I cannot say what it was that first made canoeing such a fun thing for me, nor can I say when I made the transition from recreational canoeist to canoe tripper. What I do know is how it all started. Continue Reading

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When I was a kid, camping was a favourite past time for my family.  Like many people, I can remember summer days spent by the lake doing all the fun stuff you do while camping.  The fishing, the swimming, playing with other kids you knew or just met, late nights roasting marshmallows and listening to the adults chat around the fire.  One of the things I remember is when my grandparents would join us on a camping trip.  As fun as camping was, seeing my grandparents made it that much more special. Continue Reading

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By: Mike Burns

I always enjoyed my solo canoe trips, but at “down” times, I get a bit lonesome. I would see other soloist with dogs and would get a bit envious.  I see some dogs in the bow sitting proudly. I see dogs swimming at the camp sites, and I would see dogs on the portages carrying packs. “I want that!”  My older dogs at the time were never trained to go in a canoe.  When they passed on, it was time for a new best friend.  I put my wife on a mission to get our 2^nd new dog. She picked out a female 6 months previously and our 2nd next dog, I told her, was going to be a tripping buddy. She came across a rescue organization that had a 3 month female Golden Retriever/Shepard mixed. She was last to be picked with no markings. Pure black. We picked her up with a full family introduction with her “sister” Jill. Continue Reading

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By: Kevin Mansell

Mention the Channel Islands to most North American kayakers and their thoughts probably turn to an archipelago off the Californian coast, but what about the original Channel Islands?  Located off the coast of northern France, they sit between the arms of Normandy and Brittany, a unique mixture of English and French.

Jersey, the largest, is my island home.  Large is a relative term as it is only 9 miles long and 5 miles wide.  Within this compact 45 square miles, there is some dramatic coastal scenery, set against a rich historical background, which stretches back approximately 240,000 years.  The kayaking is made all the more interesting by the twice daily rise and fall of the tide, with a tidal range which reaches 12 metres on the larger springs. Continue Reading

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By: Mike Burns

Is ‘Canoe Building Addiction’ a thing?

Why don’t you sell some of your canoes? Good question.  My wife says, “Just sell one!”, but I can’t!  From the start of the building process to using them in trips all over Ontario, each canoe means something to me. Continue Reading

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By: Jen Wirch

The background:

If you have ever been on a canoe trip, you know that the planning starts with 3 main questions:

• where are you going?
• how long are you going for? 
• who are you going with (or will this be a solo trip?)? 

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Algonquin Park has a history of logging, famous artists, vacation resorts, fishing and, of course, canoeing. There is the history everyone knows, and then there is the history that not everyone knows. One example is the Brent Run. I don’t remember the first time I heard about the Run, maybe someone just mentioned it in passing, but when it came time for my yearly Father’s Day canoe trip, I did some research into it. Continue Reading

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