Celebrating its five-year anniversary, the Great Canadian Kayak Challenge and Festival returns to Timmins from August 24–25 this summer. Where? You can be forgiven if you’ve never heard of this mining town in northeastern Ontario. Even if you have heard of Timmins, you’re probably thinking flannel shirts and Shania Twain, not sea kayaking.

Every August since 2009, however, the city undergoes a remarkable transformation, as some 300 hundred paddlers and thousands of festivalgoers descend on the Mattagami River, which meanders a lazy course through the town center. For the second year in a row, Festivals and Events Ontario has named the event one of the top 100 festivals in the province.

“The demographic ranges from six to 70 years old,” says event co-chair, Guy Lamarche. “The event has grown exponentially every year. Last year we had upwards of 10,000 people attend.” Off-the-beaten-path festivals offer something altogether different from the elite BCU training and expedition tale swapping of more iconic symposium destinations like San Francisco, Lake Superior’s Apostle Islands or Anglesey. “It’s as much about community as racing,” Lamarche says.

Timmins Councilor Michael Doody agrees, “It’s not just a kayak challenge; the art community is stepping forward to take advantage, and it’s an opportunity to spotlight many of the best musicians in the area.” Boaters attend as much for the exhibits, fireworks and evening concert as they do for the main event—a series of nine paddle challenges ranging from three to 35 kilometers, with up to $15,000 in prize money.

“Some people are definitely here for the money, but most are here for the fun,” says Lamarche. “We’ve got categories that appeal to the more serious racers, and then we have non-competitive, recreational paddles.” 

“People from far away places are already asking about how they can participate,” Doody told Timminspress.com in April. “It’s just going to get bigger and better.”

Events in unlikely venues like Timmins can be found all over North America, proving that you don’t need an ocean, Great Lake or tide race to draw paddlers from far and wide.

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While some women slow down towards the end of their pregnancy, others stay on the fast track, refusing to let pregnancy slow them down.

Such is the case with 23-year-old Emily Jackson, who has been continuing to tear up the freestyle circuit over the last nine months. Jackson, who has spent a lifetime kayaking and competing under the watchful eye of father, and founder of Jackson Kayaks, Eric Jackson, said the decision to continue paddling while pregnant was a no-brainer.

“Kayaking while pregnant gave me such a break from walking around being hot, sweaty and sore on my feet,” Jackson says. “It’s fun, it’s active and it’s addicting. It was my break during the day that I looked forward to.”

While some may think that playboating while pregnant poses a serious risk to mother and baby, in Jackson’s case it was just the opposite. By paddling almost daily throughout her entire pregnancy, she was able to keep active, as well as keep her body and muscles conditioned.

“Doctors say not to stop something and start back up during pregnancy, that’s when you can injure yourself,” she says. “I was very careful and conscious of everything I did when I paddled pregnant. I never paddled fatigued and only trained for an hour at the very most”.

Even though her body changed as her pregnancy progressed, Jackson says her paddling style and combat roll essentially stayed the same, which she attributes to the fact that she has always used a back deck roll. Setting up for combinations on the wave, and trying to quash her competitive nature, however, proved to be slightly more difficult.

“Mentally, it was hard as I am a competitive person,” she claims. “Unless I was set up just right, I couldn’t jerk my body around to make it do what I wanted. So I took a lot of time setting up a few easy moves and just focused on being fluid and smooth from move to move.” With the goal of not having any goals, Jackson found herself happy just to be on the water, regardless of whether she was able to throw a trick or not, and had no real intention of placing well at events. Regardless, she found herself at the top of the podium when she competed at the Payette River Games in late June.

“I was eight months pregnant, I didn’t care what the results were,” says Jackson.  “I think a big part of the win has to do with having relaxing, stress-free and super-happy sessions on the water.”

With her baby due in mid July, Emily doesn’t see herself or husband, Nick Troutman, slowing down anytime soon. Having grown up in a unique environment, it’s not surprising to hear what she’s most looking forward to about being a mom.

“If anything, my life is about to get even crazier,” she says. “I grew up with so many unique life experiences that what I look forward to the most is doing the same with my kid.”

Robert Kennedy, Jr. and his family are set to travel to the Yukon later this summer to paddle the Alsek River.

The Alsek flows through Kluane National Park, which contains the world’s largest non-polar ice cap and is home to Mount Kennedy—named for the former president, John F. Kennedy.

In 1965 the president’s brother (Robert Kennedy, Jr.’s father) climbed the 4,300-meter (14,000’) summit. The Kennedy family’s weeklong rafting expedition on the Aslek is the first visit to the Yukon by the Kennedys since 1965. The trip will be run by local outfitter Neil Hartling of Nahanni River Adventures and Canadian River Expeditions.

Kennedy is an environmental lawyer and founder of the Waterkeeper Alliance, an environmental group that monitors and defends rivers in the U.S., Canada and other countries around the world.

Prior to embarking on his river trip, Kennedy will give public presentation at the Yukon Arts Centre in Whitehorse on Wednesday, August 7 at 8 p.m., titled “Our Environmental Destiny.”

Kennedy is known for his powerful and eloquent presentations that call for increased commitment to preserving the integrity of our environment.

Tickets available through all YAC outlets and tickets are $20.

 Visit Canadian River Expedition’s blog for more information.