FIVE-DAY TRIP TO THE HEADWATERS OF THE DUMOINE RIVER

June 30 - July 4, 1982

(By Paul L, trip leader)
"Quick mud makes for slow going", Confucius and/or Ihor N.

While the club is on hold until June 2, here is a trip report from 1982 courtesy of Mark S. who has finished scanning 30 years of club newsletters. This was, to say the least, a challenging trip.

It is generally assumed that the mighty and frothy Dumoine River, which has taken a heavy toll on the Y fleet, is to be travelled down, and at some considerable risk. However, Gerry C, Jean R, Ihor N and Paul L decided to travel UPRIVER.

After a careful examination of aerial photos of the area, it was decided to make it a five-day trip, as the distance to be covered, was estimated at 65 miles. Thus, on Tuesday evening, we drove to Lac La Vieille. Getting up at 6, we made our way to Lac Roland, the start of the 100-mile dirt road to Lac Antiquois, which is located between Lac Dumoine and the upper reaches of the Dumoine River. Looking at a map of the area, one notices that the Dumoine Lake and the river, form some sort of a donut made up of the following expanses of water: Dumoine Lake (shaped like a tuning fork) linked on the right side with Lac Antiquois; the narrowing Dumoine River (a mere brook at this Point); Sheni Lake, Machin Lake, Padoue Lake (at the top of the donut); then, in the left-hand section, Litvine Lake, Roger Lake, Crutch Lake and Crutch Brook, and finally, Lac-aux-Ecorces: a total distance of 65 miles.

Canoe Club Archives

Mark is in the process of digitizing the club archives. While we have most of the documentation since 1980, the club does not have much from before then. If you have copies of club documents (trips reports, handbooks, newsletters, etc.), please contact him to share them at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..

The intent is to make these documents available to club members but how and when to do so has not yet been decided.

RACCC Tripping/Camping Training 2021 Update

Hi Everyone,

UPDATED: 12 May 2021

As we are about halfway through the most current lock down and hopefully beyond halfway through the third wave, it is time for an update on the tripping / camping spring training program.

First, we have removed any in-person tripping/camping training at this time. We will revisit this throughout the spring and early summer with hopes we can offer training and certification in late summer or fall time frames.

Second, online virtual training will be conducting on Wednesday evenings from 1900 – 2100 (7-9pm) via zoom. This will follow same format as our winter seminar series and start on 12 May 2021 till 16 Jun 2021.

The following presentations will be given with more information and details to follow on the club website in coming weeks.

Stuff You Can Do: Canoeing during COVID

Click here for a CTV article which includes an interview with the Canoe Club's Mark S. This article is a transcription of a segment which appeared on the May 1 CTV News at 6. The 2 minute segment with Mark appears at the 24 minute mark. You will have to watch a few advertisements before you are allowed to get to that point.

1980 YUKON RIVER TRIP REPORT

While the club is on hold until May 20, it seems like a good idea to reprint a trip report from 1980 courtesy of Mark S. who has finished scanning 30 years of club newsletters.

After much delay I am finally putting down a 'few words on the Yukon River trip. Actually, I did write a report some weeks ago; it ran to almost nine pages, and being a compassionate man, I had not the heart to inflict it upon anyone. Instead I will make a few more general comments about the river, the Chilkoot Pass, and maybe a few words of advice to those who might wish to do the trip in future.

RACCC Training 2021 Update

Hi Everyone,

Normally around this time of year you would be hearing about all the exciting training and trips
we are preparing for the upcoming season BUT as we all know COVID-19 has placed much of
what we love doing on hold, on pause, or undecided. We did, however, want to reach out to all
of you to provide a snapshot of this past summer’s training program, while also providing an
early heads-up of possible options we are considering for the coming 2021 open water season.

Training during summer 2020 was understandably limited with only two whitewater courses and
one sea kayaking course taking place. In addition, some individual coaching was offered by
select experienced members and instructors.

