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Please join us for our 2021 Annual General Meeting on Saturday, March 27, 2021. In keeping with provincial health guidelines, the 2021 AGM will be hosted via Zoom conference. Please use the link provided below to attend.

Link to Join: https://us02web.zoom.us/j/83701538331
Meeting ID: 837 0153 8331

Meeting agenda, financial statements and committee reports will be made available shortly.

AGM agenda topics will be presented and discussed from 9:30AM-11:00AM. A special presentation on wilderness safety and risk management led by WCA member Doug Ashton will follow.

Join us to paddle one of Toronto's most important watersheds - the Don River - and help support the Toronto Region & Conservation Authority's "Paddle the Don" event as official "weir watchers."

The WCA supports Paddle the Don as it gives us an opportunity to promote the WCA, be seen as a significant paddling organization, and help the TRCA raise money for the Don River restoration. It's also a lot of fun, and there is no cost to the WCA or WCA volunteers (cost for the public is $100/canoe). Volunteers also receive a free lunch at the take-out and a souvenir gift. Additional details on the event are at: http://paddlethedon.ca/

For all you new and experienced whitewater paddlers, we have rented Albert Campbell CI swimming pool in Scarborough again for winter pool training sessions. This is a great opportunity to practice your paddling technique and your roll, or just plain work-out so you're in shape when you hit the spring rivers. OC-1, C-1, or kayaks welcome. I have a few spare boats (open canoe, C-1, and kayak) for newbies or paddlers just wanting to try something different from their usual boat. They're available on a first come; first served basis. If you are having problems with your roll, we can help you. We have 10 rentals of 1.5 hours from Sunday January 5 to Sunday March 9.Time: 5:30-7:00 p.m. For just $110 for your share of the rental cost, you can have a whole winter of learning and paddling fun. Please contact me to register as soon as possible as space is limited.

Cheques should be payable to me as I'm paying the rental fee; not the club.

Sorry, but you can't register on-line. You have to contact me personally if you want to join in so I can manage the organization effectively. Thanks.

Leisurely bird watching at world famous Point Pelee National Park, during the Festival of Birds. Over 100 species of birds migrate through this area each spring. Early morning or twilight outings to the tip promise a symphony of bird calls. Short hiking loops provide oportunity for bird spotting, as does the marsh boardwalk & observation tower. Canoeing on the marsh provides more of Pelee's bird watching experiences. A bike trail along the east shore, and sandy beaches are easily accessed.
We will be sharing a rented cottage that sleeps 7, on the Lake Erie shore near Point Pelee Park gates. The days are at your leisure, and self guided. Guided bird hikes with the Friends of Point Pelee need to be booked early.

Paddle the Don River – May 6, 2012 Join us for the annual Manulife Paddle the Don River day on Sunday May 6, 2012. This 2-3 hour paddle starts at Ernest Thompson Seton Park (enter via Wilket Creek Park on the west side of Leslie Street, north of Eglinton Ave East) and winds its way south for about 10 km to the Keating Channel at Lake Ontario. Members of the WCA will be helping out as volunteer weir watchers along the way. The river is flooded for this event so there will be moving water, swifts and rapids. There are three weirs; the first two must be portaged and the third may be run. Bring your white water canoe, paddling gear for cold water, and a camera. The river offers a unique view of the city landscape, city wilderness and maybe wildlife. The takeout is located at 170 Villiers Street at the northwest corner of Villiers Street and the Don Roadway. Here you will find free entertainment and food and drink for purchase (or you can bring your own lunch). A free shuttle bus will take you back to the start where you can pick up your car and drive back to the takeout to pick-up your canoe. This event is free, but you must register in advance. It fills up quickly, so register early. You can also help raise money to support regeneration projects within the Don watershed by completing a pledge form from the website. Go to http://www.paddlethedon.ca/ for more information and to sign up for 2012 event notifications.

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Observe the spring migration. No paddling required.

