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Happy New Years

Happy New Years ! The AWA elves have been busy this past year helping with planning of the Canoe Meadows parking lot & campground upgrades, hosting and supporting whitewater paddling events, running the Schools in Pools program, welcoming new paddling clubs, and enjoying Western Canadian whitewater. We are currently planning the 2020 whitewater season, and looking for your feedback on our newly relocated Sundre Paddle Festival here and membership costs here. We appreciate your participation in both of these surveys. 

Click the button below to participate.
Sundre Paddle Festival Survey

Click the button below to participate.
Membership Cost Survey
 

2020 Tentative Event Dates

2020 event dates are below. For more information about each event please visit our webpage here. Note that dates may change as we get closer to spring. If you or your club is hosting an event and would like us to add it to our calendar please email communications@albertawhitewater.ca. Please note the ACPA is looking for volunteers for the March 15/16 casino fundraiser in Edmonton - email secretary@albertacanoepolo.com for more information. 
Kananaskis River Festival (PC Sean Hopper) & Playboating at the Slave River Festival 
 

Education: Schools & Pools Program

The Alberta Whitewater Association School in Pools program improves physical literacy skills and teaches paddle sports safety through kayaking instruction in municipal aquatic facilities. With the help of the Make-a-Diff grant, the AWA SinP program has been busy travelling throughout Alberta establishing kayaking programs for school children and communities in rural areas. This program exposes participants to fundamental physical skills they will be able to enjoy and build on for life. A large part of the program is working with communities' and aquatic facilities' already existing action plans to help promote safe paddling and boating practices. This helps to build our partnerships around the provinces ultimately leading to meeting AWA core values and objectives of training paddlers to kayak safely with an understanding of good technique. Recently, the AWA and Schools in Pools program was highlighted in front of 600 delegates attending the President's Banquet at the Alberta Parks and Recreation Association Conference in October of 2019. We are looking to source gear for the communities involved and looking for river runner kayaks (primarily Jackson Fun and Wavesport Fuse series) in all sizes from children to large adult. If you have a boat or paddle you would like to donate or sell please contact our Executive Director (Chuck Lee) at 403-628-2336.




 

Development: Canoe Meadows Renovations

The Provincial Government approved the budget for Canoe Meadows and Widow Maker project to proceed in 2020. Contracts for the construction are being tendered soon, with a project completion expected for June 26, 2020 weather permitting. 

The tentative construction plans are shown above. The kitchen shelter is expected to look similar to the one at Ghost shown.
 

ACPA: Provincial Youth Kayak Polo Success

by Trevor Zaharichuk, ACPA President

On December 7th the Alberta Canoe Polo Association held the inaugural Provincial Youth Kayak Polo Championships – and it was a huge success! Thirty youth paddlers, ranging from 7-17 years old, took part in the event at the fantastic Repsol Sport Centre in Calgary. This was far from a local event, with participants travelling from as far afield as Crowsnest Pass to the South and Grande Prairie to the North. This goes to show that canoe polo is very much alive and kicking in Alberta.

The event focused on developing skills and understanding of the game, with many of the attendees set to participate in the 2020 Summer Games in Lethbridge. During the morning, multiple on-the-water drills aimed at improving shooting, goalkeeping & passing were delivered alongside two off-the-water briefings which covered polo rules and tactics. All of this learning was put to the test in the evening with 5 mixed teams competing for the inaugural Provincial Youth Championships. CTV followed the event here and were very surprised polo players could run into one another.

If you are interested in learning more about Canoe Polo in Alberta, get in touch via our Facebook page: Alberta Canoe Polo Association. Please note the ACPA is still looking for volunteers for the March 15/16 casino fundraiser in Edmonton. Please email Secretary@albertacanoepolo.com for more information. 
 

