2019 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. Click "Read more" to see the list of discounts.
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.
Accepting Canoe Club Memberships for 2019
Memberships are being accepted for 2019. Click here for more information.
Some modifications to the Canoe Club membership procedures for 2019 are listed below.
1) Members only have to pay the membership to join the RA once unless they let it lapse in which case they have to pay it again. Members however will be given a three month grace period during which the RA membership fee will be waved.
2) Canoe Club annual memberships now run for 12 months from the date that a member joined. The RA will send a reminder email to a member one month before their Canoe Club membership expires.
3) If a Canoe Club membership is not renewed by the expiry date, there will be no grace period. The member will be removed from the Canoe Club membership list and their access to the Canoe Club website will be blocked. If they renew after the expiry date, their access to the website will be promptly restored.
4) New members will get a $25 discount on their course fee if they register for a training course costing $130 or more at the same time as joining the Canoe Club.
Upcoming Events
Please note the following events:
1) Family Program Planning Event - Sunday March 31 1:00 - 3:00 pm
This event is open to everyone, whether you are a club member or interested in learning about the club. You definitely want to bring your kids as they will be helping us plan the fun activities we want to do this paddling season. Although the shed isn't heated, it does protect us from the wind and rain, but make sure to dress appropriate for the weather.
For those new to the club, we will give a short introduction about the club and tour of the club shed which is where we store all our equipement. We will have a couple poster boards up with different themes, which everyone will have an opportunity to share their interests on post-it notes.
The ultimate goal will be to get an idea of what kind of trips we want to lead so that we can start organizing.
If you've never been to the RA Centre or club shed, the best entrance is off Riverside Drive, but there is also access from Data Centre Road. The club shed is to the right (west side closest to Bronson) of the main RA building.
Members and non members welcome
Cost: Free
No registration required.
Where: RA Centre Canoe Camping Club Club Shed, 2451 Riverside Dr, Ottawa, west side closest to Bronson
Contact RACCC Family Program Coordinator - Cory - This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
2) Nahanni Canoe and Hike - Tuesday April 2 7:00pm
Gerald L. and Marie-Helene G. invite you to relive their trip of a lifetime: 2 weeks of canoeing with Blackfeather on the upper and lower sections of the Nahanni River plus a grueling 5-day backpacking trip into beautiful Glacier Lake and the spectacular Cirque of the Unclimables.
Members and non members welcome
Cost: Free
Room: TBA (at the East end of the building)
Location: RA Centre, 2451 Riverside Drive, Ottawa
No registration required.
3) Annual OPEN HOUSE - 6:30pm to 8:30pm Friday April 12
This is the club's annual Open House. It is open to members and non-members alike.
Please mark your calendar for Friday, April 12, 2019 and plan on joining us between 6:30 PM and 8:30 PM in Clark Hall, west end of the RA Centre, 2451 Riverside Drive, Ottawa. The Open House is the best time to plan your paddling season and acquaint -- or reacquaint -- yourself with fellow paddlers you might not have seen since last fall. Check out the Flatwater, Whitewater and Family programs and the extensive lineup of Training courses scheduled for the upcoming season. Visit the boathouse, and check out the club’s collection of boats and equipment.
Again this year, we will have a used gear sale table – an opportunity for you to sell the gently-used gear you no longer need, and buy someone else’s! Just bring your gear to the Open House with your asking price clearly marked.
RA staff will be on hand at the Open House to process your registration for both membership and training.
Registration for the club’s training programs will be open at Open House – you’ll want to sign up quickly because they sell out quickly: they’re excellent quality at a bargain price.
Looking forward to seeing you there, and bring your friends!
