General

Link to my latest blog post.

https://wp.me/pa5lOR-5D

"stuff" happened this year to make it very tough to get away.
Not our health or bad stuff for us, but circumstances have forced us to stay close to home without a lot of effort to make sure someone else was in the area.
Even though I had to turn down a couple of guiding opportuniities and had to cancel trips I would usually run.
I am ok with what we have to do.
It is part of life.
Just thought I would share how we look for our "fix" of outdoors and keep ready to go should the opportunity for a longer trip happens.

Jeff

My wife and I have to replace our tripping canoe after 20 some years. I want something lighter than Royalex (yes, I know it's no longer available for new boats) so we have been looking at H2O's Voyageur model in Brute Force layup. This is a deep, 17 footer that comes in around 50 lb. Before purchasing, we would like to hear from someone who has taken this boat down a river and had some experience in knocking it around a bit. Please respond if you have had any experience with this boat.

Are deet-containing insect repellents harmful? If you are an outdoors person, you are well acquainted with this decades-long debate. When it became known that in addition to fending off tiny winged bloodsuckers, deet was absorbed through the skin and into your body, many people became concerned. (Note for recyclers: you can recover 10% of what you apply in your urine.)

Well now it's been reported in a recent paper published in the Journal of the American Medical Association that the chemicals in the sunscreen that we slather on each summer are also absorbed into your body.

https://jamanetwork.com/journals/jama/article-abstract/2733085

There is also an interesting commentary on the medical website, Medscape.

https://www.medscape.com/viewarticle/913130?src=wnl_tp10n_190607_mscped…

Similar to the situation with deet, the effects of this absorption is anyone's guess. In either case, there are no scary red flags at present, but it does give you something to think about.

Fortunately, there is a convenient alternative to both the bug and sun repellant; just put on a long sleeve shirt, long pants and wide brimmed hat, and keep enjoying your summers outdoors.

So 11 years of battling for paddle rights in Canada came to fruition yesterday June 21, 2019.

Omni Bus Bill C-69 received Royal Assent!
The part that concerns all us paddle craft people is now known as -
Canadian Navigable Waters Act

https://www.parl.ca/DocumentViewer/en/42-1/bill/C-69/third-reading#enH1…

Many of you would be much more familiar with the environmental assessments that have been in the news recently in relation to this bill.
But for those of us from all outdoor groups across the country that made numerous submissions over the years, we have a reason to celebrate!

No it is not perfect, but the changes make a huge difference in what is recognized what can be paddled and by what.

There are many paddle issues that still need addressing and many paddle issues that are still open to interpretation, but this is a great start!

Through most of these years the members of the Wilderness Canoe Association and their Board have let me represent them and the interests of them and all paddle craft in this serious issue to our rights of accessing rivers and I thank them for giving me this great opportunity.

The achievement to get these changes to be given Royal Assent to this act is truly inspiring and I was only one of many of a great team. This team covered virtually every outdoor group, all had the same goal and even though we all represented our own interests, we were all surprising on the same page as to what changes we were looking for.

During this Canada week, go for a paddle!
I ask you to do this as a tribute to the thousands of people who worked countless hours to bring all paddlers to this point!

Jeff McColl
Conservation Chair
Wilderness Canoe Association.

So the numbers are coming in on the effect of Ontario budget cuts.
Halton Conservation has reported their Prov. funds have been cut by 50% I am sure the same applies to other Conservation areas and reserves.
So to help all paddlers if you are accessing Conservation areas and reserves paddle and camp "no trace"

If the area does have an admission fee don't try and skip out on it.
The people that enforce the rules will paint us all with the same brush if you don't.

If we want to keep these areas easily accessable to paddle we have to be responsible and do our part.

Jeff

Saw this thread of facebook and felt it is really revelant with the number of new paddlers taking to the waters these days.

Landowner Parks, Conservation areas, Conservation reserves, City Parks, Crown lands relations.
Thought I would share this post this way because is very important as we try to maintain access points to our various paddle locations whether it is WW of flat water.

Thanks to Chris Card for starting this off!

Chris Chard Minden Whitewater Paddlers
Landowner relations. As we enter spring paddling everyone keep in the back of their head that there are rivers that we access over private property and others that have sensitive and fragile landowner relations. Always be respectful of the land you are on, the folks who own it as well as to those in the surrounding neighbourhoods. Wave, smile, be friendly, don’t block roads, driveways etc. A lot of the back road put ins are in areas that rarely see other traffic so keep in mind that kids are playing, dogs are running around etc. A shining example of good relations at work is the lovely folks in Queensborough who rallied yesterday to have fresh pie and burgers at the takeout, which never happens outside of Mackfest. Cheers all and hope to see you on the water soon.

Gary George I'll add a few words to Chris's very thoughtful comments. Many, many hrs of work have gone on behind the scenes, by many volunteers, to secure and smooth over situations that allow these continued accesses. Promises, networking, insurance commitments and hard physical labour have been put into play to allow these accesses to continue. In a couple cases stairs built, in others signs made and posted. In others just long careful conversations after long road trips. The folks at Queensborough as supportive as they are, once had concerns, once weren't as sure as they are today. Not to suggest there was trouble, just the usual worry. Good behaviour and proactive paddlers built that relationship with calm communication during a time when several other similar locations around the same area were in hot little skirmishes over parking and trespass. Nobody is more identifiable than a bright orange paddler in a grey spring forest. Behave as if you are the one and only ambassador of all paddlers. And don't get naked, indiscreetly at put ins or take outs. It's no big concern among paddlers, but Sunday morning, that car going by, probably headed for church, likely has kids on board. Don't make that impression...LOL!





Jeff McColl I will also add to the two very positive posts above and maybe not as nicely as they have. "Don't post on social media where you belittle the landowners, locals Parks staff and so on. Don't post your indiscretions mentioned above. For one I know Parks, and various Land owner groups monitor social media looking for "indiscretions" and then when we go to meetings these posts are brought up and it makes it more than difficult sometimes depending on just what was posted.

Jeff

 /www.theglobeandmail.com/canada/article-the-reinvention-of-the-canadian-canoe-museum/

Hi All

I am looking for a book Wild Rivers of the Yukon's Peel Watershed,
anyone have? interested to sell?

see below link from worldmaps booking I am looking for:

https://www.worldofmaps.com/product/9780981002101.html

thank you..Sandro W.

Well that didn't take long, :-(

And if you think that any of the groups that cover environmental and park issues will have any consideration is laughable in a very disapointing way.

As the conservation chair of WCA I was expecting some issues with the Ontario Government.

We have already been branded as "leftie" and will be completely ignored (that is as ncie as I can put it)
The only way is for everyone that is concerned, get on their key boards and call them to task.
The dog and pony show that has taken over is taken right from the trump play book.

It is going to take an unprecedented effort from 10's of thousands of individuals to get involved.
Sadly it will be the only way.

Bill 66 that was introduced yesterday will make a lot of people wake up and not on the good side of the bed.
So much for the election promise to protect the GTA Green belt.
https://www.ola.org/en/legislative-business/bills/parliament-42/session…

There is a lot of homework involved here in researching the other various bills this bill involves.

Jeff

Phone Photography, Can I get great shots on my phone?

Latest blog post.

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