Hello ,

Welcome to warmer days and dreams of being on the water! While we all want a little more moisture in the mountains, this weather is getting everyones' creative juices flowing for a great year of paddling!

Should the fears of low water in the rivers come true, we always have the trusty Kananaskis Whitewater or Harvie Passage to fall back on. This fall we are expecting to do a large maintenance project on the Kananaskis and we invite you to learn more about that project this week! 

Thursday March 14th from 7-8:30pm on Zoom

Agenda: 

ARSA and AWA presentation and community discussion about the Kananaskis Whitewater Park improvements.

Improvements are planned for Fall 2024 and include from commercial raft put-in to 40 boat eddy. Feature improvements include adjustments to The Mountain, Santa Claus, Point Break, and Shallows. Amount of work done will depend on costs and funding. The adjustable wave is not included and we are targeting Fall 2025. We thank Able Demolition for their support developing the Adjustable Wave framework. Adjustable wave funds are separate from these general improvement funds.

• Link to Reports 

• https://www.surfanywhere.ca/articles/river-wave-formation-at-an-abrupt-drop/
• https://www.surfanywhere.ca/articles/kayak-wave-research-report/

• https://www.youtube.com/watch?si=UdAtqHB323xshYSD&v=XbpJwa9MbtU&feature=youtu.be

This spring we have a good slate of leadership opportunities lined up:

• Pool & Lake - Pincher Creek & Edmonton
• Leader 2 Instructor 2 - Calgary & Pincher Creek
• Leader 3 Instructor 3 - Kananaskis
• Comp-Introduction - Online
• Whitewater Leadership Symposium - April 26-26

All of these will get you working towards higher levels of certification and/or provide you professional development points to maintain your current certifications. See list below.

2024's event calendar is more full than ever! Start training and get out your calendar now to book off travel time to get to those exciting events. 

March 16/17 - Calgary Outdoor Show - AWA & clubs booth

April 16 - Paddling Film Festival - St Albert

April 26-28 - AWA Leadership Symposium - Kananaskis

May 3 - Penguin Race - Calgary

May 18-20 - 3-Rivers Rendezvous - Rodeo Grounds - Pincher Creek

May 25/26 - Harvie Open - Slalom, Freestyle, Cross - Calgary

July 5-7 - Canadian National Canoe Polo Championships - Edmonton

August 12-18 - Canadian National Whitewater Championships - Kananaskis

Alberta Whitewater Slalom athletes have a Coffee Fundraiser ongoing till the end of March. Buy it from one of the kids, or on through the link above.

The Summer Programs are now available on the new AWS website. Choose from everything from social slalom nights, to SUP slalom, to Development and High Performance programs.

Alberta Playboaters League has two new programs and a March training opportunity in Trail, BC.

Choose from the Junior Freestyle Team or the entry level Youth Playboating Team.

The Innisfail Pool Slalom and Polo event had a great turnout with 35 competitors 

Write up from the Mountain View Today

Canoe Polo Club Nationals are making a comeback this July in Edmonton. Get your team ready for the Tournament!

We look forward to a safe season of paddling in Alberta. We encourage all members and clubs to think about how they can keep themselves and their friends safe this season. Good trip planning, safety practices and spreading the word will make a difference.

The AWA is working on three new initiatives, with financial support from Transport Canada, to support river safety:

• SUP ankle leash awareness - Don't wear an ankle leash on moving water! #SUPUnleashed
• Online River Safety Course - Developed in conjunction with AQ Outdoors, Onlea Enterprises and other river professionals, the course will be aimed at educating the general public about river safety. 
• Harvie Passage PFD Lending Station - For summer 2024 we expect to have a lending station in place for people to borrow a pfd to stay safe around the river. Supported by Paddle Alberta, AQ Outdoors and Mustang Survival.

If you have any articles to publish or topics you'd like to see in the newsletter, please let us know!