4) Club and Boathouse Orientation - 07:00pm - 09:00pm - Friday April 26 (members only) or Friday May 10 (members or non-members plus additional information on Sea Kayaking program)
Recommended for all new club members to help get off to a great start and become familiar with how your club operates. Please register by e-mail to the contact below to attend either the April 26 or May 10 session. The sessions will start on time at 7 p.m. in the Courtside B Room in the east wing of the RA Centre, 2451 Riverside Drive, Ottawa with presentations on the club and canoe tripping. Then there will be practical demonstrations at the RACCC Boathouse beside Bronson Avenue, west parking lot of the RA Centre. The whole orientation takes close to 2 hours. Afterwards, people are welcome to stay overtime to ask any additional questions and/or retire to the RA Fieldhouse (Pub) for some social time. If a member, click here for contact information to register. If a non-member, send an email to This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. to register.
What will be covered and what you will learn:
- Introduction to the Club
- What equipment you will need
- What is available from the Club
- Transportation
- Canoe and kayak rentals
- How to get information about the Club
- How trips are organized, how to get on trips
- Types of trips
- Safety rules
- Cost sharing protocols
- Private tripping
- Getting started - what basic things do you need to bring on a one-day canoe trip
- What is needed to safely attach a canoe to a car
- Care of canoes and demo on how to safely attach a canoe to a car
- How Club canoe camping trip planning is undertaken
- Signing out Club equipment (logs, reservations and club expense forms and deposits)
Red Cross Standard First Aid & CPR C
Date: Saturday, May 18th and Monday, May 20th (May long weekend)
Time: 9 am - 5 pm
Location: 10 Chesterton Drive near Merivale & Meadowlands (Parkwood Church basement)
Cost: $110 including tax. Free parking.
Minimum age: 12 years (teen friendly)
Instructor: Paula Whaley of National Capital FIrst Aid
Contact: Karen Hurd phone (613) 823-8601
Participants must commit with payment in March to get this price. Four spots left.
100% attendance, skills demonstration and 75% on a written exam required for certification.
Certification is good for 3 years.
Adventure Smart:10 Essential Survival Items
According to Adventure Smart (more info here) - here are the 10 basic survival items to have with you in any outdoors situation, whether you're out for a few hours or few days. (Check out sample kit below)
(These are not the specialized/essential pieces of equipment that you would bring for a camping trip e.g. tent, sleeping bag, etc.)
1. Flashlight, spare batteries (and bulb)
2. Fire making kit: waterproof matches/lighter, fire starter/candle
3. Signaling device: whistle or mirror
4. Extra food and water
5. Extra clothing (rain, wind, water protection, toque
6. Navigation aids (map/compass)
7. First Aid Kit (know how to use it)
8. Emergency Shelter (orange??) :-)
9. Pocket knife
10. Sun protection (glasses, sunscreen, hat)
Paddling the 'Eye' of Quebec - 2018 Trip
Paddling the ‘Eye” of Quebec A cool place to paddle….but…would we go again?
About 214 million years ago a 5 km diameter meteor struck the earth. It is one of the oldest known impact craters on earth.
In the 1960’s, a series of dams (power generating stations) created a circular reservoir at the crater site. ‘Lac’ also known as ‘the eye of Quebec’, can be seen from space and is one of Quebec’s ‘curiosities’.
This geological phenomenon offered an enticing destination that was also doable and affordable! If someone had a keen interest in geology it would be a fascinating place to go! Despite impact taking place so long ago you can still see how it shaped the landscape. Amazing to think of how much heat it took to liquidate bedrock and shape the island and surrounding mountains!
Circumnavigating the centre island is approximately 250 km, requiring 10 – 12 days of 20 – 30 kms per day. Bonus – no portages !
But…. Beware the weather! Due to the lake effect and long reaches, it changes quickly from sunny and calm to dark, stormy, windy, waves and buckets of rain!
How far away is it? It is located about 300 KM north of what is now Baie Comeau. About 1160 kms from Ottawa or 14 driving hours with the last 4 hrs on a road alternating between asphalt and gravel. Access is easy – if you don’t mind the long drive. We opted to drive for 2 ‘reasonable’ distance days . On our way to , we camped at Les Bergeronnes right on the shores of the St Lawrence River just north of Tadoussac. Beautiful!
