lake. It was a bright summer’s day with periodic cloud cover as a welcome respite to the 30-degree maximum temperature. There was a very gentle breeze to offer ideal paddling conditions. We enjoyed a brief stop for lunch, and several of our group enjoyed a couple of swims in lovely warm water. We saw and heard several loons and one turkey vulture, viewed numerous water lilies and cardinal flowers in bloom, and met up with a great many other swimmers, canoeists, kayakers, and stand-up paddle-boarders. Unexpectedly meeting old friends and fellow water enthusiasts was a pleasant surprise and addition for at least one of our group, and several of us made plans for another excursion next week.
Submitted by James H
Chaffey’s Locks to Jones’ Falls Trip
By Kathy E
On Saturday, July 18, 10 people (four canoes and two kayaks) set out to do a section of the Rideau Canal System. The drive was 1 ½ hours long to Chaffey’s Locks. As we had nine vehicles, parking was going to be a problem. Our intrepid leader, Paul, approached the lock master and received permission to park behind the museum, which was very handy as the put-in was not too far away. We were on the water by 10:00 and proceeded to follow the channel to our next lock station, Davis Locks. This we portaged and headed to find a swimming spot. An island was available and we took a well-deserved, and some might have said, a well-needed swim (the temperature was high and the humidity higher!!) We headed on to Jones Falls where we found a shady spot for lunch.
FW Canoe Skills Coaching: works a treat!
Thanks to volunteer extraordinaire, Mark S, for coming up with the idea of offering evening informal tandem or solo canoeing skills coaching for any level paddler (intro to advanced). He has done one session earlier this summer.and will be offering a solo evening session July 30th check the calendar for more info!
Building on Mark's idea, we offered Sat/Sun coaching sessions July 18 and 19 9:30 AM- 3:30 PM focusing just on paddling skills. (Our Paddle Canada national certification courses have usually been 2 days: 8 hrs each plus a 2 hour pool session for water safety and canoe rescues. They are great courses, but Covid19 required a change of plans!) Our trial run was at Hartwell Locks: Saturday Tandem and Sunday Solo with a max of 6 participants making for manageable covid19 distancing and easy coaching. Both days, we paddled until lunch time. After some much-appreciated rest in the shade we were back on water for a little while longer until we all wisely and happily declared we were ‘sufficed’ with the sun/heat. Sunday afternoon, thunderstorms were threatening so we wisely called it a day.
Here are the strokes we learned/reviewed (some intro and some intermediate level technique) everyone 'got' them. Nice work all !
Read more: RACCC Flatwater Canoeing Training a new short/sweet format - It worked a treat!
Joining the Canoe Club for 2020
The Canoe Club will be reopening on June 27. Click here for more information. Note that your profile on the membership list now shows your Membership Expiry Date. You can rejoin the club by filling out a form on the RA Centre website, click here. Jill of the RA, or her delegate, will call you within one to two days to arrange for you to join or rejoin the club. Also, there is a new waiver that must be completed online at www.racentre.com/raccc-waiver-adult (adults) or www.racentre.com/raccc-waiver-minor (under 18). For additional information on joining the canoe club, click here.
2020 Discounts for RACCC Members
A benefit of being a member of the RACCC is that some retailers and course providers give discounts to club members.
Also, the RA has a number of community partners that represent a wide range of sectors offering benefits to RA members. Click here for more information.
Boathouse Volunteers Wanted
The Club undertakes an inventory of items in the Boathouse on a weekly basis each Tuesday evening. Volunteers are requested to undertake the inventory using mainly a visual check of equipment. As is indicated in the recently issued COVID-19 Protocols, the inventory will be undertaken this season without the touching of equipment. The volunteer would also co-ordinate access to club equipment for trip leaders during the course of one week. The total time commitment should be less than a total of 2 hours. Coaching is available for those who are new to the process.
Information on Canoe Club - 2020
Got questions on how the club operates? Check out the following sources of information.
COVID-19 Protocols for the RACCC
2020 Discounts for RACCC Members
Club Handbook - Access Members Only
How Not To Get Email From The RACCC Website
How to Open/Close New First Aid Kits
Club Guidelines - Access Members Only
Club Bylaws - Access Members Only
Stevens Creek Day Trip July 2020
On Sunday, July 12th, five club members met at 8:30 am at the boathouse to drive to Kars, about a 35-minute drive south of Ottawa. The trip had originally been planned for Saturday but was rescheduled due to the poor weather forecast. Sunday was mostly overcast, and it was quite windy, and therefore cooler than expected, but we were fortunate that there was no rain, and the sun came out for the last few kilometers of paddling. We put in – two tandem canoes and a kayak – at Kars Recreation Area boat launch on Stevens Creek. We paddled approximately 3.5 km up Stevens Creek, as far as we could get before being blocked by thick plants and branches, trying to identify trees and water plants along the way. That part of the river flows mostly through farmland.
