Issue #51 - Ottawa Outdoors Magazine

PADDLING NEWS

Algonquin​ ​Outfitters’​ ​Paddle​ ​Art​ ​ Auction​ ​raises​ ​awareness​ and​ ​more​ ​ than​ ​$20,000​ ​for​ ​arts​ ​groups WHEN​ ​ALGONQUIN​ ​OUTFITTERS​ ​(AO)​ ​hatched​ ​the​ ​idea​ ​for​ ​a​ ​paddle​ ​art​ ​ contest,​ ​they​ ​had​ ​no idea​ ​what​ ​kind​ ​of​ ​interest​ ​it​ ​would​ ​generate.

The​ ​contest​ ​launched​ ​at​ ​the​ ​Reel​ ​Paddling​ ​Film​ ​Festival​ ​at​ ​the​ ​Algonquin​ ​ Theatre​ ​had​ ​set​ ​a goal​ ​of​ ​100​ ​submissions​ ​and​ ​$10,000​ ​raised​ ​at​ ​the​ ​paddle​ ​ auction​ ​to​ ​follow​ ​for​ ​its​ ​two​ ​chosen​ ​recipients: Oxtongue​ ​Lake​ ​for​ ​Arts​ ​and​ ​ Culture​ ​(OLAC)​ ​and​ ​the​ ​Town​ ​of​ ​Huntsville​ ​reserve​ ​fund​ ​for​ ​future​ ​acquisition​ ​of public​ ​art.

Ottawa River Runners launch new solar-powered clubhouse for the region OTTAWA RECENTLY celebrated the grand opening of the Ottawa River Runners White Water Club Inc. (ORR) solar-powered clubhouse. The clubhouse includes a rooftop solar installation that was funded in part by Bullfrog Power as part of its community renewable projects program. The Pumphouse Whitewater facility is between Booth Street and Bronson Avenue, behind Albert Street. A group of dedicated paddlers banded together to clean the riverbed and shoreline at the base of the city-run pumphouse, allowing it to be an artificial water slalom course for Ottawa area canoe and kayakers.

The group incorporated as the Ottawa River Runners in 1983 and often used shipping containers to store their boats.

The exciting news of this new clubhouse was made possible by member-supported fundraising and an Ontario Trillium Foundation Grant. The grand opening of the clubhouse coincided with the Canadian Whitewater National Slalom Championships held in August at the Pumphouse, located adjacent to LeBreton Flats in Ottawa. For more information on the Championships, see www.whitewaterontario.ca.

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“We​ ​received​ ​nearly​ ​3,000​ ​online​ ​bids,”​ ​said​ ​Randy​ ​Mitson,​ ​AO’s​ ​Marketing​ ​ Director.​ ​“It​ ​was​ ​a​ ​huge​ ​success, so​ ​successful​ ​that​ ​our​ ​website​ ​saw​ ​hundreds​ ​ of​ ​people​ ​all​ ​trying​ ​to​ ​bid​ ​in​ ​the​ ​last​ ​few​ ​hours​.” In​ ​the​ ​end,​ ​the​ ​auction​ ​raised​ ​a​ ​ total​ ​of​ ​$20,094​ ​for​ ​the​ ​two​ ​arts​ ​groups.

Two​ ​of​ ​the​ ​three​ ​paddles​ ​that​ ​received​ ​the​ ​highest​ ​bids​ ​were​ ​submitted​ ​ by​ ​local​ ​artists​ ​Janine​ ​Marson​ ​and​ ​Don MacKenzie​ ​who​ ​both​ ​asked​ ​not​ ​to​ ​be​ ​ included​ ​in​ ​the​ ​contest.​ ​Janine’s​ ​“Tom​ ​Thomson”​ ​painted​ ​paddle garnered​ ​a​ ​ bid​ ​of​ ​$675​ ​while​ ​Don’s​ ​carved​ ​“Eagle​ ​Feather”​ ​earned​ ​$601.

Between​ ​the​ ​two​ ​was​ ​a​ ​paddle​ ​painted​ ​by​ ​Christine​ ​Gagné,​ ​“The​ ​Journey​ ​ Begins”,​ ​which​ ​sold​ ​for​ ​$671,​ ​putting it​ ​first​ ​in​ ​the​ ​contest.​ ​Her​ ​paddle​ ​depicts​ ​a​ ​ bear,​ ​moose​ ​and​ ​howling​ ​wolf​ ​on​ ​one​ ​side,​ ​and​ ​a​ ​tranquil​ ​scene​ ​with​ ​loons​ ​on​ ​ the​ ​other.

“I​ ​wanted​ ​to​ ​do​ ​something​ ​to​ ​portray​ ​(Algonquin​ ​Park)​ ​in​ ​the​ ​paddle​ ​with​ ​a​ ​ Tom​ ​Thomson​ ​twist,”​ ​said​ ​Christine. “I​ ​wanted​ ​to​ ​paint​ ​something​ ​people​ ​could​ ​ relate​ ​to.”​ ​She​ ​picked​ ​up​ ​a​ ​paddle​ ​on​ ​a​ ​trip​ ​to​ ​Algonquin​ ​Park​ ​this summer​ ​and​ ​ got​ ​to​ ​work,​ ​submitting​ ​her​ ​entry​ ​just​ ​two​ ​weeks​ ​before​ ​the​ ​deadline.

“We​ ​are​ ​thrilled​ ​with​ ​the​ ​results​ ​of​ ​the​ ​auction​ ​and​ ​happy​ ​to​ ​support​ ​these​ ​ two​ ​great​ ​organizations,​ ​as​ ​well​ ​as bringing​ ​awareness​ ​to​ ​the​ ​importance​ ​of​ ​ supporting​ ​arts​ ​and​ ​culture,”​ ​said​ ​Mitson.​

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Rio Olympian Michael Tayler (left), Ottawa River Runners’ Doug Corkery and Olympian Cameron Smedley celebrate the official ground breaking of the Ottawa River Runners new clubhouse for the Pumphouse Whitewater Facility. (photo Michelle Nash Baker/Metroland)

04 | OTTAWAOUTDOORSMONTHLY

In 2017 Ottawa will be host to the first OTTAWA INTERNATIONAL ADVENTURE FILM FESTIVAL in Eastern Canada featuring adventure films from across the globe. This festival will be the first of its kind, unique to Ottawa and Eastern Canada.

Come out and celebrate the world of adventure with the vibrant Ottawa adventure community. Learn more at www.facebook.com/ OttawaAdventureFilmFestival.