In 1783, an industrious group of nearly 10,000 Loyalists fleeing the American Revolutionary War left New York and arrived at the mouth of the St. John River. In two short years, the hard-working Loyalists turned this simple British fort into Canada’s first incorporated city—Saint John. With its ice-free port and easy access to high quality lumber, Saint John quickly became one of Canada’s most important centers of industry. The Loyalists’ work ethic has prevailed for more than 200 years and today Saint John is the industrial engine of the Maritimes. Home to Canada’s largest oil refinery, two pulp and paper mills, a power plant, a natural gas terminal, a brewery and enough coffee shops to float an armada of kayaks, Saint John is an unabashedly blue collar town. But when the shift ends, working stiffs from every walk blow off steam at one of the country’s premier—and little known—urban park-and play-spots.

Whitewater Lowdown

Saint John owes its remarkable whitewater to the city site’s particularly unique geography. Just five minutes from downtown, the St. John—one of eastern Canada’s largest rivers—meets the world’s highest tides (up to 40 feet) at the Bay of Fundy. Kayakers at Reversing Falls—so named because, at high tide, the influx of seawater creates rapids that run upriver—are the beneficiaries of this volatile confluence. The rapids vary from class I at mid-tide (when the elevations of river and sea are the same) to class V at high and low tides (when the difference in elevation can top 14 feet). And with features constantly appearing, disappearing and moving around, the variety is a real treat. For challenging downriver paddling and a change of scenery, head east to the Broad and Forty-Five rivers in Fundy National Park (class IV–V, 2 hrs).

Cross-training

Sea Kayaking: Irving Nature Park, on the city’s west side, provides direct access to the
 Bay of Fundy. For a scenic, historic day trip, launch here and paddle four kilometres east to park-like Partridge Island, a former quarantine station and fort during both World Wars.

Mountain Biking: A five-minute drive from up- town, 890-hectare Rockwood Park is one of Canada’s largest urban parks. Twenty-seven kilometres of mapped trails and many more of signed singletrack cut by local mountain bikers keep riders, runners and hikers busy after work.

Skiing: In winter, the renowned Maritime storms dump an average of three metres of snow on the city and Rockwood Park can become a wonderland for cross-country skiers and snowshoers—until the next rains, anyway.

Grub, Pub and Hubbub

Stop for breakfast at Slocum and Ferris in
 the Saint John City Market, or grab a snack 
at Pete’s Frootique. Opened in 1876, the City Market is North America’s oldest and has long been the city’s social focal point. For evening entertainment, check out a show at the grand and historic imperial theatre, or listen to Saint John’s up and coming musicians at Lily’s Café in Rockwood Park. Summers in Saint John are also a great time to experience the East Coast music scene. In July, the Salty Jam Festival brings together all types of music from folk to reggae for three days on the waterfront.

Local Hero: Harry Cox

“You don’t stop kayaking when you get old;
 you get old when you stop kayaking.” This sentiment would sound trite coming from anybody but Harry Cox, the 60-year-old dean
 of New Brunswick kayaking. A retired chemical engineer, Cox isn’t content to spend his golden years lounging in a rocking chair. If he’s not putting the young punks to shame at Reversing Falls, he’s likely with the Canadian Freestyle Kayaking team (he’s the manager), at the pool teaching neophytes to roll, lecturing high school students about following their passions, or even driving an ambulance as a paramedic. One thing you won’t see Cox doing is sitting still. 

This article originally appeared in Rapid magazine, Spring 2010. Download our free iPad/iPhone/iPod Touch App or Android App or read it here. 

For your first few trips, plan to run rivers that your guidebook—or another reliable source—indicates have good campsites and portages. Even better, find someone who has run the river before to come along, or turn your normal day run into an overnight and plan other activities like playboating, fishing, swimming and hiking to keep you busy.

Madawaska River, Ontario

Summer-long flows, superb campsites and over a dozen friendly class II-III rapids between Quadeville and Griffith make the 25-kilometre Lower Mad a weekend favorite in eastern Ontario.

Mattawin River, Quebec

The Mattawin has 18 kilometres of class III-IV boulder gardens, small drops and wave trains in a beautiful wilderness valley. Consistent gradient and dam-released volume within a 21⁄2-hour drive of Montreal make for a great overnight escape.

Whirlpool and Athabasca Rivers, Alberta

What these Jasper-area rivers lack in remoteness, they more than make up for in spectacular mountain scenery, wildlife and varied whitewater. Put in on the playful, low-volume class II-III Whirlpool just below Moab Lake and follow down to the Athabasca. Camp at Wabasso Campground, then continue down the large-volume class I–II Athabasca to Jasper.

