You can find donation information and the latest developments about the project at
www.nwpa.ca. The Ontario Youth Kayak Tour will travel to 20 locations across Ontario this summer, teaching kayaking, leadership skills and team-building activities to youths in hopes of promoting healthy lifestyles. Tour creator and instructor Rusty Schroeder is trying to provide local youth with an alternative to being “on the streets” by introducing them to a new activity in a safe and natural environment (
rusty@riverpalooza.com). — Bryan McKenzie,
central@rapidmag.com
West
For the first time in 20 years BC Hydro released a dedicated flow for paddlers down a B.C. river. More than 120 hydrophiles migrated to Vancouver Island’s Puntledge River on May 15 and 16 for the first annual
Puntledge Whitewater Festival. The release was part of a multi-stakeholder water-use agreement for Comox Lake and the Puntledge River, which will allow annual flows for the festival. Plans are already under way for next year’s event. The Puntledge is considered by many to be the best play run on Vancouver Island, but only when it has ample flows—a rare and unpredictable event. BC Hydro says the weekend flows cost them $20,000 a day. Chris Goble and friends found a reason to love high oil prices this spring. The group took advantage of increased oil and gas exploration in the southern Alberta foothills by following new access roads into unexplored rivers like South Drywood Creek. On the Drywood, an access road provides drive-to put-in service for a spectacular steep creek run. The discovery leaves many wondering how many more $50-a-barrel runs are out there.
The downtown Calgary navigation hazard known as the Calgary Weir is about to disappear.
$50 barrels weren’t the only good news for whitewater- loving Calgary oil men. The downtown Calgary navigation hazard known as the Calgary Weir is about to disappear. Early this spring $6.4-million in cheques were handed over to begin construction of Harvie Passage—two paddleable channels that will replace the dangerous weir. One passage will be easy for floaters and beginner kayakers. The other will feature waves and holes for advanced playboaters. Both are just a lunch break away from most Calgary office buildings. Paddlers all over B.C. are wishing Brian Creer a happy birthday this year. The long-time paddling volunteer and living legend turned 90 in June. He is the oldest active Whitewater Kayak Association of British Columbia member and served on the association’s executive for many years.
2005 Fall // 45
Golden, B.C., has received a detailed engineering report for a plan to install a playboating wave on the Kicking Horse River near town. The wave would be similar to the Green Tongue on the Kananaskis in shape, but the rock structure would be removable to prevent ice build-up or property damage during large floods. From August 17 to 21 the West’s largest river
festival takes place amongst the granite canyons of the Ashlu River near Squamish. The lower four runs on the Ashlu were rated in the top five of 100 different runs in a 2002 study of Sea to Sky whitewater conducted by the B.C.
government. Unfortunately, the Ashlu has also been listed as endangered by the Outdoor Recreation Council of B.C. thanks to the imminent threat of micro-hydro development. More than 275 people came out to rally around the Ashlu at last year’s event which included guided runs and clinics. Proceeds go to the WKABC’s efforts at river conservation.
— Ryan Stuart,
west@rapidmag.com
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