My First Canoeing Trip in Kitchener, Ontario
By Amir Chishti

1st May was the start of the summer season in Ontario, Canada. I had been planning to go for my first Canoeing trip for quite sometimes. I chooses the Grand River because it is relatively calm and generally easy as most of the river is "Flat moving River". Moreover, the Grand River Conversation Authority and municipalities have provided easy access to the river by constructing public access points and parking areas.

Kitchener is located at a distance of approximately 45 minutes from Mississauga. The fastest way to get there is take Highway 401 West from Toronto or Mississauga. The staff at the Extended Stay Apartment staff, where I was staying for the past three weeks, arranged a Canoeing trip at the Grand River in Kitchener, Ontario. We reached the Grand River at around 2 PM. We were lucky that we booked the canoe in advance otherwise we would have waited for quite some time before the canoe would have been available. It took us around 20 minutes to register and gather our gear including life saving jackets, emergency kit and paddles. My partner, Shaun was quite experienced and he does a lot of Kayaking in the Credit River in Mississauga. The first lesson he gave me was never to stand up in a Canoe. Always remain seated and when you are entering a Canoe in shallow water, walk in the middle. This ensures proper balance. Within five minutes of paddling south towards Cambridge, I knew how to maneuver the canoe. It was quite easy. If you want to go straight, one person paddles on the left and the other in the opposite direction. To turn left, you need to paddle on the right side and to turn right; you need to paddle on the left side. This is the basic principle of paddling. Another important thing is that the person sitting in the front has to keep an eye on the rapids and also look to avoid shallow water.

The distance from Kitchener to Cambridge is around 10 kms and takes anywhere from 60-80 minutes. I would suggest taking some snacks with you for your Extended Stay Apartment. You also need to take plenty of mineral water, especially when the weather is hot. The scenery on way to Cambridge is overwhelming. Make sure you have your cameras handy to take pictures. Carrying a cell phone is also very important because you will need to call the company which rents you the canoe at the destination to come and get you. You don't want to be stranded in Cambridge and not being able to call them. The rent for the Canoe was $52 for two persons for this trip. This included pickup at Cambridge.

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