The Algoma Paddlers Canoe & Kayak Club

6 keen paddlers put in on Lauzon Lake to enjoy the afternoon with a gentle 10 kM paddle. Many thanks to Lauren and Marc, trip leaders. Then on to Lorraine and Eric Liss'with many members for a scrumptuous pot-luck supper. with many creative dishes with many laughs and lively conversation. Many thanks to Lorraine and Eric.

Our Annual General Meeting will be taking place on November 21st at 7:00pm . The meeting will be held at the Township of the North Shore council chambers in Algoma Mills. Have you been thinking about getting more involved with the club?  The executive committee has some open positions available!  Come on out and hear what's been going on within the club this year, or find out how you can get involved. Hope to see you there! 

Our end of season paddle & potluck is coming up on Saturday, October 19th in Algoma Mills/Blind River. We will meet at Lorraine and Eric's place (contact trip leaders for address/directions) at 1:00 pm to drop off our potluck items, and then anyone interested in the paddle will head to the Algoma Mills beach where we will put in and paddle back to Lorraine's along the shore of Lake Huron - about a 6 km paddle.  As its starting to get chilly, the paddle will be weather dependent, but the potluck will be a go either way.  Contact trip leaders Marc (griffmsb@gmail.com) and/or Lauren (lauren.c.iles@gmail.com) to confirm your attendance and to get directions.  If you would like to borrow club equipment, contact Gary (nat.smith43@gmail.com or  705.847.0831) to arrange.

Summer may be coming to a close but that doesn't mean we're done paddling! We still have two scheduled trips and you won't want to miss them.  Saturday, September 21st - Mississagi River - Tunnel Lake to Gros Cap  Saturday, October 19th - Year-end Paddle and Potluck! Lake Huron.  Check the event list for full details and don't forget to contact the trip leaders if you plan to attend. 

Tonight's paddle night in Elliot Lake has been cancelled due to lack of interest.  Keep an eye on the event list for updates to upcoming trips. 

A gentle 7 km paddle on a calm Blind River amongst pickerel weed, lilies, wildlife (beaver) and many interesting shaped stumps.  The group departed from the MFN pow wow grounds arriving at high school boat launch. A lone heron followed the group posing on the numerous stumps along the way. A persistent seagull entertained us diving in search of a snack. See pic of the group's favorite heart stump framed by purple pickerel weed and large roots stretching out into surrounding water. Many thanks to our leader Ray Lipinski.  Eight people enjoyed a gentle paddle in a section of the Blind River. There were many beautiful tree roots/stumps sculpted by Mother Nature, heron, crane, tern, beavers, muskrat, and loads of yellow water lilies about to bloom. What a perfect evening paddle. - Jim, AP Member

August 1 PADDLE NIGHT on the Blind River  Contact trip leader, Ray, if you plan to attend - cnrlipinski@outlook.com Appropriate Type of Boat : Canoe, Touring Kayak, Recreational Kayak, Stand Up Paddleboard  Meeting Location: 6:30 pm at W.C. Eaket near the boat launch to coordinate vehicle shuttle. From there we will travel to our departure location up hwy 557 past bridge over the Blind River turning right on Maxs Rd (Mississauga First Nations Traditional Grounds aka pow wow ground) Trip Info: A gentle paddle (about 1.5 hour) down the river to high school boat launch.  See a variety of flora, birds and wildlife as we negotiate our way through the blind river waterway Level of Difficulty :Easy, may encounter wind/waves on larger, wider sections of the river.

12 club members met for a potluck, hopped in for a 7 km paddle around the western section of Bright Lake to wear off supper while learning some interesting local history. Thanks to the potluck hosts Joanne & Mike.  Our take off point with plenty of room for parking was provided by the Chalifouxs.

Details for the July 4th paddle night and potluck on Bright Lake at Joanne's! Contact Joanne Marck if you plan to attend: joanne.marck8@gmail.com Type of Boat: Touring and/or Rec kayak, canoe, SUP  Meeting Location: Contact trip leader for directions. Trip Info: Enjoy an evening of paddling, wildlife viewing and a potluck bbq. Level of Difficulty : All levels.

