McGill Montreal, Quebec McGill is the east’s answer to UBC—a top-ranked university in
a world-class city surrounded by whitewater. What more could you ask for but a campus paddling club? There is park’n play paddling within the city limits at the famous Lachine Rapids. Some of the best springtime runs in eastern Canada are within a three-hour drive. Plus Montreal is Canada’s self-proclaimed cultural capital, with summertime jazz, blues and comedy festivals. All the good stuff starts after dusk, leaving plenty of time for an aprés-class paddle. Park‘n play: Big Joe, Lachine Rapids, St. Lawrence River (big waves, class III–IV, 15 mins). Chambly (20 mins). River trips: Habitat 67 (15 mins), Valleyfield (runs year- round), Rouge River, Simon, Doncaster, aux Mullets, Ouarreau and
more spring runs (all within 1 hr). Male to female ratio: 41:59 Student pub: Gert’s Pub Price of a pitcher: $10.00 ($9.00 after 4 pm) Club: McGill Outdoors Club. On- campus pool sessions: No free pool time. Organized pool courses from H2O Adventures. Random celebrity gradu- ate: William Shatner (Star Trek). Selling points: Winter in the Laurentian and Adirondack mountains. Summer cultural festivals. The word: “Pick your type of paddling—play, river-running, freeboating, creeking, it's all with- in an hour's drive.”—Dave Scott, PhD student Maclean’s national reputation rank: 3 out of 47 Verdict: Best downtown playboating in a cosmopolitan city.
Lachine Rapids
UQAC Chicoutimi, Quebec The University of Quebec at Chicoutimi has all
types of paddling nearby, even sea kayaking on spectacular Saguenay Fjord. UQAC is the alma mater of Jacques Blackburn, Neil Gagne and Gilles Fortin, Quebec paddling pioneers who claimed first descents of most of the region’s rivers. This place is francophone to the core: even the school’s public relations office responds to English emails in French. It’s the Franco-Canadian answer to Lakehead—a small, laid-back school with a great outdoor program, surrounded by limitless water and wilderness. Park‘n play: Rouleau Barrette (Barrette Hole) (Easy to enter but not always easy to leave. As quoted in Rapid some time ago, “it's like a traditional Quebec sugar pie, sweet and sticky and leaves you wanting more.” Class III–IV, 5 km). River trips: Riviere aux Sable (25 km), Shipshaw (25km), Pikauba (35km), Cyriac (35km), Bras Louis (40km), Metabetchwan (70km), Riviere aux Ecorse (75km), Ashapmushwan River (100km), Misstasibi (100km). Programs: Bachelor’s degree in outdoors and adventure tourism Courses: River Rescue, Aquatic Activities, Expeditioning Male to female ratio: 39:61 Student pubs: Pub Avenue, Pottin Price of a pitcher: $10.00 Club: None On-campus pool sessions: None Selling points: Chic to dude ratio, poutine, ice climbing, dogsledding, skiing, snowshoeing, shinny hockey at the local out- door rink, red wine in front of the fireplace. The word: “Tons of rivers, tons of beer, tons of fun.”— Dominique Lavall Students most likely to…: Dress warmly, speak French, be female. Maclean’s national reputation rank: Didn’t make the top 25. Verdict: En plus vous pouvez demander?
2003 Early Summer 41
paddling photos from top: Paul Villecourt, Rapid Stock Images.
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