The Ron Johnstone Paddling Centre
Home for Canoeing Campaign 1991-1996
One of the great dreams that the late Ron Johnstone, co-founder of Paddle Canada, had for paddling in Canada was the possibility of a national centre that would provide outdoor programs for children, those with disabilities and the general public. He saw this dream as the logical extension of the demand by the public, Paddle Canada's members and related agencies to provide a national centre for paddling and waterway conservation.
On 24-May-1997 at 11:30 am, after seven years of lobbying, planning and dedication, Ron Johnstone's dream would become reality as the Ron Johnstone Paddling Centre opened its doors in historic Merrickville, Ontario along the shores of the Rideau Canal. John Eberhard, Master of Cermonies and Building Chairman, oversaw the ribbon cutting ceremony as Ron's wife Mickey Johnstone, Merrickville Mayor Betty Weedmark and Paddle Canada President Kirk Wipper made the opening official.
Regrettably, a change in provincial law in 2003 would ultimately affect the 'property tax-free status' of the Ron Johnstone Paddling Centre. Over the next 2 years, Paddle Canada would exhaust all appeals processes with regards to this change in our determination to retain the centre. However, we would soon come to realize that we were no longer able to support and maintain the Ron Johnstone Paddling Centre. It was therefore with great regret and heaviness of heart that the Paddle Canada Board of Directors announced it's decision to sell the Home for Canoeing in 2006 in order to ensure the organization's future survival.
This webpage is a small-scale attempt to reproduce the 4 foot by 6 foot memorial plaque that was housed at the Ron Johnstone Paddling Centre from 1997 until its final sale. Although the Ron Johnstone Paddling Centre 'Home for Canoeing' building may no longer belong to Paddle Canada, the spirit and the legacy of Ron Johnstone live on through the kindness and generousity of those members who so generously contributed to the campaign.
RON JOHNSTONE PADDLING CENTRE
'HOME FOR CANOEING'
October 1, 1991 to September 1, 1990
NOR' WESTER SOCIETY
| K Cartwright J&F Eberhard George Bracken Ltd J Girvin Harbourfront Canoe Fest |
G Kiessling Northwest Territories Canoeing Association Rideau Lumber |
Paddle Alberta Royal Bank of Canada Woods Canada Limited |
VOYAGEUR CLUB
| Grey Owl Paddles Mustang Survival Nahanni River Adventures |
Northwest Territories Canoeing Association Rideau Lumber |
Scott Canoe Thompson Printing Woods Canada Limited |
OMAR STRINGER PATRONS
| G. Adams Advanced Alarms Air Rock Drilling Algonquin Outfitters Fiberglass Canada Imago Independent Telephone |
Madawaska Kanu Centre Manitoba Pioneer Camp J McLean Microdoctor Technologies D Mutch OldTyme Cabinet Makers |
Peter McGrath Excavation Pineridge Timberframe J Raffan Temagami Wilderness Centre Top Office Products B Williams |
ERIC MORSE ADVENTURERS
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H Abrams Friends of the River Recreation Association G Mitchell D Bocking C Hodgins |
Outdoor Education Subject Council Mississippi Canoeing Association |
FRIENDS OF CANOEING
| 97th Sea Scout Crew J Adams H&B Alge D Allen J Allen R&L Andrew A Anthony J Anthony J Anthony M Apse R Archer J Arley L Ashworth M Atwell B Awslin D Aubrey R Badger P Baillargeon J Balut R Barnes D Barr J Baumback C Baxter J Baylog D Beckett G Becksted M Beedell D&M Beevis J Belair S Belfy J Benoit J Bernhardt B Besner E Betteridge M Beufey K Black D Bober G Boguski D Bonnenfant J Bonsteel W&B Bowman P Boyle A Bradley Branigan Family J Brewer J Britton J Britton A Brown G Brown K Brown E Brunet E Brunet S Bull B Campbell T Campbell Canada South Outdoors Canadian River Management Society Canoe Colorado R Cantin P Capper K Cargill R Caribou H Carlson M Cartier CASS Canoe Club Woodstock C Cassel L Cassie M&K Cassie M&K Cassie R Cavanaugh A Chapin E Charron R&E Chartier J&J Chery D Chesher G Chiykowski J Chobor G Chorostecki D Claxton D&D Cleland W Clifford M Cloutier K Coburn M Cocca J Cockburn D Cook M Cook R&E Cook M Corak M Corak E Cormode R Cornell M Corson S Coudek E Coulas M Craig J Cushnie P Cutfield L Cuthberson G&C Cuthbert M Dagenais A Davidson J&B Davis D&J De Savigny R Deane R Deanne B Demare B&B Diceman B Diepman H Dietl J Dors S&A Doughty B Downe W Downe D Downing J Ducharme C Duck B Dumais H Dumouchel J Dundas S Dunn A Dunne H Dwinter A Easton A Ebbs K Eberhard M&J Edick M&J Edick F&A Ekholm D Elzer G Emery J Enge B Erickson E Erickson J Farquharson G Fassett Ferme Lune de Miel Enr M Finkelstein M Foley D Ford R Ford H Forrest J Fox J Fox R Fuerstenberg MJ Furber S Garinther T&C Gearing J&S Geel D Gehl George Duncan Planing Mill D Gerhardt R&E Gerrie C Gerwing D Gesell D Getz K Gibbard JL Gibbon L Gibbon B Gilchrist R Gilchrist G Gilbert F Glazier J Glazier J Gold W Gordon Wells & Co D Gow G Grabosch P Graham Grand Canoe School J Granton C Griffiths |
