6 places to paddle in Canada
Beginner-friendly places to test out your whitewater paddling skills
Reversing Falls, Saint John, New Brunswick
These falls go from a ripple to a monster as the tide drops. Time your paddle to match your skill and you have the world’s most versatile play spot.
For more info: [email protected]
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Valleyfield, near Montreal, Quebec
This 1,500-foot park’n’paddle channel of the St. Lawrence River sits downstream from a dam and runs most of the year.
For more info: quebecwhitewater.com
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Madawaska River, Palmer Rapids, Ontario
Between Toronto, Kingston and Ottawa, the Madawaska flows over beginner-friendly Palmer Rapids. Just downstream, Paddler Co-op offers lessons and camping. Take a 20-minute drive to Aumond Bay for an eight-kilometre run.
For more info: paddlerco-op.com
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Whitemouth River, Manitoba
Just over an hour’s drive east of Winnipeg, Cook’s Falls confuses the Whitemouth River just enough to make things interesting, but not enough to intimidate the uninitiated. Though water levels vary, the norm is a safe array of waves and eddy lines, with private camping nearby.
For more info: wildernesssupply.ca
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Kananaskis River, Kananaskis, Alberta
The Kananaskis is still the best choice for accessible and friendly rapids near Calgary. From Widowmaker down to Canoe Meadows the grades reach class III, but below Canoe Meadows to the Trans-Canada bridge the water is pool-and-drop with little push. A two-minute car shuttle will get you back where you started.
For more info: aquabatics.com
