The Ottawa Valley is known for its great paddling and whitewater routes. For this reason, the Township of Madawaska Valley and the Madawaska Kanu Centre want to expose more people to the sport.
They’re hosting a free workshop on whitewater paddling during March Break.
The Township’s Recreation Coordinator, Hannah Gutoskie, explains what the Kanu Centre team will teach.
“They’re going to give us a brief overview of river stewardship and how they’re involved with the river,” she says. “They’ll also talk about the gear involved with white water paddling. It’s obviously different than hopping into a canoe on a still water lake. They’ll talk about all the gear you need. They’ll have a boat or two there so we can check it out.”
Gutoskie says she hopes the event will expose more people to paddling and continue strong traditions here.
“There’s absolutely a paddling culture (in the area)” she says. “If you’ve ever been to the Wilno Tavern on Tuesday night, it’s evident.
“We do have lots of folks who come to the area just to paddle in the summer, whether they live here in the summer or work at these places like MKC or Paddler Co-op or if they’re just visiting for a weekend; there’s a huge paddling culture here in Madawaska Valley, on the Madawaska particularly.
“I’m excited to foster (the culture) for some new folks that hopefully want to join in.”
The workshop is at 10 a.m. on Thursday, March 16 at the Combermere Community Centre. Contact Gutoskie, via email to [email protected] , to sign up.