Radiant Lake Trip Report

July 30-August 2 2026

Six of us spent the August long weekend paddling from Wendigo Lake to Radiant Lake in Algonquin Park. We left Thursday evening and made our way to North Depot Lake, covering about 8 km with two portages.

We claimed an amazing island campsite with a great beach and plenty of space. After the first day's paddle we cooled off with a swim. We also explored the other side of the island, where we could see the extensive tree damage from the storm that made headlines in June of 2025 after a young camper was injured by a falling tree. During the night, we were serenaded by a pack of wolves howling nearby.

Read more: Radiant Lake Trip Report 2026

Les Chutes de Plaisance Day Trip Report

Saturday May 23, 2026

A group of twelve enthusiastic paddlers, both longtime members of the RACCC and keen new members, enjoyed a wonderful day trip up the Riviere de la Petite Nation to Plaisance Falls, which are a natural and historic site. These falls are breathtakingly beautiful with their 63 metre drop.

Much gratitude and appreciation go to the leaders for planning and organizing this annual trip. They addressed any problems that might arise with spring weather, thunderstorms and the strong current at this time of the year. They paired experienced paddlers with those who are still learning. Experienced paddlers willingly switched positions to help out others. We appreciated that safety and enjoyment of a canoe trip for all was a priority.

Read more: Les Chutes de Plaisance Day Trip Report 2026

Six camp items the RACCC taught me about

Click on attachment below to read the article.

Attachments:

Canoebytes - Six camp items the RACCC taught me about.pdf

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2607 kB

Greenland Kayak Rolling Clinic

On Saturday, July 25th three students and two Paddle Canada instructors met to learn Greenland kayak rolls. The weather was perfect! The Ottawa River water was warm. Our instructors capably showed us how kayak rolls were done and helped us learn the body positions required, first on land and then in the water. As students we did our best to try rolling our kayaks, beginning at the end of the kayak roll and working backwards to the start of the kayak roll. When all of the parts were put together, we all came pretty close to learning a kayak roll and we had a good time too. Thank you to our capable kayak instructor team Suze and Andrea!

Flotation Tanks for FW Canoes

All of the FW canoes have flotation tanks at the bow and stern. They are supposed to keep the boat floating if it tips over. Unfortunately, many of the flotation tanks had leaks that kept them from functioning properly.

On Saturday July 17, 2026, a work party plugged most, if not all, of the leaks in the flotation tanks. They also installed new flotation tanks plugs in all the boats.

In the next month, the work party will pressure test the flotation tanks to see if any leaks remain. The intent is to repeat the pressure tests every spring so that leaks can be repaired early.

New Procedures

When taking out FW boats, ensure that the plugs in the flotation tanks are snugly screwed in. if they are not, screw them in all the way but not too tight.

The plugs do not have to be removed when returning the canoes.

If a plug goes missing, cove the hole with tape. When the boat is returned, remove the tape and notify the Assets Coordinator that the plug is missing.

At the end of the season, the Assets coordinator or delegate will unscrew all the plugs from the boats. This will prevent damage to the flotation tanks over the winter.

Gatineau River Trip: July 19, 2026: laughter, teamwork, wind ferries and sailing!

History Tour on the Ottawa River

July 11

Click on attachment below for trip report and photos.

Attachments:

History Tour on the Ottawa River-compressed.pdf

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997 kB

Crotch Lake – North Frontenac - Trip Report

July 6-9, 2026

Click on attachment below for trip report and photos.

Attachments:

Trip Report - Crotch Lake North Frontenac - July 6-9, 2026.pdf

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1878 kB

Introduction to Tandem Lake Canoeing Course Report

July 4-5

The Paddle Canada Introduction to Tandem Lake Canoeing course took place at Brantwood Park for two full days, on July 4th and 5th. There were 10 participants whose reasons for attending the course and levels of experience were quite diverse. Some already had experience canoe camping and portaging while others had been in a canoe only once and loved it so much they signed up for the course. This variety in experience was no challenge for the instructing team, or at least if it was they didn’t let it show. Lead instructor, Bill Wong, led the group seemingly with complete ease through most elements of the on-land training. An impressive ratio of 1 instructor per 2 participants ensured regular, very helpful feedback throughout the entirety of the course!

Read more: Introduction to Tandem Canoeing Report 2026

Georgian Bay to Ottawa Expedition

I’m planning an EPIC 40 day expedition that is broken down into four sectors, which will allow people to join me for some or all of this adventure. I’m looking to see who’s interested in participating, so together we can work out the logistics of the trip in more detail.

Please make sure you read all the details of this trip, including the trip rating for each sector before signing up.

If you’re interested in participating in one or more sectors of this trip, please contact This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. by Sunday August 2 to be part of the planning. Registration for the trip will stay open until Friday August 14.

Read more: Georgian Bay to Ottawa Expedition 2026

Pakenham Trip Report

July 6

We arrived in Pakenham bright and early (okay it was 9 am but still early for ME!). The day was sunny with a very light breeze and promised to get hotter as the day progressed. All five paddlers were well-matched and kept a consistent pace on the river though we did stop for hydration breaks. We managed to take out at the rapids thanks to assistance from Karl and have a nice lunch at the picnic tables in the shade while one sun-loving person chose to sit on the rocks in full sun. Lunch was followed by a quick hike for three folks out to the road. I stayed behind to mind the boats and gear.

Read more: Pakenham Trip Report July 2026

Canada Day at the Barron Canyon

Twelve adventurous paddlers set out to explore the Barron Canyon for the RACCC’s annual Canada Day trip. The forecast for the day was hot and muggy, with partly sunny skies, a high of 33°C, humidex of 41°C and a low risk of isolated, brief thunderstorms in the early evening.

After a brief stop at the park office, we headed for the Barron Canyon Trail and hiked the 1.5kms to the top of the majestic canyon. Following our hike and because of the heat, we opted for a round-trip paddle to the Brigham Chute portage starting and finishing at Squirrel Rapids rather than the traditional down river paddle from the Brigham Chute parking lot to Squirrel Rapids. This gave us more time on the water with multiple opportunities to swims and keep cool.

Following our day on the water, we packed up for our return trip to the boathouse. Once we had cellular service, we were astonished to hear about the weather in Ottawa and the cancelled Canada Day celebrations. We capped off our day in Cobden for much deserved ice-cream.

Click Read More to see additional photos.

Read more: Canada Day at the Barron Canyon 2026

FW Canoe Survey-Summary of Responses

Spring 2026

Between June 11 and July 5 members were asked to complete a short survey to help the RACCC council determine which boats to purchase or accept into the fleet as donations. We received 18 responses and lots of very helpful feedback.

Read more: RACCC FW Canoe Survey - Spring 2026