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Trip Overview

We'll be getting our Level 1&2 Tandem Canoe certification in preparation for camping trips later in the summer. The course runs from 9am - 5pm in a conservation area close to Kitchener.

We'll have professional instruction with canoes, life jackets (PFDs) and other safety equipment all included. There is no concession booth for food on site but washrooms should be open.

Adventure Details

We'll learn:

  1. Safety considerations: including proper use of personal flotation devices, assessing weather and water conditions, and basic rescue techniques.
  2. Canoe equipment: including the parts of the canoe, paddle types and techniques, and canoe loading and unloading.
  3. Canoeing strokes: including strokes for paddling in a straight line as well as turning your canoe using bow and stern strokes such as J-stroke, sweep stroke, bow cut and cross-bow cut.
  4. Maneuvering techniques: including sideways displacement, pivoting and docking the canoe using draws and push-aways, and entering and exiting from shore.
  5. Communication and teamwork: including effective communication between the paddlers, weight distribution and balance, and navigating obstacles.
  6. Other safe canoeing considerations such as paddling in windy weather, shoulder season paddling and risk management.

Itinerary

07:30 - Shuttle leaves from the Petro Canada next to Keele Station.

We can't wait for latecomers so make sure you arrive a few minutes early!

08:45 - Arrive at Pinehurst Conservation Area. Once there, follow signs to the beach not the canoe launch! Complete waivers for canoeing.

09:00 - 17:00 - Canoe lesson. We'll stop for a packed lunch that you should bring

18:30 - Anticipated return to Keele Station

Custom Map Download

Download Map

This custom map is georeferenced, meaning it will show you where you are on the map in the right software and lays out the rough path that we’ll be following. It’s opened with the Avenza app which must be downloaded and installed in advance of the adventure.

You should also download the What3words app - this makes it easy to share and find locations in the unlikely event that you get lost.

Weather Forecast

Pinehurst WEATHER

Loading weather...

What to Bring

  • Dress for the weather – we paddle rain or shine (except in thunderstorms). Bring appropriate clothing for the forecast including hat, gloves, jacket for cool weather and raingear for rain. Bring a hat, sunscreen, and sunglasses for hot, sunny days. It looks like it will be hot!
  • All participants should have a change of clothes, towel and a bathing suit if desired. Bear in mind that we will be getting in the water at points so a towel and quick drying clothes are important.
  • Bring plenty of water, lunch and snacks. The concession booth at Pinehurst is not open
  • A packed lunch

Food

Pack a lunch and bring snacks and water to stay fed and hydrated throughout the day.

Rented Gear Info

Canoe, Paddle, PFD and Safety Kit are all supplied.

Additional Fees/Reservations

Self drivers have a $7 park entry fee, payable per person. No reservations are required.

Dangers and Mitigation

Everybody will be given a PFD (life vest) and must wear this at all times. We'll have professional instructors with us and you should follow their instructions.

Shared Photo Album

Click on the button to share your photos from the trip and see what others have captured. Please note, we may use your photos on our Instagram. If you'd rather we didn't - let us know in the Discord.
Google Photo Album

Guest Waiver

Those bringing guests will need them to complete this waiver in advance.

Indigenous History of the Area

The area was first inhabited by the Attawandaron people, also known as the Neutrals, who were a confederacy of five tribes. The Attawandaron were a peaceful people who lived in harmony with the land. They were skilled farmers and hunters, and they traded with other indigenous groups and with Europeans.

In the early 17th century, the Attawandaron were decimated by disease and warfare. The Iroquois Confederacy, also known as the Haudenosaunee, took advantage of the Attawandaron's weakness and conquered them. The Iroquois then moved into the area and established a number of villages.

The conservation area is situated on the traditional territory of the Haudenosaunee (Iroquois) Confederacy, specifically the Six Nations of the Grand River, which is one of the largest First Nations reserves in Canada. The Grand River runs through the region and was a significant transportation route for the Haudenosaunee people.

Before European contact, the Haudenosaunee people lived in this area, hunting, fishing, and farming the land. The Haudenosaunee Confederacy is composed of six nations: Mohawk, Oneida, Onondaga, Cayuga, Seneca, and Tuscarora, and their traditional territory spans across what is now known as New York State, Pennsylvania, and Ontario.

During the colonial period, the Haudenosaunee people played a significant role in the fur trade and established relationships with the British, French, and Dutch. However, the relationship between the Haudenosaunee and the British became strained during the American Revolution, leading to the Haudenosaunee aligning with the British.

In the 19th century, land was taken from the Haudenosaunee people through the negotiation of treaties, including the Haldimand Proclamation of 1784, which granted six miles on either side of the Grand River to the Haudenosaunee people. The treaties were often not respected, and the Haudenosaunee people faced continued colonization and displacement.

Today, the Six Nations of the Grand River are an important part of the community in the area. The reserve is home to around 13,000 members of the Six Nations, and there are ongoing efforts to restore and reclaim land and to promote the traditions, culture, and rights of indigenous people.