For all you new and experienced whitewater paddlers have rented Albert Campbell CI swimming pool in Scarborough again for winter pool training sessions. This is a great opportunity to practice your paddling technique and your roll, or just plain work-out so you're in shape when you hit the spring rivers. OC-1, C-1, or kayaks welcome. I have a few spare boats (open canoe, C-1, and kayak) for newbies or paddlers just wanting to try something different from their usual boat. They're available on a first come; first served basis. If you are having problems with your roll, we can help you. We have 10 rentals of 1.5 hours from Sunday January 8 to Sunday March 11. For just $110 for your share of the rental cost, you can have a whole winter of learning and paddling fun. Please contact me to register as soon as possible as space is limited.
Cheques should be payable to me as I'm paying the rental fee; not the club. And sorry, but you can't register on-line. You have to contact me personally if you want to join in so I can do the organization effectively. Thanks.

Palmer Rapids on the Madawaska River, northeast of Bancroft, will be the venue for this long weekend get-together. The campground is right on the river between two sets of rapids. I will reserve a group campsite, but if you’re independently minded , you can also take your choice from individual sites among mature trees to open grassy meadow. For those of you who have never been there, you will find that the location provides one of the most mellow summer outdoor summer weekend experiences imaginable. There are all sorts of activities available nearby. For many campers, the big attraction will be the user-friendly Grade 1-2 rapids adjacent to the site, which provide probably the best moving water learning spot in Southern Ontario. While this is not a whitewater clinic, I’m happy to provide a little informal coaching to get you going in moving water, or even help you learn to role. For the more adventuresome, a group may want to get together for a day trip on the more challenging Snake Rapids section downstream. If whitewater isn’t your thing, there are lots of lakes and relaxing rivers nearby to enjoy and explore. This is a great family location- bring the kids. There’s a small, clean sand beach where they can build sand castles and swim. As there are no cottages or other development on this section of river, there isn’t a lot of fishing pressure, and I’ve seen jumbo pickerel pulled in from the shore. So bring your rod and catch dinner. If you want to take a break, visit some of the studios & boutiques in the area. Barry’s Bay has some interesting shops for a small town. If camp dinners aren’t to your liking, we can recommend the Wilno Tavern, which serves hearty Polish cuisine. The Polish buffet on Saturday and Sunday night gets a big two-thumbs-up. (http://www.wilnotavern.com/food.html). Come back stuffed and sit on the rocks to enjoy the sunset or go for an evening paddle. The open meadow in the centre of the campground is also an excellent spot for star-gazers to set up.

If you are free on the Canada Day weekend, please come join us for a great weekend of fun and relaxation.

If you are new to the WCA, we’d like to extend to you a special invitation. Come on out to get to know your fellow members better, and start participating in our community of paddlers.

Please go to the Outings section of the WCA newsletter for details on driving directions, camping facilities and rates, and boat rentals.

I’ll reserve the campsite starting Thursday for those who want to get a jump on things. I’ll be there Thursday afternoon.

See you there!

Bill Ness

An Appeal for Help:
If you are joining us, are you able to help out by giving some introductory moving water coaching, by organizing a group to go down the Snake Rapids section or to do a lake trip, or even by taking some hungry paddlers down to the Wilno Tavern? Anything you can do to make this weekend more fun and enjoyable for the group would be really appreciated by me and your fellow WCAers. Please contact me and let me know what you can contribute to make this event a success Thanks a lot. -Bill

Once again the WCA will be represented at Mountain Equipment Co-op annual Paddlefest.

For details on MEC Paddlefest, visit blog.mec.ca/events/mec-paddlefest/mec-paddlefest-toronto/.

As usual, we are looking for WCA members to help out during the two days of Paddlefest. We need volunteers to occupy a presentation booth in order to inform the general public about the WCA. We will have brochures and application forms to hand out. It would be especially helpful if we have volunteers Sunday all morning and in the afternoon until about 3:00 p.m. The more volunteers we have, the more you can each explore other displays and events at Paddlefest.

If you can help at any time during that weekend, contact Jeff at jhaymer@primus.ca.

Join the spring migration ritual. We will camp at Wheatley Provincial Park. Rise with the birds on Saturday and spend the day at Pelee National Park (PNP) wandering the trails looking for warblers and other treasures. Check Hillman Marsh for shorebirds in the evening. On Sunday, bird the campground, head back to PNP, or move on to Rondeau Provincial Park. There’s lots of opportunity to “do your own thing”. It’s a relaxed and sociable weekend. Greet spring early. Bring your own binoculars. No limit on numbers. Register by March 1. Contact: Anne Bradley at 519-855-4835, annebradley@sympatico.ca.