The Elliot Lake Montreal Canoe rides happen this coming Sunday from 1-4pm at Spine Beach. Our Club receives funding and good PR for this event. 3 club members have offered to help, but some more paddlers would be appreciated. That way we have enough people to take the boat out even there are only a few people  (at Ribfest, 2-4 people came every half hour, and we only had enough manpower to take the boat out once). Contact Wally if you can come for a paddle! Cell: 705.849.6429  Email:  wvandyke@sympatico.ca

A beautiful and exciting day was had on the Mississaugi Delta day trip this weekend.  Nine paddlers faced the wind to explore the Delta's channels and challenge a brief excursion onto the big water.   Our lunch break on the beach provided opportunity for one brave paddler to take a swim and get in some rolling practice.  With the wind at our back, we had a relaxing and enjoyable cruise home, but not before an unexpected dip and a T-rescue added some extra excitement to the day.  Our day ended with new friendships, smiles from all, and group looking forward to the next trip.

The Algoma Paddlers will be at Ribfest in Algoma Mills this Saturday with one of our 36' Voyageur Canoes!   Come see us at Lauzon Beach from 12 noon to 5pm to eat some ribs, take a ride in the canoes, chat with club members, check out our summer trip list, or sign up for a membership or for KICK Camp!  We're also looking for volunteers who can help out with our activities on Saturday.  Contact Wally Van Dyke if you have any time to help with the canoe rides or can man the club booth -  wvandyke@sympatico.ca  or (705) 849-6429.    

Reminder of our upcoming day trip in the Mississaugi Delta this Saturday! This trip has beautiful scenery, lunch stop on a beach, and lots of opportunity to see wildlife (sneak peek in photos below). Contact either of our trip leaders if you plan to attend and the equipment director if you need to borrow equipment.  Trip Leaders: Marc Bradford (griffmsb@gmail.com), Lauren Iles (lauren.c.iles@gmail.com) Equipment Director: Gary Smith (nat.smith43@gmail.com)  Trip Details Appropriate Type of Boat : Canoe, Touring Kayak, Recreational Kayak Meeting Location: Mississagi River at the end of the Boom camp road. Meet at 10:00 am. Trip Info: Mississagi River delta to Frenchman’s Bay maybe return via the open water of the North Channel, weather permitting. 10 or 20 km with lunch on a beach - plan for 4 - 5 hours. Bring water and lunch. Level of Difficulty : Intermediate (chance of wind or waves)

Join us for our first paddle night of the summer! Tomorrow evening, June 6th, on Granary Lake - meet at the Granary Lake boat launch at 7:00pm.  Contact trip leader Brenda Daub if you plan to attend (daubbrenda@gmail.com) and equipment director Gary Smith (nat.smith@gmail.com) if you need to borrow club equipment. Directions: 15 km North on Granary Lake Road (over graveyard hill and continue past Birch Lodge, over the hill and stay to your left and at the bottom of the hill is the boat launch) It takes about 25 minute to get there from Blind River.

Sorry folks, but due to the prolonged high flow in the Little White River we have to cancel or delay this outing.  Water is still in the bushes along the banks and gravel bars are under water.  We will see if another date will work, and let you know. Ray

Wally and Sandra ran a very successful ORCKA Voyageur Canoe Level 3A Trip Leader Course last weekend with 15 participants!  We did some C-turns and S-turns, ferries, and peel-outs in the current below the Blind River dam, as well as a self-rescue in the Montreal Canoe and a canoe-over-canoe rescue (North canoe over a Montreal canoe).  Kudos to all the participants for their hard work!

