I was invited to be part of a video shoot yesterday in the 1000 Islands, Ontario.  Scott from 1000 Island Kayaking is currently putting together 4 or 5 different promotional videos for his company. Joseph Baptista from Country Multimedia, is filming and producing these videos.  I was there to talk about the Paddle Canada sea kayak courses, specifically the Intro to Sea Kayak, Level 1 and Level 2.  I also spotlighted the reason why one would sign up for a Paddle Canada course. in other words that a PC course offers top quality and value, as the instructor is nationally certified through a training program, put togheter by many top industry ecucators from across the country and over many decades.

Celebrate the fly-in or rail-in remote wilderness canoe adventure, the quintessential Canadian experience during the month of August Ontario Outdoors.  Read about Kevin Callan's trip to Woodland Caribou Provincial Park on his blog (Part 1) (& Part 2 ). Kevin Callan is a Paddle Canada Patron, the author of 13 books, including best sellers The Happy Camper and Wilderness Pleasures: A Practical Guide to Camping Bliss. Callan contributes to radio, television and print, working as field editor for Explore magazine and as a columnist for Canoeroots.

This will be the ONLY canoe in the expected 11 km flotilla parade event next weekend - Canada's designated vessel to the flotilla parade: a Voyageur Canoe from Paddle Canada in partnership with the Canadian Canoe Museum!!

Sunday June 3: - Watch Live: The Thames Diamond Jubilee Pageant will be live on CBC News Network and CBCNews.ca at 9 a.m. ET and on CBC-TV at 9:30 a.m. ET. The pageant features up to 1,000 boats on the Thames River, assembled from across the Commonwealth and around the world. The Queen and Duke of Edinburgh will travel in the Royal Barge, forming the centrepiece of the flotilla. Peter Mansbridge hosts the broadcast.

Original Post: A few weeks ago, I got a call from James Raffan, Executive Director of the Canadian Canoe Museum with an unusual request.  The Canadian High Commission with orders from the Prime Ministers office, had tasked James with the job of finding a big canoe to paddle in the upcoming Queen's Jubilee Celebration Flotilla in England on June 3.  After convincing the pageant organizers that a voyageur canoe was sea worthy and safe,  a 1st Nations group was then contacted in western Canada, who said yes initially to using their dugout canoe, but then upon further inspection said their boat woudn't be ready in time,  due to repairs needed to the vessel.  Thus the phone call to Paddle Canada office.  It just so happens, that the two PC's Canots du Nord were not in use (and not since 2008). So after some quick discussions with the Board of Directors, the decision was to give the green light to James to use one of the canoes needed for the event. 

Fast forward to today, on very short notice (about an hour), I rushed up to Seeley's Bay, ON this afternoon for the christening and launch of the refurbished "Canada One" canoe that is going to Queen's Jubilee.   Half the town folks were there along with a film crew from CBC The National,  and the local fire department with fire house to recreate the fountains on the Thames River perhaps?

I just got back from the Altantic Paddling Symposium. I can't say how impressed I was with the quality of coaching and presentations at this event.  There were coaches from BC, Saskatchewan, Ontario, New Brunswick, Nova Scotia, PEI, Newfoundland, Washington and California.  A truly national (and international event).  It really solidified in my mind, that the gathering of the paddling community, of like minded folks in the Paddle Canada circle, is so important.  The variety of clinic offerings was also fantastic whether you wanted to learn moving water or flatwater canoe skills, sea kayaking surfing or rescues, flatwater SUP or just