Kayaking and canoeing a great way to relax, exercise, see wildlife

tween kayaking and canoeing. With kayaks, operators sit lower in the water and within the watercraft’s narrow-beamed enclosed shell and use a doublebladed paddle in front of their bodies to provide locomotion. With canoes, operators sit on an elevated bench in a widerbeamed open half-shell watercraft and use a single-bladed paddle at their side to provide locomotion.

Residents and tourists looking for a new way to view nature in Wakamow Valley should consider grabbing a lifejacket and canoeing or kayaking on the Moose Jaw River.

Located in Kiwanis River Park just off First Avenue Southeast, Moose Jaw River and Adventure Tours lets people rent a canoe or kayak for a few hours, half a day or a full day so they can paddle up and down the river to exercise, socialize with friends, relax and see the large variety of animals in the valley.

It costs $22 per hour, $44 per half-day or $66 for a full day to rent a watercraft, while a twohour introduction to kayaking costs $44.

Moose Jaw River and Adventure Tours is open by appointment only in April, May and June, while it is open seven days a week from 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. in July and August. It is then open again by appointment in September and October. For more information, call Tim Metka at 306-313-2212. There are several differences be-

People interested in navigating the Moose Jaw River in either a canoe or kayak can challenge themselves to various degrees while riding on the water. The water body is roughly 144 kilometres long and starts in the hills near Weyburn and meanders to Moose Jaw before heading out to Fort Qu’Appelle. Paddlers will have to portage several times along that stretch if they want to take on the entire river — including four or five times just in Moose Jaw. Some portage-related areas in The Friendly Cit include the weir at Seventh Avenue Southwest, areas around the former Valley View Centre and northeast of the city, and a spillway close to the former Old Union Hospital site near the Manitoba Expressway.

However, users can enjoy many parts of Wakamow Valley without having to haul their watercraft in and out of the river. If they rise early or stay up late, users can see many animals that live in the region, including raccoons, foxes, turtles, deer, muskrats, beavers and 30 to 40 species of birds.

For more info, visit Moose Jaw River and Adventure Tours’ Facebook page or www.bohscycle. ca/adventure-tours.html.