MEC Paddlefest Ottawa 2009
Mooney’s Bay Park - Saturday, May 30, 2009
Kick off your summer season at our annual MEC Paddlefest. This is a family-friendly festival, with boat demos, canoe and kayak lessons, as well as on-land workshops for all skill levels.
Saturday, May 30, 2009
Mooney’s Bay Park
Event Description
This is a great opportunity to learn how to paddle, learn new skills, and test out different boats. Paddlefest has something for everyone, all ages and all skill levels, from complete beginners to more experienced paddlers. Be prepared to get wet and have fun!
Stop by the Ottawa Riverkeeper booth to learn more about the health and future of our Ottawa River!
Location
Mooney’s Bay Park, located in the south end of the city beside Ottawa’s historic Rideau River, is a great setting for paddling courses, and a terrific place to try out new boats. The park is next to public transit, and the bike path runs right through it, so it is easily accessible. Please note that parking is limited, and is also metered by the City of Ottawa, so we recommend that you try to car pool or take alternative transportation if possible. Supervised bicycle parking will be available for cyclists for a small fee.
Map and Directions
Examples of Workshops
Canoeing
- Intro to Tandem Canoeing
- Intro to Tandem Whitewater Canoeing
- Intro to Solo Canoeing
- Canoeing with Kids
- Intro to Solo Whitewater
- Open Canoe Roll
Kayaking
- Intro to Kayaking
- Intro to Kayaking for Women
- Rolling Clinic
- Paddle Float Self Rescue
- Intermediate Kayak Techniques
- Kayaking for Kids
- Intermediate Whitewater Kayaking
- Kayak Fitness with Paddlefit
- Kayak Fishing
On Land
- GPS Navigation
- Trip Cooking with Black Feather
- Water Safety with the Ottawa Police Service Marine Unit
- Leave No Trace Camping
- Tripping with Kids
- Yoga for Paddlers
- Local Canoe Routes with Wally Schaber
Participation
Everyone can learn with us, even if you don’t swim or have never been in a boat, although you should select beginner level workshops. All on-water participants will need to sign a waiver and wear a PFD or lifejacket. We will have PFDs available, however if you have your own, bring it with you.
If it rains, the event is still on (you’ll get wet anyhow). In the event of lightning or other dangerous weather, on-water activities may be temporarily suspended. As long as it’s safe, we’ll be on the water.
A special thanks goes out to
- The Ottawa Folk Festival Crew, for helping us green our event, by providing plates and volunteers.
- The City of Ottawa for providing a great venue and amazing support for this event.
- The Ottawa Police Marine Unit for volunteering their time to educate paddlers’ about water safety.
- St. John Ambulance for providing us with first aid.
Contact
For more information, or if you are interested in becoming involved in Paddlefest, please contact Jody Overduin or Nancy Copping at ottawapaddlefest@mec.ca or call 613.729.2700.
See you at MEC Paddlefest.
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