Hello ,

Summer events are nearly half done, but there's still lots of exciting paddling to be had!

This week we're kicking off youth summer camps at Nakoda Lake with Mînî Thnî Recreation. Thanks to Lisa Isley for volunteering to help out, and Lori for keeping the connections going!

If you like prizes, make sure you do the new Free Online River Safety Course, and go to the Certificate page to enter for a chance to win a Kootenay PDL Stand up Paddle Board!

In this Newsletter:

Events!

Programs

Facilities

June and early July saw great river levels and events around the province.

The big dump of rain June 20th brought river levels up, after some worry that many rivers would stay dry this year. Another bump this week means we should have fun a little longer on the eastern slopes.

The competitive events included the Kananaskis Open, Innisfail Polo tournament and Toby Creek Race with athletes from around western Canada enjoying Alberta's event hosting skills. 

You can find Alberta Whitewater Slalom's recap here.

At the same time four Alberta athletes were representing Canada in Europe. Darrell Wiebe was 2nd in Masters 50+ at the World Freestyle Championships, while Jordy Munro was 9th in the junior event. Scott Feindel also represented at the freestyle Worlds, while Trevor Boyd was racing the slalom World Cups with Team Canada.

On the festival side of things Grande Cache Rendezvous 2025 was a big success! They paddled the Upper & Middle Muskeg River (all the surfs!), Sulphur River, and Sheep Creek PLUS enjoyed a pancake breakfast Saturday morning & firework show Saturday pm courtesy of the heritage festival, and an awesome pool party Sunday night wrapped up the jam packed weekend bring everyone together for more water fun! (photo below)

Sundre Paddlefest (photo above) was handed over to the Sundre Paddling Club this year, and we're excited to see them grow the event. Medicine Hat Big Paddle Day braved some rain and offered amazing experiences for paddlers in the area.

Festivals are a great way to meet new people and explore new rivers.

The fun just keeps going all summer! 

Next up is Brierley's Whoop Up July 19/20 with Freestyle events, and some more beginner friendly activities. This is hosted by the Rocky Canoe Club with support from the Alberta Playboaters League!

The sold out Women's Whitewater Weekend returns to Jasper July 26/27. 

The Kananaskis Whitewater Festival runs August 8th to 10th and is predicted to be one of the best ever. Music, food, paddling and friends will bring the Kan to life once again! 

While KanFest is happening many of the younger competitors will be all the way east in Jonquiere, Quebec for the National Championships. Around 20 competitors from Alberta will compete in slalom, freestyle, kayak cross, and downriver events, as well as the canoe polo in Valleyfield, QC.

The Edmonton Whitewater Paddlers with support from the Alberta Canoe Polo Association is hosting the PanAm Canoe Polo Championships August 23/24. This is a qualification event for the 2026 World Championships! Cheer on the Women's and Men's senior Teams down at the Northwest River Valley Park in Edmonton.

And finally the last two competitive events of the outdoor season round out September: Provincial Whitewater Championships, and the Harvie Fall Classic 

While we have fantastic rivers in Alberta, it's worth remembering that just next door are some beautiful adventures and events to enjoy!

The Kootenay is a particularly close and relatively accessible river that is highly recomended for overnight trips. Rafts and kayaks are the favourite craft in July, while canoes are a great way to enjoy the area later in the season (or course all can work anytime with the right experience). 

The Jordan Creek Race, Revelstoke Paddling Festival, and Clearwater Kayak Festival are coming up in July and August and offer a variety of experiences for different levels of paddlers. 

