Social Events

Please join us for our annual Wine & Cheese social event organized, in memory of a long-time WCA member, Mike Wevrick.  Our guest speaker this year is Al Pace of Canoe North Adventures, who draws on many decades and thousands of kilometers of wilderness travel in Canada's far north.

Cost is $32 purchased in advance and $40 at the door (only if space is available).  Advance tickets may be purchased through the WCA website.

Sign up and pay for Tickets here;

Mike Wevrick Lecture - Wine and Cheese Social | Wilderness Canoe Association

I will be sharing slides and stories from our canoe trip this summer. We went from McKay Lake, NWT north through the beginning of the Coppermine River, and lake hopped into the Hood River. After running the Hood, we continued east paddling the Arctic ocean coast from Bathurst Inlet to Elu Inlet, ending our trip on the south side of the NWT Passage south of Cambridge Bay.

2024 Mike Wevrick Lecture Series and Wine and Cheese Social

When: 7-10 PM, Saturday Evening, Dec 7, 2024

Where:Toronto Sailing & Canoe Club

1391 Lakeshore Blvd. West, Toronto

https://maps.app.goo.gl/dU4NDpztdJd54GVk6

Cost is $29 purchased in advance and $40 in cash at the door (if space is available only)

Our speaker is the legendary Adam Shoalts

Bio: Adam Shoalts is a professional adventurer, the Westaway Explorer-in-Residence at the Royal Canadian Geographical Society, and Outward Bound’s ambassador. His expeditions range from mapping rivers to archaeological projects, but Shoalts is best known for his long canoe solo journeys, including crossing alone nearly 4,000 km of Canada’s Arctic. Named one of the “greatest living explorers” by CBC and declared “Canada’s Indiana Jones” by the Toronto Star, Shoalts’s latest adventure was a 3,400 km solo journey from Lake Erie to the Arctic, the subject of his new national bestselling book Where the Falcon Flies. His other books include Alone Against the North, A History of Canada in 10 Maps, and Beyond the Trees: A Journey Alone Across Canada's Arctic, and The Whisper on the Night Wind, all of them national bestsellers. He has a PhD from McMaster University in history, and in his free time, enjoys long walks in the woods.

Adam's paperbacks will go for $20 and hardcovers $30 cash. Paperbacks for his older books (Beyond the Trees, The Whisper on the Night Wind, A History of Canada in 10 Maps, and Alone Against the North), and hardcover for his newest book (Where the Falcon Flies). 

Online registration CLOSED $40 Cash at Door 

A  YouTube Live stream  will be made available for all our members out of town.  No fee.   You do not have to register for online viewing just go to Wilderness Canoe Association YouTube channel at ~7:30PM and click on the LIVE link.

Please join me in reminiscing my third trip on the Dubawnt River this summer with 5 American paddler friends, following Arthur Moffat story, feeling the increasing heat of our planet, and loving the fresh fish.

Time: Nov 26, 2023 08:00 PM Eastern Time (US and Canada)

Join Zoom Meeting
https://us02web.zoom.us/j/87524828273?pwd=WHF2dnk0MEw4VElid2VEMjJWYjc0Z…

Meeting ID: 875 2482 8273
Passcode: 763882

Please join us at the 2023 WCA  Fall Gathering

On September 22 to 24, 2023

Follow this link below to read about the event and  sign up.

2023 WCA Fall Gathering

If you have any questions contact Terry Brayman (terrybrayman@gmail.com)

Bring your own food and drink unless noted below

Itinerary

Friday Night

We will pick campsites to be all together.  Check bulletin board at center to find our site #.

We will catch-up around a campfire Friday evening.  Early arrivals on Friday can say hello to old and new friends, go for a riverside walk, or dive-in to some recreational whitewater on the Gull.

Minden Whitewater Preserve.

https://goo.gl/maps/f4HXsbnYcvTdsgVk7

Saturday

Featured Outing:  Burnt River Run

This is a relaxing paddle of just over 11km.  It is mostly flatwater, with a few swifts and some bigger drops that need to be portaged (especially Three Sisters Rapids).  We stop for lunch half way along, and everyone should bring their own food.  There is no need for a whitewater canoe specifically, but all boats should be equipped with standard safety gear.

The put-in area is the Austin Sawmill Heritage Park, which is on the west side of the Burnt River accessed via Station Road off Kinmount’s main street (County Road 121).  Our plan is to leave Minden at 9am to be at the Kinmount put-in by 9:30.  We will head down the river once we have completed the car shuttle.    (Note that the put-in spot is adjacent to the Kinmount Farmer’s Market, so bring along some pocket money if you feel that you deserve a treat.)