2020 ASCK Foresight: Youth Participation Grows Paddlesports

by Michael Holroyd, Head Coach / Sport Development Director

AWA & ASCK clubs have been doing an amazing job with their youth programs, and 2020 will provide amazing opportunities. The Alberta Cup series will include Slalom, Extreme Slalom, and Freestyle events from May to October. Alberta Summer Games will bring our 11-17yr old youth together for a fun weekend of Slalom, Polo and Downriver in Lethbridge, in July. The Toby Creek race in July will again provide entry level creek slalom and for the more adventurous, the Elite division (for money) on Slipping Rock!

The National Whitewater Championships are in the west this year, in Chilliwack, BC, in August. We have our sights set on the overall provincial win! We'll need strong participation in Cadet, C1 and Masters to guarantee our dominance. The tour will include amazing stops at the Thompson river and Skookumchuck. Of course everyone wants to have their names enshrined in our History of Slalom in Alberta spreadsheet. Finally being an Olympic year, all eyes will be on Alberta athletes still in the running for Tokyo! Ben Hayward of Edmonton is leading the points in K1M, with Calgary born Michael Tayler in second and Calgary's Trevor Boyd in third. Haley Daniels is looking to be the first C1W to represent Canada.

Lets all have the foresight to continue to provide amazing opportunities for our youth to progress in all disciplines, and keep Alberta the top paddling province in Canada!
Photos by Michael Holroyd
 

Campground Booking: Sundre

Group campgrounds on the Red Deer River including the North Campground B (located just downstream of the Mountain Aire Lodge Bridge on river left) & South Campground A (located just downstream of the Mountain Aire Lodge Bridge on river right) are available to book online for groups through the Alberta Parks Online Reservation System here. Red Deer River North B is now completely reservation only and it has a locked gate. You must pay in advance for your camping fees. Red Deer River South A is now reservation only in Loops A and C (48 sites) and first come first serve for the 8 sites in Loop B. Note that the dates to reserve for 2020 bookings open on February 3rd. Reserve here. Below are photos from AEP webpage. 

To reserve non-group campground sites ran by Red Rock Sawmills (Wild Horse, Deer Creek, and Red Deer River) call Janelle at 587-830-2198 or email her at rrsreservations@gmail.com after April 1. These campgrounds can be viewed on a map here.
 

Protection: Equipment Decontamination

Whirling disease has been confirmed in numerous waterbodies across Central and Southern Alberta. Whirling disease affects trout and whitefish and has the potential to decimate Alberta’s fisheries. As river enthusiasts it is important that we take measures to stop the spread of whirling disease and other aquatic invasive species where we work and play. Equipment that we use in aquatic settings should be cleaned and disinfected after each use to reduce the risk of spreading the aquatic invasive species. If equipment is used in different waterbodies and cannot be adequately dried and disinfected, or there is insufficient drying time between uses, equipment (including dry tops, dry suits, paddles, skirts, and kayaks) should be disinfected. This practice is especially important for those of us that paddle in multiple rivers in a weekend and don’t have the opportunity to dry equipment in between uses. Alberta Environment and Parks currently recommend that PFD's, dry suits, lifejackets, survival suits, and throw bags are disinfected using a QUAT spray or QUAT submersion technique. Quaternary Ammonium Compounds (QUAT) are common cleaning agents and are safe for most equipment and gear. Submersible items should be submerged for 10 minutes in a 1500 ppm solution of Quaternary Ammonium Compounds (QUAT), whereas non-submersible items should be sprayed (and wiped) with a 3000 ppm solution and kept damp for 10 minutes. More information can be found here.
 

Trip Leaders: Transport Canada Regulations

If you are guiding or leading on a river (including teaching a course, guiding, or acting as a leader in a paid or volunteer capacity Transport Canada requires you to carry a first aid kit including:

  • an up-to-date first aid manual or up-to-date first aid instructions, in English and French,
  • 48 doses of analgesic medication of a non-narcotic type,
  • six safety pins or one roll of adhesive first aid tape,
  • one pair of bandage scissors or safety scissors,
  • one resuscitation face shield,
  • two pairs of examination gloves,
  • 10 applications of antiseptic preparations,
  • 12 applications of burn preparations,
  • adhesive plasters in assorted sizes,
  • 10 sterile compression bandages in assorted sizes,
  • 4 m of elastic bandage,
  • two sterile gauze compresses,
  • two triangular bandages, and
  • a waterproof list of the contents, in English and French

From Transport Canada Section 8.1.