Baby It's Cold Outside
Here is an interesting website about dealing with cold that is funded by the government of Canada. Gerry G stars in the lost skiers episode.
Voyageur Canoe Trip Sept 6-10, 2018
Driftwood Provincial Park was the gathering place for the
beginning of our trip and the first night stay after dropping a
vehicle at the Pembroke Marina for the car shuttle at the end.
It felt like a family reunion since we were 10 of the paddlers
from the East Wind Brigade of last June.
Friday began with the club percolator bubbling away as we
packed up to meet Alistaire Baird and our boat at The Swisha
(Rapides-des-Joachims).
The mist hung low over the river as we lifted the 33 ft boat
down from the trailer, checked the maps, listened to Alistaire's
advice on our route, packed our gear and gathered for a
tobacco ceremony before slipping into the calm water of the
Ottawa River.
We easily fell into a paddling rhythm after being trained on
last years' voyage. Gouvernail (stern paddler) steered while
communicating with the Avant (bow paddler), who set the
pace while watching for obstacles.
Thanksgiving comes early on the Petawawa
From bad experience comes good stories…
Bruce H and I (Scott C) and two friends from Montreal did the Petawawa last weekend, Sept 21-23 2018. We dropped one car at McManus Lake and carried on to Lake Travers. While we unloaded, a somewhat contemptible canoe landed, carrying two men: one middle-aged and barefoot, the other a young adult, both dressed all in cotton and soaked to the skin. The canoe was a 14 foot fiberglass beast, complete with folding seatbacks, suitable only for kids fishing in artificial ponds. The gentlemen walked up the landing to talk with us, and their story emerged…
Frontenac Provincial Park Family Trip Report
August 31-September 3, 2018
A great weekend relaxing at Hardwood Bay in Frontenanc Provincial Park. The two families that went were Cory, Kylah, Dylan, Riley and dog Dakota plus Nakissa, Grandma Shahin, Darius, and baby Kayvon.
We met late Friday morning and loaded up canoes then headed out for adventure. After picking up permits and a picnic lunch, we drove to the boat launch beside Devil Lake. Along the way we saw a deer, a turkey vulture and a blue jay. We had a great paddle to Hardwood Bay over calm waters and under overcast skies, spotting a few loons. Everyone got setup, we enjoyed a yummy shared dinner of beef stir fry and tacos, then relaxed around a campfire and the kids had fun roasting hotdogs, marshmallows and s’mores.
French River Trip Report 2016
See the attachment for the trip report, two years late!
 French River Trip Report 2016.pdf | [ ] | 1398 kB |
Lake Louisa Loop-Algonquin Park 2018
July 15-20/18 saw 6 paddlers( Shannon H, Delia E, Lynn O,Judy O-O’R, Greg G) led by Rick S, heading out to meet the hoards of deer flies during a paddling trip around Lake Louisa Loop. Luckily, our group tackled the bugs and kilometres of portaging with humour, patience and fabulous food to start and end each day-eggs/bacon tortillas, veggie chilli, two variations of porridge, pasta with pesto, curry with basmati rice and mango chutney and open-faced pizza, for example.
Lake Louisa Loop is a satisfying canoe route giving the paddler varying experiences- lots of paddling through lakes and streams,portaging, navigating beaver dams, beautiful scenery, lovely camp sites and some with sandy beaches. Luckily the leach- infested Welcome Lake was a lunch spot enjoyed on it's sandy beaches and not an overnight stay.
We headed out on the water each day at 9 am , alternating paddling partners, and pulled up for the night in the later afternoon. This gave us lots of time for setting up camp,a swim and relaxing before bed. Due to the fire ban and no nightly campfire, we attempted to play, "Two Truths and a Lie" but quickly discovered that our group were not good liars.
The enduring spirit of canoe trips
Click here for a nice Globe and Mail article on canoeing.