Localcurrents illustrations by lorenzo del bianco East


It’s summertime and the paddling is easy (to misquote the popular adage). The main stories in this issue come from Nova Scotia. The first concerns the proliferation of off-highway vehicles such as ATV’s and snowmobiles. Nova


Scotia has assembled a task force that has recently submitted its interim report recommending restrictions on the use of these vehicles in ecologically sensitive areas such as beaches, sand dunes and rivers. Canoe Kayak Nova Scotia’s environment committee has been active in supporting this task force by making submissions and asking its members to support the initiative. To see the complete list of recommendations go to www.gov.ns.ca/vp/ohv/interim-report.htm….It has recently come to light that the Dartmouth Heritage Museum is the owner of an original Inuit sealskin kayak. This kayak was built by Inuit craftsmen as a demonstration project during the first ever Canada Summer Games held in Halifax–Dartmouth in 1969. Unfortunately this museum, like most in our country, does not have adequate space to display this important bit of Canadian history. Kayakers in Nova Scotia are working to have this boat displayed somewhere. I would love to see this boat and see for myself how kayaks have evolved from the original sealskin boat designed for hunting to my modern plastic model built purely for recreation. I will report any developments in this column….You might want to keep the weekend of September 11 open because this is when a group from Bridgewater, Nova Scotia will try to break the Guiness world record for most boats in open water. Read this column in the next issue for all the details of what will surely be a lot of fun….All of the kayaking clubs in the area are in full swing with their itineraries on their websites. In Quebec go to www.canot-kayak.qc.ca. In Newfoundland and Labrador check www.kayakers.nf.ca. To connect with sea kayakers in New Brunswick go to www.geocities.com/atlantic_kayak_association. Nova Scotia’s website is www.kayakatlantic.com. Enjoy your summer on the water and be sure to let me know of any happenings in your area. —Doug Scott, east@AdventureKayakMag.com.


Central


Summer’s here, and it’s time to plan your sick days accordingly. First off, add Georgian Bay’s Fathom Five National Marine Park, located just off Tobermory, Ontario, and the Bruce Peninsula, to your list of must-do overnight paddling trips. In the Great Lakes Sea Kayaking Association’s Qayaq newsletter, Doug Cunningham reports that there’s been talk of dismantling the underused camping area at Beachy Cove on Flowerpot Island, the park’s only kayak-accessible sites for overnight use. Cunningham hopes that increased overnight tripping in the park will convince Fathom Five


managers to save the Beachy Cove campsites….Mississauga’s Team Runningfree.ca has qualified for the August 1-7 Adventure Racing World Championships in Cornerbrook, Newfoundland. Team members include Ted Jennings, Wendy Simms, Bill Trayling and John Yip (www.runningfree.ca)….For GTA paddlers looking to try adventure racing, Toronto’s Harbourfront Canoe and Kayak Centre introduces Monday Adventure Race Nights, April through October. Training involves paddle pushing along the Toronto waterfront (www.paddletoronto.com)….On Canadian Rivers Day, June 13, the Miramichi Paddlequest will gather up to 100 paddlers on the Ottawa River for a 15 km paddle near Pembroke and a barbeque lunch. The $50 registration fee supports Pembroke’s


Miramichi Lodge, a nonprofit long-term care facility. Visit www.thedailyobserver.ca and


www.countyofrenfrew.on.ca.…Belleville’s Bay of Quinte Kayak Club, organized by local outfitter Bernie Gray, held its first meeting in late March. “Belleville has good access to scenic, calm-water paddling,” explains Gray. “We’re looking to keep things informal. The club will be a great way to meet new paddling partners.” Plans for this summer include instructional clinics, after-work paddles and day tours. Keep posted at www.kayaktouring.ca, or contact Bernie Gray Kayaking at 613-961-1552….Hopes remain high among the Citizen’s Concerned for Michipicoten Bay in their campaign to protect Lake Superior’s northeastern shore from a proposed trap rock quarry near Wawa, Ontario. In April, the Ontario Ministry of the Environment recognized the CCMB’s plea with a posting on the province’s Environmental Bill of Rights Registry. The posting proposes to designate Superior Aggregates’ impending quarry under the Environmental Assessment Act. “The MOE decision has a real chance to set a precedent for positive change in the Ontario Government’s protection of the Great Lakes Heritage Coast,” says CCMB member Mary Jo Cullen. A decision is expected by mid-summer. Stay tuned to www.ccmb.ca for updates….Midwestern paddlers, look no further than Madison, Wisconsin’s Rutabaga Paddlesports Shop to upgrade your skills. Rutabaga’s summer training schedule includes Greenland-style paddling workshops and marathon racer Brent Reitz’s popular forward stroke clinics: www.rutabaga.com….Sea kayaking has arrived in Manitoba. July through September, the University of Manitoba Recreational Services sea kayak program includes instruction on Star Lake and Lake Manitoba, and a four-day tour on Lake Winnipeg. A weekend course offered by Doug Alderson, author of Sea Kayaker Magazine’s Savvy Paddler, highlights U of M’s offerings. For schedules and prices, check out


www.umanitoba.ca/faculties/physed/recreation/o utdoor/kayak.shtml. And while you’re online, visit www.paddlingmanitoba.com for prairie paddling information and a complete directory of Manitoba outfitters. —Conor Mihell, central@AdventureKayakMag.com.


West


All you money-hungry competitors out there, listen up! A new kayak race debuts this summer on the Sunshine Coast in Powell River and with $30,000 in prize money up for grabs, this one promises to draw a crowd. The two-day Great Canadian Canoe Race, August 21–22, is an extended version of the Powell Forest Canoe Route and is billed as a marathon endurance event. Total course distance is 83 km. Race organizer Curt Tweedle says recreational paddlers usually complete the route in four days, but paddlers with the BC Marathon Canoe Association completed it in a total of 10 hours. An interesting twist for kayakers, this event features a number of portages, the longest of which is almost two and a half kilometres. So pull out your Kevlar boat and lightweight paddle and start training! To sign up or volunteer on race day, visit www.greatcanadiancanoe.ca/race.shtml….The famous Mind Over Mountain adventure race series, now in its fifth year, kicked off its first race of the season under sunny skies in Duncan on May 8. Dave Norona, one of the best adventure racers in Canada, became a four-time winner of the MOMAR, completing the race in just over four hours (the


last racers came in at just over eight hours). Race organizer Bryan Tasaaka always strives to maintain the best features of the course while keeping it fresh for return racers. The biggest change was that racers were required to rely on their map-reading abilities more than ever. Hardly any of the course was flagged. Mind Over Mountain races feature kayaking, trail running and mountain bike legs and teams compete solo, in pairs or teams of four: www.mindovermountain.com…. If kicking back with a good book is more your style, you’ll be interested in a new series of books by three of the most renowned paddlers in B.C. Around Vancouver Island by Doug Alderson covers a full circumnavigation of the island including information on geography and history. Sea Kayak the Gulf Islands by Mary Ann Snowden leads paddlers through some of the best kayaking waters on the B.C. coast and Sea Kayak Nootka & Kyuquot Sounds by Heather Harbord features weather and route information on the more rugged west coast of Vancouver Island. All three books are by Heritage House Publishing.


—Sue Handel, west@AdventureKayakMag.com.


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