In addition every person must have a PFD, a 15 m throw bag, a manual bailer or bilge pump, a whistle, a flashlight after dark, and a helmet for whitewater over Class 2. In addition it is the responsiblity of the trip leader to ensure everything is tied down and secured in boats.

"If the water temperature is less than 15ºC, a person responsible for an enterprise that conducts guided excursions and the leader of a guided excursion shall ensure that equipment is immediately available or that procedures are established to protect the participants from the effects of hypothermia or cold shock resulting from swamping, capsizing or falling overboard.

A person responsible for an enterprise that conducts guided excursions and the leader of a guided excursion shall, before the beginning of the excursion, ensure that all participants are briefed in either or both official languages, according to their needs, on the safety and emergency procedures relevant to the guided excursion.

The leader of a guided excursion shall, before the beginning of the excursion, report the number of participants in the excursion to a person on shore who has been designated by the leader to be responsible for communicating with search and rescue authorities in case of an emergency.

If the guided excursion takes place in a remote area and it is not possible to report the number of participants to a person on shore, the leader of the excursion shall leave a record of the number of participants and the area of operation in a known location on shore that is accessible to search and rescue authorities."

From Transport Canada Section 303 to 305.
 

Paddling Maps

Looking for a new river to paddle? Check out paddlingmaps.com where you can enter a new trip, and see other trips info (put ins, takes outs, and notes on the run itself).
 

Membership: Renew your AWA membership

Please remember to renew your membership if you do not already pay through your club.  Without your membership the AWA's ability to speak on behalf of Alberta's paddlers and for our rivers is limited. Your membership strengthens our ability to speak out for our sport. You can complete our current survey on review of membership pricing here: https://www.albertawhitewater.ca/membership-cost

Your membership includes these benefits: 

  • Coverage by AWA liability insurance at AWA sanctioned events such as 3 Rivers Rendezvous, Grande Cache Rendezvous, Slave River Festival, Kanfest, Alberta Cup slalom races, Provincial WW Champsionships, Alberta Summer Games, and other events
  • NCCP training and accreditation for kayak leaders, instructors and coaches
  • Swiftwater Rescue training for paddlers
  • Summer Club Kayak Coach/Instructor Support Program
  • Alberta Parks guiding permit for AWA clubs ($250 value if taken out directly)
  • The opportunity to participate in Alberta Summer Games for children ages 11-17
  • The opportunity to participate in Canadian National Slalom, Freestyle, Wildwater and Canoe Polo competitions - including National Championships, National Team Trials and International races
  • Passport for Paddlesport cards and posters
  • Priority booking of the Canoe Meadows Campground on the Kananaskis River

By working together we acheive these benefits to paddling in the Province:

  • Development of whitewater facilities such as Canoe Meadows, the lower Kananaskis River, the Harvie Passage WW park in Calgary, Boulder Run in southern Alberta and other community based paddling centres.
  • Protection of rivers and access points such as upper Red Deer River, Ghost Dam road, upper St Mary's River, Slave River, Bow River in Calgary.
  • Hosting and support of paddling events and festivals such as Sundre Paddlefest, Provincial WW Championships, 3 Rivers Rendezvous, Alberta Cup slalom races, Alberta Freestyle competitions.
  • Protection of your rights to paddle without undue government interference or regulation such as the Transport Canada's boat registration, City of Calgary water closures, or other actions.
  • Alberta representation at CanoeKayak Canada Whitewater meetings and the ICF and development of new national programs

 Renew your membership today by clicking the below button:
Membership Renewal