M Grote J Gundlach L&R Guy O Gysel D Hack P Hadden P Hadden G Haensgen G Haggert E Hall K Hangle M Harper A Harris D&K Harris N Harris J Hartman G Henderson M Henderson R&D Henderson H Hesse R&R Hill Hit Enterprises M Hitchcock G Hochgesang H&W Hoernig B Hoffman R Hoffman H Hoke D Holdsworth R Horst J Howard R& P Howell T Hoy B Hubbard C&W Hughes E Hunter S Inwood T Irwin R Isaks L Iverson R&P Ivey Ivy Lea Shirt Co A James A&H James G Jamieson A Jarmchuk R Jarvis E Jezak M Jobin K Johnson J&R Johnstone T&B Johnstone K Jordan J Joyce P&J Joyce C Kall V Kanep S Keddy K Kelley T Kelly Kemptville/Oxford Mills Scouts S Key J&R Kingdon C Kissinger J Klages W&M Knitsch W Kocay P Kohl Komoux Valley Paddlers Club G Kornfeld O Korpela M Koudys B Kowaltschuk F Krause R Krause C&J Labbott P Labor A&M Lacabanne F Lafleche D Lahey J Laird M Lamb J Larmier T Lariston P Laubitz T Lauriston J Lavoie B Lawrance S Leffler M Leger R Leghorn R Levere A Lex D Livingstone M Lloyd J Lowery J Lowery D Lucas G Luck F Luedke S Luken Lumley Family R Lussier R Lussier C&L Lyle A MacDonald J MacDonald R MacKenzie A MacNeill A&B MacNeish B&I Macrae C Magee T Maier A Marangoni W Marcoux D Marks Marsh Muchers Boatworks C Maunsell J May J McAllister J&C McAllister M McClung D McColloch W&D McCord O&G McCreary T McDonagh R McDowell J McFall D McKnight R McIntyre G McLeod A McNab D McNab B&A McQuillan S McTavish T Meadows F Mechura Merrick Mills Girl Guides D Mertz J Millenasker H Minnema P Mix P Mogk Mohawk Rod & Gun Club C Molnar C Molnar R Moore B&G Morawetz M Morgan P Morley F Morris J Mottram P Mouldey P Mouldey G Mousseau R Mulligan D Mumm A Munn D Murphy Muskoka Fine Watercraft C&M Neal A Negus D Nelson D&E Nelson T Newman J&P Newton G Nordheimer S&J O'Connell I Oevermann D Ohrling W Olsen W&D Olson |
S Osler Otis Gear Company P Otto Out'n'About Adventures Paddleskills Canoeing Instruction H Parfitt D Paulett M&D Pawson H Peachey J Pease D Pedersen D Penkman K Pepper T Pitcher G Pittman Piv-Yoke Canoe Accessories Plumsweep Press A Popkey W Powell K Powis W Preidolins J Pretty F Promoli B Pugman B Rabb R Rainer J Ranney J Ranney C Rapensberger A Read K Redmond B Reed P Regier M&C Ridgway P Riggs S Rinderknecht S&R Rix Roach Family N Roach & Family P Roberts W Robinson B Rogers K Rogers K Rodgers S&R Rodman H&P Rolfe J&F Rosenblatt J Ross K Roth P&M Rothemb J Rovinson W&S Ruel R Russell R Salmon S Salmon T Sanders V Santos-Pedro C Saso K Sather L Saunders D Saxby E Schatz O&S Schreiber S Schreiber S Schreiber D Schwalin N Scott R Scott M Scriver R Seiler R Seto S Sewell J Seymour W Shearing K Sherlock K Sherlock B Sherrer F Shuttleworth J Simmons J&M Simmons S Skinner J Skuce G Slatter G&J Slobodzian R&L Smith L Sobol D Soudek D Soudek C Speer F Sprason D Spring R Sprung D Spruyt C Stams F Stapenhurst D Starkman K Stein Sather A Stevens R Stevens E Stone J Stover D Sugarman J Sutherland T Sutton R Swank A Swiderski H Talbot T Talbot R Tanner Isaks V Tate B&J Taylor J Taylor R&V Taylor R&V Taylor Temagami Canoe Company R Todd S Todd U Thieme W Thyssen W Tingle C Travoglic G Trombley J Turnbull E Turner J Valiquette P Van De Meulen P Van De Meulen F Van Der Loo F Van Veen GG Vanderweb B Vaughan S&V Ventola S Vincent J Walker N Walker P Walton J Warkentin Wasik Family Wasik Family G Webster S Webster J Weisman H Westheuser H&P Westheuser R Whidden B Whooler N Wilcox M Willett E Williams L&E Williams L&J Williamson R Williamson G Willson E Winacott Windsor Essex Canoe Club J Winfield W Wisser E Witt C Wood J Woodworth B Workum D Worthen C&J Wright Young Voyageur Canoe Club D Young H&D Young N Zaitlin M Zidgler P Zybach |
With special thanks to Swift Canoe and Kayak, Scott Canoe, Mustang PFD's, Grey Owl Paddles and Upper Canada Paddle for their generous donation of equipment to the Ron Johnstone Paddling Centre.
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