Crotch Lake Day Trip July 2020
During the early morning of Monday, July 6th, 2020, four club members met in Ottawa to drive to Crotch Lake, North Frontenac. Highway 417 was expected to be open but was actually still closed, so that delayed us a bit. We stopped briefly at Silver Lake picnic area, and arrived at Tumblehome Lodge on Crotch Lake about 10 am. The drive was just over 1.5 hours. We paid $10 per vehicle to park. The new owners of Tumblehome Lodge asked advice about what kind of canoes and kayaks to purchase for rentals. They were happy to welcome paddlers to the area.
After a safety briefing we paddled along the western shore and east to Stormy Point. The wind was very low and we were expecting a hot, sunny day. Near the
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Whitewater Training 2020 is Re-opened!
Our usual Spring training had to be cancelled because of COVID, but we are now ready to offer limited training this summer:
- Tandem beginners – 17-19 July
- Solo beginners – 24-26 July
The cost will be $180 for club members and $240 for non-members. Use of club boats and equipment is included. Private boats and gear may be used, but boats must be outfitted with thigh straps and full flotation.
The courses will be held at Palmers Rapids with camping at Paddlers Co-op.
Due to the COVID pandemic, the following restrictions apply (no exceptions):
- all participants must sign the RA COVID Acceptance of Risk form
- all participants must have a negative COVID test in the week prior to the course and bring the form to the course and provide it to the instructor
- all participants must accept Paddlers Coop health safety protocols (see attachment below)
- travel and tenting will be by household groups only (no car pooling or shared tenting otherwise)
- all meals will be by household group or individual. All participants must bring their own food and kitchen utensils.
- distancing and wearing of masks on shore will be required and club protocols for sanitizing club equipment must be followed.
You can register on PlayRA at https://www.racentre.com/enterprise/program/index. Bar code 2289 for Solo, 2290 for Tandem.
A full course description can be found on the RACCC web page.
 2020 Paddlers Coop Camping Info Plus COVID-19 Precautions.pdf | [ ] | 590 kB |
FW, Camping and Sea Kayak Training Update for 2020
Hello Everyone,
As we are all aware this year has not been anywhere near a normal year for anyone and as such it has not been a normal year for RACCC training offerings.
After much discussion and risk assessments the RACCC training for this year will be offered in a limited way at this time. Changes are as follows:
Flatwater training - Cancelled. This will be reevaluated in Aug for maybe some courses in Fall 2021
Solo or independent coaching is possible but will be very limited and if the instructor(s) are comfortable taking it on. Email Training coordinator with questions.
Camping / Tripping - modified program is available - Contact the training coordinator if you are interested in this training / certifications, modification will depend on level and individuals. Program can partly be delivered with webinars and conference calls.
Sea kayak Training - Level 1 and Basic courses are available this year. Recommend people sign up with a partner in their social bubble. Courses will depend on instructor availability, Contact Training Coordinator with number of people and level looking to take. Instructor is available during the week and few weekends this summer so indicate if you are looking at weekend or week day training. Course will be run if 4 or more people request it with a max number on course not to exceed 6 plus instructor. COVID protocols will be the clubs and use the Best Practice for Sea Kayak document.
Coaching and clinics -- These will be up to individual instructors if they wish to offer anything this year.
If anyone would like a clinic or course or subject covered via webinar please let the Training coordinator know and the club can look at the possibility of hosting an online event.
Thank you and Stay safe.
Dan Bezaire
RACCC Training Coordinator.
902 441 9199
Rideau River (near Rideau River Provincial Park) and Kemptville Creek Day Trip Report
On Thursday, June 18th five club paddlers went on an exploratory trip to the Rideau River near Rideau River Provincial Park. This was a private trip because the club is not yet open. No club equipment was used. The RA Canoe Camping Club’s family program uses campsites at the Rideau River Provincial Park and we wanted to get a better idea of what could be seen in this area. The park was open for day visits only (no camping) and would charge our group $80+ to drive-in for the day. We chose to put our boats in at the free Reeve Craig public boat launch nearby on Greenline Road instead. It had a suitable landing area and plenty of room for parking. We had three solo kayaks and one tandem canoe.