Five Great Cities For Paddling
It’s hard to beat the feeling of paddling down a river or across a lake or pond. While wilderness paddling can be a wonderful way to experience nature, you don’t always have to travel deep into the woods or mountains to enjoy that. There are numerous good paddling opportunities in urban centres across Canada, some as close as ten minutes away from your home. They’re also wonderful places to practice paddling skills if you’re not that experienced.
Here are five places to paddle in some Canadian cities.
Long Pond, St. John’s, NL
Sitting beside the campus of Memorial University of Newfoundland, Long Pond provides paddlers with an opportunity to enjoy both open water and marsh. During a recent paddle there, an osprey was spotted just as we were putting in.
Of course, ospreys are one bird of prey that targets only fish. So, the American black ducks, mallards and other waterfowl went about their business looking for food.
Moving from the open area of the pond, a muskrat popped up its head. Songbirds like swallows perched on branches sticking out of the water. If you paddle far enough southwest into the marsh, you’ll enter Leary’s Brook and probably encounter a few more ducks.
While paddling near the shore, listen carefully for birdsong. You may hear a variety of songbirds, including flickers, chickadees and bluejays.
Parc de la Rivière-des-Mille-Îles, Laval, QC
At 26.2 hectares, this area is the largest protected wildlife area in greater metropolitan Montreal. It includes 10 islands and has been protected since 1998. Within its confines, there are 200 bird species, 50 fish species and 46 mammal species. It’s not unusual to spot a heron along the shore. More unusual, but not unlikely, a red fox might traipse along the shore.
Because you’re paddling in an urban area, you may also see some impressive architecture: large stone buildings and a stone archway you may paddle under, depending on your route.
If you feel your kayak may be slowing down a bit, check to see if your buddy is pulling on a line at the stern, getting a free ride while trying not to laugh out loud at the bemused look on your face as you try to figure out why you seem to be moving slowly. I knew I should have rented a canoe….
Humber River, Toronto, ON
If you told me I’d see egrets, swans, vultures, ospreys and herons along a river in the heart of Toronto, I probably wouldn’t believe you.
But the Humber River—Canada’s only heritage river in the Greater Toronto Area—proved me wrong. You may even spot a turtle in the Humber Marshes that lie along the side of the river.
Putting into the river from just above a Bloor Street bridge, you can paddle all the way to Lake Ontario and back in a few hours. Or, you can just paddle leisurely along, looking for nature in Canada’s largest city.
You won’t be completely alone, depending on when you paddle—the Toronto Humber Yacht Club sits just downstream from the bridge. I was lucky the day I paddled there; there was no club activity on a weekday fall morning.
There are many spots along the river to put in, and the current is negligible. It’s an easy paddle up or downstream. You can paddle your own canoe (or kayak) or if you’re from out of town, Humber River Rentals can help you out.
Fish Creek Provincial Park, Calgary AB
Originally established outside the city, urban expansion eventually surrounded this provincial park on all sides. However, it remains a natural oasis in the city with mammals like mule deer, porcupines, beavers and even coyotes calling it home, as do numerous bird species like merlins, falcons, hawks, woodpeckers, herons and various songbirds.
There are a couple of options for paddling. You can paddle the namesake creek, by canoe or kayak, from the park’s west end to the east, where it empties into the Bow River. When it’s too low for that, you can paddle its eastern boundary, the Bow River. You can also raft the Bow from one end of the city to the other, with plenty to see along the way.
It’s a pretty forgiving river through the city. A couple of companies—The Paddle Station and Lazy Day Raft Rentals—can help you plan trips there. You can also check out a site called Paddling Maps for more information about routes.
Burnaby Lake Regional Park, Burnaby, BC
Slap! Another beaver’s tail hits the water ahead of us as it dives underneath the surface.
Beavers are just one of the critters Burnaby Lake paddlers can see, along with skyscrapers on the horizon if you’re pointed east. An early evening paddle allows you to experience many forms of urban nature: sandhill cranes are often seen there, along with bald eagles, falcons, hawks and a healthy abundance of waterfowl like buffleheads, teals and wood ducks.
Occasionally, a bobcat or black bear can be spotted roaming the thickets along the shores.
There are several put-in points. Piper Spit has a dock, as does the Burnaby Rowing Club. Before using the rowing club dock, check the calendar and avoid using it when there are events scheduled.
There are no rental facilities at the park, so visitors will have to provide their own watercraft. Another nearby option that provides rentals is Deer Lake, which is also a great spot for birdwatching and carp fishing.
