The following newsletter was sent to all members July 19 2018
Dear paddlers,
The summer has provided us with great weather for paddling. Our club currently has 1561 members, of which 1285 are Recreation members, 29 are Marathon members, 61 are members of both divisions, and 186 are child members. This is the largest membership in the club’s history, up slightly from last year’s total.
Water level and river safety!
The river flow has decreased to about 100 m3/s from 420 m3/s at the beginning of June. This is good news for paddlers new to moving water as the weaker current is much easier to navigate. With the low water level, please watch out for rocks and other debris hiding just below the surface to avoid damaging the boats and paddles.
If you see something dangerous or illegal on the river (e.g. jet-skis operating too close or at high speed near human-powered vessels, impaired boating, etc.) please report it to the Saskatoon Police Service by calling 9-1-1 for emergencies or 306-975-8300 for non-emergencies. If the police do not receive calls from the public they will assume that everyone is respecting the law despite what might be happening on the water.
Boat Signout
Just a quick reminder, recreation boats must be signed out in the binder by the wash station. The logs are used to predict when boats will be back, to determine how popular each boat is for purchasing/selling and as part of our emergency action plan.
Upcoming Recreation Division trips
Pelican Narrow to Sandy Bay, Aug. 25 to Sept. 3: Explore an important part of the voyageur highway through a chain of lakes to Frog Portage and then venture into the big waters of the lower Churchill, where magnificent waterfalls and a spectacular gorge are things to be seen and heard. Classic shield country campsites abound and the fishing and berry picking should be great. See https://saskatooncanoeclub.org/panopoly/trips for more information or to sign up. Space is limited, so get your name in early if you want to go.
New club trips are always welcome. Lead one overnight trip or two day trips and earn a free membership for next year! If you have a route in mind and are interested in leading a club trip, send your plans to the Recreation Director at recreation@saskatooncanoeclub.org for approval.
This year’s Mini Training Courses now finished
This year we ran a series of mini training courses for beginner canoe paddlers. There were 8 courses and 107 participants. Feedback was very positive and hopefully we continue next year with the idea. Considering we have such a large proportion of new members we feel this was a great benefit for our club to increase competency and safety.
Group Paddles
If you want to meet some new paddlers and maybe brush up on some of your paddling skills, our group paddles are a great opportunity for you. You don’t need a paddle partner, just show up and enjoy some time out on the water. They are every Thursday at 6:30 p.m. for the Recreation Division. For the Marathon Division they are Wednesday at 6:30 p.m. and Sunday at 10:00 a.m.
Thursday evening paddle group looks for volunteers with some experience in kayak or canoeing to help newcomers or even persons wanting to learn something new. Do not hesitate to contact: social@saskatooncanoeclub.org or fill in the speedsheat for the preferred date :https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1Ju0iH0jF8a8JSiBNuJYVRfN5WzvUdLXedM6Q4lP13nk/edit?usp=sharing
Paddle board rentals available at the Saskatoon Racing Canoe Club
Our boathouse neighbour to the south, the Saskatoon Racing Canoe Club, has started renting stand-up paddle boards. See the following poster for details.