Trip Overview

We'll be getting our Level 1&2 Tandem Canoe certification in preparation for camping trips later in the summer. The course runs from 9am - 5pm in a conservation area close to Kitchener.

We'll have professional instruction with canoes, life jackets (PFDs) and other safety equipment all included. There is no concession booth for food on site but washrooms should be open.

Adventure Details

We'll learn:

  1. Safety considerations: including proper use of personal flotation devices, assessing weather and water conditions, and basic rescue techniques.
  2. Canoe equipment: including the parts of the canoe, paddle types and techniques, and canoe loading and unloading.
  3. Canoeing strokes: including strokes for paddling in a straight line as well as turning your canoe using bow and stern strokes such as J-stroke, sweep stroke, bow cut and cross-bow cut.
  4. Maneuvering techniques: including sideways displacement, pivoting and docking the canoe using draws and push-aways, and entering and exiting from shore.
  5. Communication and teamwork: including effective communication between the paddlers, weight distribution and balance, and navigating obstacles.
  6. Other safe canoeing considerations such as paddling in windy weather, shoulder season paddling and risk management.

Itinerary

07:30 - Shuttle leaves from the Petro Canada next to Keele Station.

We can't wait for latecomers so make sure you arrive a few minutes early!

08:45 - Arrive at Pinehurst Conservation Area. Once there, follow signs to the beach not the canoe launch! Complete waivers for canoeing.

09:00 - 17:00 - Canoe lesson. We'll stop for a packed lunch that you should bring

18:30 - Anticipated return to Keele Station

Custom Map Download

Download Map

This custom map is georeferenced, meaning it will show you where you are on the map in the right software and lays out the rough path that we’ll be following. It’s opened with the Avenza app which must be downloaded and installed in advance of the adventure.

You should also download the What3words app - this makes it easy to share and find locations in the unlikely event that you get lost.

Weather Forecast

Pinehurst WEATHER

What to Bring

  • Dress for the weather – we paddle rain or shine (except in thunderstorms). Bring appropriate clothing for the forecast including hat, gloves, jacket for cool weather and raingear for rain. Bring a hat, sunscreen, and sunglasses for hot, sunny days. It looks like it will be hot!
  • All participants should have a change of clothes, towel and a bathing suit if desired. Bear in mind that we will be getting in the water at points so a towel and quick drying clothes are important.
  • Bring plenty of water, lunch and snacks. The concession booth at Pinehurst is not open
  • A packed lunch

Food

Pack a lunch and bring snacks and water to stay fed and hydrated throughout the day.

Rented Gear Info

Canoe, Paddle, PFD and Safety Kit are all supplied.

Additional Fees/Reservations

Self drivers have a $7 park entry fee, payable per person. No reservations are required.

Dangers and Mitigation

Everybody will be given a PFD (life vest) and must wear this at all times. We'll have professional instructors with us and you should follow their instructions.

Shared Photo Album

Click on the button to share your photos from the trip and see what others have captured. Please note, we may use your photos on our Instagram. If you'd rather we didn't - let us know in the Discord.
Google Photo Album

Guest Waiver

Those bringing guests will need them to complete this waiver in advance.

Indigenous History of the Area

The area was first inhabited by the Attawandaron people, also known as the Neutrals, who were a confederacy of five tribes. The Attawandaron were a peaceful people who lived in harmony with the land. They were skilled farmers and hunters, and they traded with other indigenous groups and with Europeans.

In the early 17th century, the Attawandaron were decimated by disease and warfare. The Iroquois Confederacy, also known as the Haudenosaunee, took advantage of the Attawandaron's weakness and conquered them. The Iroquois then moved into the area and established a number of villages.

The conservation area is situated on the traditional territory of the Haudenosaunee (Iroquois) Confederacy, specifically the Six Nations of the Grand River, which is one of the largest First Nations reserves in Canada. The Grand River runs through the region and was a significant transportation route for the Haudenosaunee people.

Before European contact, the Haudenosaunee people lived in this area, hunting, fishing, and farming the land. The Haudenosaunee Confederacy is composed of six nations: Mohawk, Oneida, Onondaga, Cayuga, Seneca, and Tuscarora, and their traditional territory spans across what is now known as New York State, Pennsylvania, and Ontario.

During the colonial period, the Haudenosaunee people played a significant role in the fur trade and established relationships with the British, French, and Dutch. However, the relationship between the Haudenosaunee and the British became strained during the American Revolution, leading to the Haudenosaunee aligning with the British.

In the 19th century, land was taken from the Haudenosaunee people through the negotiation of treaties, including the Haldimand Proclamation of 1784, which granted six miles on either side of the Grand River to the Haudenosaunee people. The treaties were often not respected, and the Haudenosaunee people faced continued colonization and displacement.

Today, the Six Nations of the Grand River are an important part of the community in the area. The reserve is home to around 13,000 members of the Six Nations, and there are ongoing efforts to restore and reclaim land and to promote the traditions, culture, and rights of indigenous people.