The ease of heading out in a canoe or kayak on one of the many lakes in the qathet region is a draw for visitors and locals to the area.
Host of the first paddle day event and Suncoast Paddling Club (formerly Powell River Outrigger Canoe Society) member Sarah Bacon moved to the area in 2018 and continued her passion for outrigger canoeing.
“I started with kayaking and then dragon boating,” said Bacon. “But outrigging is a wonderful sport that I do year round with amazing people; we even paddle in the winter twice a week.”
On Sunday, June 25, the club is welcoming the public to bring their own human-powered watercraft to Mowat Bay for an 11:30 am send off. People who are just curious about paddling, but don’t have a boat, are also welcome to be there to ask questions and try out a boat (with their own personal flotation device).
“Monday, June 26, is National Canoe Day, and as members of the Suncoast Paddling Club, we thought it would be fun to, rather than focus on canoes, celebrate paddling of all sorts,” said Bacon. “The purpose of the gathering is to have fun, get as many people on the water as we can and introduce the sport to those who have not had the opportunity.”
Originally an ancient watercraft used by Austronésian cultures spanning from Madagascar and the Pacific Islands to Indonesia, Fiji and Samoa, outrigger canoes are fast and capable of being sailed through rough waters due to the hull giving it stability. Currently outrigger canoe racing is a popular sport globally; six-person canoes are most commonly used, and single-person canoes are also common.
“When I got here, although the paddle club was relatively small, there was a team of women who went to Tahiti and won gold,” said Bacon. “Last year I got to go to an outrigger world championship in London.”
For Bacon the main reasons for paddling are mental health, physical health, its accessibility and connections she’s made within the community of paddlers.
“There is a team going to Samoa for distance races and they are 75 years-plus in age,” said Bacon.
Randy Mitchell, local paddle historian, will be at Mowat Bay for the event to share his passion for getting out on the water, and can answer any queries about paddling in the qathet region. He has been canoeing for more than 50 years and said he learned how to canoe before he learned how to drive.
“Paddling served me very well,” added Mitchell. “Canoeing is anti-stress and going out in this area is so beautiful; to not take part in this activity is a waste.”
Mitchell believes paddling to be a terrific platform for things like bird and wildlife watching.
“The silence, the ease and low profile helps, and it’s such a versatile craft,” he said. “You can go in deep water, shallow water, carry it on a car or on your back.”
The canoe enthusiast has never lost interest in paddling and has passed that love for being out on the water to his family. Mitchell ran one of the first (he recalls the second) canoe rental businesses in the area and has passed the business on to his daughter.
But he emphasized that the event happening on June 25 is not only about canoeing, but all forms of paddling.
Bacon said the event will have a mass start and invite everyone to go out and back to either Tony’s Point or Haywire Bay, or anywhere in-between.
“Getting out on the water is far more important than how far you go,” added Bacon.
Organizers hope to expose and connect people with the wider human-powered boating community.
“We [different types of paddlers] rarely get together and celebrate the fact that we all share this wonderful place to paddle,” said Bacon.
Suncoast Paddling Club will be giving out recreational passes for anyone wanting to try outrigger canoeing. Townsite Brewing will also be handing out “happy hour” passes for participants on paddle day.
“When I go outrigging, I am always glad I got out, even after a really hard practice,” said Bacon. “The feeling is amazing both physically and mentally; occasionally we get to paddle on the ocean, up Jarvis Inlet and we have seen whales. I love it.”
The paddle event begins at 11 am at Mowat Bay on Powell Lake. To find out more, go to powellriveroutrigger.weebly.com.