July 19/20 - Brierley's Whoop Up - Rocky Mountain House

July 19/20 - Jordan Creek Race - Revelstoke, BC

July 25-27   - Women's Whitewater Weekend - Jasper

August 2/3 - Clearwater Kayak Festival - BC

August 8-10 - KanFest - Kananaskis 

August 9/10 - Canoe Polo National Championships - Valleyfield, Quebec

August 14-17 - National Whitewater Championships - Jonquiere, Quebec

August 16/17 - Revelstoke Paddle Fest - BC

August 23/24 - PanAm Canoe Polo Championships - Edmonton

September 6/7 - Provincial Whitewater Championships - Kananaskis

September 20 - Harvie Fall Classic

See All Events

With 22 clubs it is hard to highlight all the programs happening around the province, but here's a few that have been shared! The Alberta Sport Physical Activity and Recreation, Every Kid Can Play grant has been a big part of the programs available over the last couple of years, so a big thank you to SPAR!

Wapiti Whitewater Paddlers - Youth Adventure Camp (photo above)

Shawna and Zach have been doing a fantastic job herding their little ducklings on and off the water. The club's list of programming as something for everyone looking to get out on the water; from their Kids Kayaking Camps, WOWYA (Women on Water and Yoga After), weekly polo training sessions and their Whitewater River Trips for Leaders Development, they are going full out for 2025.

Rocky Canoe Club - KYD program (photo below)

     Using the Passport to Paddlesports framework, the program focuses on safety and building confidence, competence and motivation through appropriate individualized progressions (because, thank goodness, everyone learns differently!). KYDs also get to explore paddlesports like canoe polo, slalom, and freestyle.

    Thanks to #Every Kid Can Play, six youth paddlers took part this season. From the pool, to the lake, to the friendly N. Saskatchewan River Bluebridge Runs and the always super fun Brierley’s, these KYDs are now ready to take their paddling skills to the Upper Red Deer, Harvie Passage and the Kananaskis River! 

   They’ll continue training through fall and winter under the Learn to Train (L2T) stage of LTPD (Long Term Paddler Development), preparing for the 2026 Alberta Youth Games and more rivers next season.

Bow Valley Kayak Club - Make a Splash Kids Camp

The make a splash kids camp was a lot of fun this week. We went to ghost lake, wedge pond, and the Kananaskis river!

There are still spaces on some of our summer youth courses. You can view them here:

https://paddlingmaps.com/club/bow-valley-kayak-club/programs

Pinch-o-Crow Creekers

The POCC youth made a road trip to the Kananaskis to cap off a wonderful week long whitewater camp. Southwestern Alberta in the summer is a great place to learn to paddle, with warm water and friendly river levels. 

 UAPS - Women's Only program (photo below)

UAPS Women Only Kayaking Class welcomes all women to try kayaking at an affordable price.  2025 is our second year and we've enrolled 12 participants for lessons and games at Rundle Park Ponds and a wet exit session at Eastglen Pool in Edmonton.

New pathways have been built at the Rundle Paddling Centre, and they are still hoping for an accessible dock grant this summer. Some of the improvements will be enjoyed at Alberta Summer Games in Strathcona County (& Edmonton) July 16,-19 2026

At Harvie Passage the long awaited change rooms bring a little colour to the place! Our PFD lending station and some new Trailer Parking signs round out the Facility Enhancement progress to date. 

Win a SUP by finishing the course and going to the Certificate Page to enter.

Over 16,000 people have been to The Online River Safety Course so far! It is for everyone from tubers, to beginner paddlers, to experienced paddlers taking friends out. You'll find tips and tricks for staying safe on the water, maneuvering around, and respecting the river. Help us spread the word.

Top Tip: Do the course and go to the Certificate Page to enter to win at SUP!

Developed by: Onlea (Edmonton), AQ Outdoors (Calgary), and AWA staff & partners

Funded by: Transport Canada, AQ Outdoors, and Paddle Alberta 

YouTube Playlist with all the videos

The AWA office will be on the road for much of August. Expect delays in email responses, and feel free to follow up after August 25th if something hasn't been answered.

Mike - Executive Director - admin@albertawhitewater.ca

Lori - Safe and Welcoming Coordinator - coordinator@albertawhitewater.ca

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