Family Day Trip on Big Rideau Lake and Colonel By Island
July 18, 2021
A last minute decision led to a day trip on Big Rideau Lake, with a stop at Colonel By Island. You can learn more about this historic site at https://www.historicplaces.ca/en/rep-reg/place-lieu.aspx?id=10326.
We launched from a public boat launch at MacDonalds Bay just outside of Portland (GPS 44.710855, -76.176201), which was free, had lots of parking and a small dock.
This area has lots of little islands to explore, which is great in a canoe/kayak. We went the southern route around Big Island and made it to Colonel By Island in just over 1 hour of easy paddling.
Family Day Trip on Kemptville Creek
July 25, 2021
We thought on Friday we had to cancel this trip due to the risk of thunderstorms, rain and high winds, but luckily the weather changed and we decided to go ahead! After loading up gear at the boat house, we drove south to the Reeve Craig Public Boat Launch, which is on the Rideau River near Rideau River Provincial Park. We had four families in six canoes join us for the day's adventure.
Once on the water we paddled south to Kemptville Creek, but before we could continue, our trip leader had to paddle back to the boat launch and pick up everything they left behind! We then proceeded south along Kemptville Creek, with lots of opportunity to see some wildlife. The creek is narrow at some spots, but thankfully the boats passing slowed down and were respectful.
Read more: Family Day Trip on Kemptville Creek - July 25, 2021
Bon Echo Trip Report July 22-23, 2021
Three club members met at the Silver Lake picnic area before proceeding to Bon Echo Provincial Park on Thursday, July 22nd for an exploratory trip. We unloaded our canoes at the North Beach launch and headed towards the Narrows and Mazinaw Rock on Upper Mazinaw Lake about noon. Mazinaw rock rises about 100 m above the lake. Thousands of years ago, Indigenous people considered this place to be powerful and sacred. We were able to identify many of their pictographs. This rock has about 260 pictographs. We also saw interesting lichen patterns. Mazinaw Lake is quite deep and large. Paddling it requires low winds. The winds rose mid-afternoon so as a result we did not paddle as far along the lake. Sometimes we would paddle airborne on the waves! After exploring Upper Mazinaw Lake we passed through the Narrows to Lower Mazinaw Lake. It was more sheltered from the north wind. We found the Cliff Top Trailhead and the Main Beach areas very crowded so we skipped those. We headed to a campsite near North Beach to set up our tents and eat supper. We spent a little while sitting on the quiet beach and we enjoyed a small fire with some golden marshmallows before heading to bed.
Read more: Bon Echo Provincial Park Trip Report July 22-23, 2021
Lac Ste Marie Day Trip
Tourisme Outaouais site describes Lac Sainte-Marie as "the jewel of the Vallée-de-la-Gatineau, nestled among majestic mountains..." The rocky hills bordering the lake and the Gatineau River are not really "mountains", but their cliffs and lush forests are breathtakingly beautiful. In 1928, following the development of the Paugan hydroelectric dam, the old village was flooded and relocated. The flood transformed the lake into a much larger one, very popular with cottagers and boaters.
Barron Canyon: A Beautiful Introduction to Algonquin Park!
Our group of seven (3 canoes and one kayak) met at the Squirrel Rapids parking lot for the start of this day trip on July 5 2021. It was a short paddle until the first and only portage around Cache Rapids which was well groomed and about 400 meters. We continued up this very calm river as the midday sun allowed us to have spectacular views of the 100-meter-high canyon; it was nothing short of breathtaking. Whether it’s the first time you’ve done this trip or the one hundredth, the engraved rustic architecture of this rock is amazing. We stopped for lunch at the powerful Brigham Chute where we could hear the rushing water in the background as we chatted with each other. On the paddle back we stopped over for a quick swim at one of the vacant campsites and one of the members was lucky to catch a nice fish! At the tail end of the trip, we encountered some light rain and we pulled our hoods over our heads and watched the tiny raindrops fall in the calm water as we reached the end point- this moment was magical and great timing!
Family Day Trip on Rideau River - July 11, 2021
A perfect day for paddling!
After loading up on gear at the boathouse for our adventure, we made our way to the Kars Community Centre, a thirty minute drive south of Ottawa. A short paddle brought us to the Rideau River and we headed south. After a snack break in a marsh just outside of Kars, we continued paddling until we arrived at the W.A. Tayler Conservation Area, less than a one hour paddle from Kars.
