Two-and-a-half years ago, when Mathieu Fortier, co-founder of Quebec City-based Young Musicians of the World, proposed a kayaking event on the mighty St. Lawrence River to raise funds for the organization’s at-risk youth music programs, “The board of directors thought I was crazy!” he laughs.
But Fortier, an avid kayaker, didn’t give up.
This past August, the realization of his daring vision hit the river on a far greater scale than even he had dared to imagine. Registration for the first annual Montreal to Quebec Kayak Challenge filled to capacity—some 150 paddlers—in less than three weeks, making this four-day, 260-kilometer-long event the largest of its kind in Quebec. With planning already underway for next summer, Fortier shares what makes this event so special, and what to expect in August 2016.
We wanted to inform people about this incredible resource right on their doorsteps. Most of the population of Quebec lives along the St. Lawrence River, in Montreal, Quebec City and communities in between, but many have never seen their homeland from this celebrated waterway.
It’s a symbolic trip through the heart of Quebec, almost a pilgrimage for French Canadians.
The first day was challenging. We ran into strong headwinds, and the group became quite spread out. For the rest of the trip, we took a break every hour to regroup and keep everyone paddling together, sharing the positive energy.
A lot of skeptics didn’t think that new paddlers could manage 32 or 65 kilometers per day. But it was happening! The energy of the group was unbelievable.
People from all walks of life participate: young professionals, retirees, artists, families, musicians, and outdoor lovers of all stripes.
It’s not a race. The event is more of a social, human experience.
We look after all the logistics, including meals, snacks, campsites, shuttle buses and transportation between the cities after the challenge. It’s such a great feeling to paddle into Quebec City and see the walls of the Citadel and Old Quebec rising above the river.
This event has solved a lot of problems for us. We need to fundraise $1 million a year, and the charitable market is saturated with golf tournaments and cocktail parties. I don’t mind cocktails, but golf is not my thing.
We raised over $100,000 in 2015, and we plan to double that in 2016.
There’s tremendous potential for growth. In a few years we could have 500 participants.
This article first appeared in the December 2015 issue of Paddling Magazine. To read the entire issue, click here. To receive Paddling Magazine in your inbox, subscribe to one of our newsletters here.