White River, British Columbia

Well-defined features, fun surf spots and a remote setting make this two- to three-day run in the mid Kootenay drainage a great choice for solid class III paddlers. Fed by snowmelt and glaciers, the 42-kilometre section of the lower White also has some of the nicest wilderness campsites this side of the Rockies.

New River, West Virginia

Canoeist have long flocked to the upper New River, but the 30 miles (50 kilometres) of class II-III pool-and-drop rapids are equally enjoyable for first-time kayak campers.

Klamath River, California

Moderate rapids, warm water, easy access, superb scenery, beach camping and fairly light use make the Klamath a rarity in northern California. The Middle Klamath provides 47 miles (75 kilometres) of class II+ float-and-boat; below this, choose from a further 70 miles (112 kilometres) of class III rapids. 

This article originally appeared in Rapid magazine, Spring 2010. Download our free iPad/iPhone/iPod Touch App or Android App or read it here. 

Beachburg is a small farming community nestled in the heart of eastern Ontario’s Whitewater Region, 80 minutes north of Ottawa off the Trans-Canada. The famed Rocher Fendu (Split Rock) section of the 1,271-kilometre-long Ottawa River courses past the town’s doorstep. In the 30 years since the first commercial rafting trip down the Ottawa, the number of outfitters and rafting tourists has grown dramatically, as has the importance of the river to employment and tourism in 
the area. Beachburg is the closest town to the put-in, offering groceries, alcohol and dining options, making it a busy service center from June to August. During these months, guiding staff and paddlers from around the world settle in to train, surf and hang out. The few who stay behind to brave the icy winter months are at the core 
of a slowly developing, permanent whitewater community. Although
 still viewed as curious outsiders by many of the surrounding country folk, the boating populous has enjoyed a warmer welcome from Beachburgers. In fact, many locals have taken up whitewater paddling.

Whitewater Lowdown

Minutes from downtown, the Ottawa River is one of the world’s very best freestyle training grounds. The high volume—averaging 10,000 cubic feet per second (CFs) during low water and a raging 60,000+ CFs in spring—intimidates first-time boaters, but even newbies quickly become addicted to the warm water, glassy waves and deep, easy-access play spots. Learn the ropes—and the river—with two excellent, local paddling schools. Liquid Skills, operating since 2000, is the smaller of the two with a welcoming family atmosphere. Wilderness Tours’ Ottawa Kayak School, established in 1982, has full rafting resort amenities and runs the popular teen Keener Camp. Both offer a full spectrum of beginner to advanced classes and hire top-notch instructors, including former World Champions Ruth Gordon (LS) and Eric Jackson (OKS).

The Ottawa Valley is also home to nearly a dozen other diverse whitewater runs within a day’s drive. These include the short and playful Petawawa town run (class III, 30 minutes) and the three-day classic canoe trip on the Lower Pet (class II-III, 21⁄2 hrs). Across the Ottawa in the province of Quebec, head to the Gatineau for big-water pool and drop (class III-IV), or the Rouge for class III creeking (both 1 hr). Montreal’s renowned Lachine Rapids and Big Joe surf wave are also within a three-hour drive.

Cross-training

Cycling: the sprawling farmland of the Ottawa Valley lends itself to great long distance rides along quiet backroads with only the odd passing vehicle. Try the relaxing, 45-kilometre loop through Beachburg, Westmeath and LaPasse for views of the Ottawa.

Canoeing: the entrance to Algonquin Provincial Park’s 7,725 square kilometres and 1,600-kilometre network of canoe routes is just 25 minutes away.

Skiing: A host of small ski hills help beat the winter blues. Hit the slopes at Mt. Pakenham (50 minutes) or Calabogie
 (45 minutes). For a cross-country workout, Gatineau Park has 200 kilometres of classic and skate trails (11⁄4 hours).

Grub, Pub and Hubbub

The annual Beachburg Fair, now in its 153rd year, is the town’s biggest bash. Held in July, the fair features tricked-out tractors, truck-pulling contests and the always popular demolition derby. As expected in a small farming town, options for eating out are quite limited. Currently, the two choices are Chinese or Italian (Smokie’s Takeout Pizza), but a new café called Simple Things scheduled to open in the spring promises finer dining and an outdoor patio.

Local Heroes

Some fantastic boaters were born and raised in Beachburg, and many other whitewater gurus now call the town home. Tyler Curtis lives at the put-in to the river, Billy Harris is a new landowner in town and Ken Whiting’s Heliconia Press is a local employer. Other up-and-coming locals include Joel and Katie Kowalski (children of Ottawa River rafting pioneer Joe Kowalski), Dave Nieuwenhuis and—most famously of late—Nick Troutman.

This article originally appeared in Rapid magazine, Spring 2010. Download our free iPad/iPhone/iPod Touch App or Android App or read it here.