Looking forward to the 2021 open water season, the club is in the initial stages of planning a
training program, but, similar to last year, the scope and timing of that program will be
dependent on local and provincial public health advisories, as well the club’s COVID-19
protocols, which will be updated during March and April.

It is the club’s hope that a 2021 training program will be possible and, as such, reflecting on last
year’s experience, we are considering the following possible options (Note: more details will be
available before the ‘on-line open house’ that is tentatively scheduled for late April):

Executive Meeting Minutes April 13th 2021

Irish Creek Trip 2021

On Tuesday, April 6, 2021, three club members set out in ideal conditions to explore Irish Creek; the air temperature was a pleasant 15 degrees, ice gone, water deep enough to paddle the marsh area and a generally undemanding current. Keeping in mind the cold water, we all wore a combination of wet and dry suits in case of inadvertent immersion.

From the put in at Roses Bridge Boat Launch situated between Kilmarnock and Merrickville, we meandered through shallow, open water marsh festooned with masses of waterlily rhizomes. We continued about 4 km south to the town of Jasper where the creek narrows, and we ducked under two road bridges and a train bridge. In the creek, water flowed over several submerged beaver dams, only one of which required getting out of our canoes for a lift over. We stopped for lunch just short of Wolford Chapel (10.5 km from put in) and then headed back down stream.

Pakenham to Blakeney Rapids Trip Report - March 23 2021

Let the paddling begin!

On Tuesday, March 23rd four of us met at Pakenham Beach to initiate the RACCC 2021 flatwater paddling season. It was a gorgeous, sunny day with a high of 20°C in the air. Given that there was still ice floating in the river, I'll assume the water temperature was still close to 0°C; however, since we were all dressed to keep safe in frigid water (two of us wore drysuits, the other two wore wetsuits), we had nothing to fear from the river. Starting at Pakenham Beach, we paddled a little over 8 km upstream to Blakeney Rapids, passing through a riparian zone just starting to green up, and seeing loads of ducks and geese back for the summer. We stopped at Blakeney Rapids to eat lunch and work on our sunburns, while Mark filled a garbage bag with litter to take away. The paddle back to town took only half the time, with the current helping us along.

As I write, we're back to seasonal chilly temperatures and Vancouver-style rain, which makes us all the more grateful for that short gift of warm sun. Thanks Karen for organizing a fun trip.

Submitted by Maria L.

WILDERNESS CANOEING

by Louis P. Bonnenfant

ASSOCIATION FORUM of the A.O.S. November- December 1952

This article was written by Dot Bonnenfant's father. He founded the Canoe Club in 1952.

This is a magazine prepared by a committee of the Canadian Chapter of the Association of Secretaries

Mr Louis P. Bonnenfant is Physical Director of the Y.M.C.A. at Ottawa, Ontario and a graduate of George
Williams College, Chicago.

It is still not long since much of the travel through Canada was done on foot, on horseback, in horsedrawn vehicles, or by boat.The coming of the railroad, the automobile, and the aeroplane has almost eliminated these means of travel and much of the adventure and pioneering spirit that went with them.

Now it is simple to board a plane in Montreal in the morning and to eat supper in Vancouver that day, or
to get into a car and travel 200 to 500 miles in one day. It is all so easy, but not nearly so challenging nor
so rewarding as the 20 to 30 miles that a canoeist travels in a day through wilderness lakes and rivers,
where self-reliance is needed to reach the journey's end.

Executive Meeting Minutes March 25th 2021

Holmes & Watson-Newsletter Nov 1998

Sherlock Holmes and Dr. Watson went on a camping trip. As they lay down for the night, Holmes said "Watson, look up into the sky and tell me what you see".

Watson said "I see millions and millions of stars."

Holmes: "And what does that tell you?"

Watson: "Astronomically, it tells me that there are millions of galaxies and potentially billions of planets. Theologically, it tells me that God is great and that we are small and insignificant. Meteorologically, it tells me that we will have a beautiful day tomorrow. What does it tell you?"

Holmes: "Somebody stole our tent"