Put-in Location:  https://maps.app.goo.gl/yCZTB3yxYa3bX4TNA

Take-out Location:  https://maps.app.goo.gl/YZopimTSs6XC4DJ7A

Other Saturday Daytime Activities

Depending on turn-out and demand, other possible Saturday activities may include either:

• a Gull River whitewater session in which WCA members will exchange tips for refining ferries, eddy turns, and other manoeuvres; or,

• a local walk, including in nearby areas maintained by the Haliburton Highlands Land Trust, such as the Dahl Forest or the Barnum Creek Nature Reserve. 

Saturday Après-Paddle

We are aiming to arrive back at the campsites around 5pm.  Along with dinner preparation this time can be used for gear demonstrations and/or gear swap.  Participants are encouraged to bring any gear in good condition that they no longer need, to see if anyone else can put it to good use.  Have a look through your old stuff and see what might be of interest to other members – a great way to declutter!

The BBQ dinner for all participants will run from 6:00 to 7:30pm.  

Our evening program will feature trip presentations in the Minden Preserve event hall.  This will start at by approximately 8:30pm, and run a couple of hours.  Even if you’re haven’t signed-up to present, feel free to bring some pictures on a USB memory key and share some memorable experiences.

Sunday

We will start Sunday with a group breakfast in the event hall with bacon, eggs, toast, orange juice, and coffee/tea provided to all participants.  Breakfast will be served from approximately 8am to 9am.

Sunday activities will depend on group preferences.  Here are a two options that may be of interest:

North of 45°  Group Paddle.  We will head north from the dam above the Minden Whitewater Course and keep going until we’ve crossed the 45^th parallel (or reach our limits).  This will be a relaxing social paddle to enjoy the scenery of Horseshoe and Mountain lakes.  Expected duration:  up to two hours.

Snowdon Park Wetland and Forest Preserve Group Hike.  This will be a chance to preview fall colours in a mixed terrain setting including wetlands and forest.  Different hiking trail options are available ranging from 45 minutes to over two hours.  The Park is about 15km from the Minden Whitewater Preserve.

Gull River Whitewater.  An informal session for members to practice their whitewater moves and exchange pointers.  Activities will focus on the bottom section of the Gull with boats on hand to assist any unintentional swimmers.

Our Fall Gathering will wrap-up on Sunday, and people will have time after breakfast to pack their gear before participating in any of the group activities.  Others may decide to head-off right after breakfast, particularly those with a long drive ahead.  We will aim to conclude any of Sunday’s group activities by early afternoon.

2023 Mike Wevrick Lecture Series and Wine and Cheese Social

When: 7-10 PM, Saturday Evening, November 18, 2023

Where: Toronto Sailing & Canoe Club

1391 Lakeshore Blvd. West, Toronto

Cost is $30 purchased in advance and $40 in cash at the door (if space is available only)

Our speaker is the legendary James Raffin

Follow this red link below to register for in person attendance

Mike Wevrick Lecture - Wine and Cheese Social | Wilderness Canoe Association

A  YouTube Live stream  will be made available for all our members out of town.  No fee.   You do not have to register for online viewing just go to Wilderness Canoe Association YouTube channel at ~7:30PM and click on the LIVE link.

Please join us at the 2022 WCA  Fall Gathering

Follow this link below to read about the event and  sign up.

2022 WCA Fall Gathering

If you have any questions contact Gary Ataman (chair@wildernesscanoe.ca)

The Annual General Meeting (AGM) will take place by Zoom this year.

Agenda:

1. Welcome by the Chairman
2. Approval of 2021 AGM minutes
3. Committee Reports:
   • Membership
   • Treasurer 
   • Communications / Marketing
   • Outings and Insurance 
   • Website 
   • Conservation 
4. Election of Directors, Volunteers welcome
5. Other Business
6. Canadian Canoe Museum Presentation by Jeremy Ward and Carolyn Hyslop   /webfm_send/619

If you are interested in joining the board or sitting on a committee we can always use your help.   Send us an email at  chair@wildernesscanoe.ca

2022 Mike Wevrick Lecture and Wine and Cheese Social

When: 7-10 PM, Saturday Evening, November 19, 2022

Where: Toronto Sailing & Canoe Club

1391 Lakeshore Blvd. West, Toronto

Our speaker is the legendary Hap Wilson

Follow this link to register

Mike Wevrick Lecture - Wine and Cheese Social | Wilderness Canoe Association

A Zoom live stream available for all our members out of town.  No fee. 

Join Zoom Hap Wilson Presentation

https://us02web.zoom.us/j/88460667887

Meeting ID: 884 6066 7887

Spanish River - Trip Report

Some members just finished paddling Spanish River from Bisco to Elbow and there is some interesting

updates. We going to talk about the acess, water levels, rapids and campsites

If you are interested in doing the spanish river this is a great Trip report!

Wednesday July 07,  7PM

Join Zoom Meeting

https://us02web.zoom.us/j/84885243972

Meeting ID: 848 8524 3972

Thanks, Sandro