Special thanks to Gary, our Equipment Director who ably coordinated repairs to get these canoes ready for transport, and to Jim, Marc, Kevin, and Sandra who assisted with repairs. Also thanks to Marc (who obviously has perfected backing up trailers in spite of his attestations to the contrary), and to all the power lifters who made the Canoe Move possible on a perfect day -  Gary (and Natalie), Marc, Jim B, Lisa, Ray and Cindy L, Keith and Cindy Bowser, Warren, Mike, and Jim + Joanie Lindamood, were all there along with Sandra, her brother-in-law Stuart and I to make for 16 of us - and just enough to manage without broken backs... Thanks also for the food, Joanie and Cindy - it was an unexpected and welcome addition! What an awesome group of people to share rewarding time with! Wally    

After a great last meeting, it's time to rouse the Montreal Canoes from winter hibernation in the round barn at Sowerby! We have two dates that we are looking for volunteers. Wednesday, May 1st: Repair work Some sanding (extra hands help), and woodworking / fibreglassing / varnishing needed. Contact Gary Smith, our Equipment Director at mycsmith@hotmail.com or Wally at wvandyke@sympatico.ca if you can help at the Round Barn in Sowerby on Wednesday (and possibly Thursday if it takes two days).   Saturday, May 4th : Moving the canoes We are looking for assistance to move the 3 Montreal canoes that are stored in the 12 sided barn and will be meeting at Tim Horton’s parking lot for 2:00 on May 4th and at the Round Barn in Sowerby around 2:45pm . We will need at least 12 or more people to move the canoes onto the trailers.   Again, contact Gary or Wally so we can know that we have enough people.   Hopefully we can get lots of people together for a great t...

Warmer weather and paddling season are just around the corner! We're holding pool sessions on Sunday, April 7 and Saturday, April 13 from 3 - 5 pm at the Elliot Lake Municipal Pool. These sessions are meant for paddlers of all skill levels, those new to kayaking and those paddling for years. Whether you'd like to just learn to feel comfortable in a kayak, learn awesome bracing techniques, learn to roll, or practice rescue skills, you'll find these pool sessions great for getting you into paddling mode just in time for the season. Don't be shy - get out there and improve your skills! Our qualified instructors can help you get there. Reserve your spot ASAP by emailing paddlers10@gmail.com. Please let us know if you would like to use one of the club's kayaks, and be ready to help load and/or unload the boats as needed. This is also a great time to sign up for your membership as you will get a discount on pool session pricing! Adult members - $30 for one session or $...

Join us on April 25th for our spring General Meeting and pizza social!   Event will take place at the Blind River Seniors' Centre (17 Michigan Ave).  Please RSVP either to our Facebook event or to paddlers10@gmail.com so we know how much pizza to order.  We will have draws for a FREE K.I.C.K. Registration and a FREE Club membership!  (must be present or have registered before this event to be entered) Evening Schedule :  6:30 Pizza, KICK Camp & Club Registration, Paddlers Meet & Greet 7:15 Speaker - Sandra Mayberry - "The Canoe and Connection" 8:00 Updates from the board, Free Membership and KICK registration draws 8:30 Clean up The Canoe and Connection - Presentation by Sandra Mayberry Canoes shape lives! From a life-changing canoe trip at age seventeen to guiding youth and later women trips, to launching a 16ft birch bark canoe built with grade six students, Sandra understands that the canoe symbolizes so much more than just...

A link to our 2019 Trip List is now posted under the " Our Club " tab... have a look!  We still have some details to confirm, so make sure to check back regularly for updates. Don't forget to contact the listed trip leader for the events you plan to attend.

Do you know any students looking for a summer job? We're currently hiring for our summer K.I.C.K. Camp! We have postings for a Camp Coordinator and Camp Counsellors. Please have a look at the links below and pass along if you know someone who might be interested. *Application deadline is March 1, 2019. Camp Coordinator Camp Counsellors  

Sick of winter? Get inspired!  Calling all AP members and kayak, canoe, SUP paddling, and nature enthusiasts from Blind River, Elliot Lake, Spanish, Iron Bridge and surrounding area to attend:  Algoma Paddlers General Meeting Thursday, February 28, 2019 from 7-9 pm.  Blind River Seniors Centre, 17 Michigan Ave.  (heading West, turn left at Hwy 17 lights, turn right on the 2nd street).  Enjoy Dr. David Tyrrell's 2 week pictorial tour of Iceland  Hear about our improved youth KICK program  Learn about AP courses and group trips for 2019  Listen to our progress in finding a new Blind River home! Refreshments will be served

As published in the December 26th, 2018 issue of the North Shore Sentinel.