C-Forum

Hello everybody in the Ottawa area

I am an intermediate C-Boater from Central Europe and thinking about leaving Europe due to a promising job offer from an Ottawa based company. I definitely dont want to give up my paddling. So, can anybody tell me about the paddling opportunities around Ottawa? I feel comfortrable in class II-III, class IV might be ok if I am in good shape, class V scares me. Any feedback is appreciated.

Dirk

Dirk,

Count yourself lucky and start packing ! Otttawa is, from a paddlers prospective, probably the best city in Canada to live in.
You have playspots and runs right in town (The Wall, Champlain, Hog's Back Falls, Pumphouse) and several excellent runs within one to two hours of driving (Ottawa, Gatineau, Rouge...) !Most of this stuff is class 3 or 4 vith the odd harder rapid thrown in.
And in the spring all the creeking in the Lautentians and in Eastern Ontario.
Doesn't get much better than that !

martin

The vids in my post this morning is all in ontario. Thunder bay is a little far (24 hrs drive) but the Upper Black is 2.5 hrs, and the madawaska (hass hole, palmer rapids, snake rapids etc.) is about 1.5 hrs from ottawa at most. I'm STRONGLY encouraging my wife to finish her Ph.D and get a job w/ the government in Ottawa, so I can retire, paddle and make boats! I'd agree w/ Martin, it's a haven for great boating.

Here are some links:

1. http://www.boatwerks.net - Based out of Minden, near the Gull River, their board focuses alot on Eastern Ontario/Ottawa paddling. There are also many links to other pages.

2. www.kayaker.ca - an ottawa paddling site.

3. www.kayaknews.ca - contains a glut of yaks for sale if you're interested in conversions! (ie converting a yak to a c1, NOT converting from cboating to kayaking)

There are also a couple of French sites, and one that's bilingual (posts are about half english/half french... I can't remember those sites. Enjoy.

M.

these guys have already said it, but incredible paddling city. World class play in Montreal (lachine etc), the Ottawa. River running and creeking galore in NY state, Quebec.

Tons of paddlers to hook up with too.

hey martin,
is hog's back falls the 25 foot waterfall in downtown Ottawa? I checked this falls out the other day, but it doesn't look like the kind of thing (urban environment, dam, ect) that would be legal in the US. Is this the falls you mean? Where is the pumphouse exactly and what kind of whitewater is it?
Alden

the falls themselves can get you a ticket, but those that got ticketed last year got off I believe after challenging it in court. There are also some playspots that form in the rapid downstream in the spring which have become popular with the spud boats. A little trashy and retentive at certain levels. Fun spot.

The ticket thing at hogs back was about accessing the falls from park land. If you float down from under the bridge and take out far below, you never actually touch park property. That's what was illegal. Anywho, the pumphouse bascily at the corner of rideau and something it's bronson strret but the name changes, right on the corner of lebretton flats were the bridge goes across to quebec by the national archives.

Oh and The Ottawa River is one of the best rivers in the world. Almost at any level. from 22 to -3 there always some play spot up and kicking. ANd there PLENTY of good river and very challenging whitewater around. like the 7 sisters, and many other creeks in quebec.

Thanks to all of you for the valuable information! I have accepted in the mean time the offer of employment. So, I will show up in Ottawa in November. We warned!

Again, thanks a lot.

Dirk