The W.A. Tayler Conservation Area was a great spot to stop and have a picnic lunch. It has lots of picnic tables, trees for shade, outhouses and a small dock. After lunch some of us waded in the water, a few tried their luck at fishing, and the rest enjoyed the beautiful summer day.
With moderate boat traffic, all five families (ten adults and nine kids) in seven canoes did awesome!
Tandem Flatwater Clinic August 7
Mark Scott is organizing a clinic for people who paddle tandem flat water canoes. Several other club members will join him in offering the clinic. This will result in a high teach to student ratio and the ability to tailor instruction to individual needs.
The clinic is for beginner to intermediate paddlers.
Time to Renew your Canoe Club Membership!
If you have not already renewed your canoe club membership for 2021, it will be especially easy to do so this year. There is no longer a requirement to fill out a canoe club registration form if a previous year's one is already on file with the RA.
Avoid the rush later in the season and rejoin today! The club plans to have a busy paddling season for 2021 just like they did for 2020.
There is also a Covid waiver that must be completed online at www.racentre.com/raccc-waiver-adult (adults) or www.racentre.com/raccc-waiver-minor (under 18). If you filled out the waiver in 2020, you do not need to fill it out again for 2021.
For new members, click here for information on joining the club. Please also see the club handbook at the end of this article for more information on the club.
To join or rejoin the canoe club, call the RA membership desk at 613-733-5100. The desk is staffed Monday-Friday 8:00 am-9:30 pm, Saturday, Sunday 12:00-7:30 pm. Also, the RA East Desk is now open under Step 3 and you can come in and do business with our membership staff. The East Desk hours are:
Mon-Fri 8:00 am-10:00 pm
Sat, Sun 8:00 am-9:00 pm
 2020 RACCC Handbook FINAL July 19.pdf | [ ] | 1040 kB |
2021 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.
Ontario Covid Stage 3
Ontario is entering the stage 3 of the COVID reopening protocols on Friday July 16, 2021.
The only difference is that is relevant to the club is that club trips and events can have as many as 100 people (up from 25).
All other protocos in the attached document remain in effect.
Stage 2 COVID Protocols June 30, 2021
The club's COVID protocols (attached) have been updated to reflect the more of Ontario going to stage 2 precautions. The key changes are:
- Group limits have been expanded to 25 people (outdoors).
- There are no restrictions on who can share boats as long as they maintain a 2-metre distance.
- Meals can be shared as long as certain precautions are followed.
The following clarifications have been added:
- Vehicles with more than 2 rows of seating can carry one person per row of seating (masks and open windows required).
- Meetings at the boathouse must be held outside. This is to permit distancing when others are doing inventory or getting gear.
Vaccinations
Pursuant to direction received from Ottawa Public Health, people with one or two vaccinations must follow the same rules are people who have not been vaccinated. There have been media reports that the government of Ontario is preparing guidance for people who have been vaccinated. When there are rules in place that apply to people who have been vaccinated, the club will update these procotols to reflect the new rules.
Individual Risk Tollerance
The attached COVID protocols provide the minimum rules that must be followed. Club members, including trip leaders, are free to require additional precautions if they feel that they are warranted. These precautions must be communicated as part of the trip planning process.
| COVID Screening Questionnaire.pdf | [ ] | 93 kB |
| RACCC Protocols June 30, 2021 | [ ] | 147 kB |
Public Access Project, OTTAWA RIVER
UPDATE: See attachment below for letter sent by the canoe club to Mayor Moore ot the Township of Whitewater Region.
From the Ottawa River Runners:
As many of you may have heard, Whitewater Ontario (WO) has begun a project with the goal of securing access to a public take out below the Rocher Fendu (whitewater) section of the Ottawa River. But, in order to do this, they need our help!
Request For Volunteers - Boathouse Inventory
Volunteers are needed on Tuesday evenings to undertake the inventory of Club assets, put away equipment and co-ordinate the taking of assets for training and trips. Under COVID protocols, there is limited touching of assets. The time commitment is around one hour. Training is provided.
Please contact Paul Hughes at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. to express your interest in volunteering.