Flooding Forces Postponing York River Challenge
The first annual York River Challenge, scheduled for Saturday May 4 near the town of Bancroft, Ontario, has been postponed due to safety reasons. Extremely high water levels resulting from snowmelt and 50 mm of rainfall in a 24-hour period have caused severe flooding in Bancroft and surrounding areas. The Town of Bancroft declared a state of emergency on April 22 due to the flooding, which is expected to continue as ice-locked lakes in the watershed continue to melt.The York River Challenge, a one-day event featuring 3-, 12- and 23-kilometer races, will now be held on Saturday, July 13, 2013. Learn more at www.yorkriverpaddlechallenge.ca/
Qayaq Co-op Needs Kickstart
The Qayaq Co-Op, brainchild of Alaskan natives David Michael Karabelnikoff and Andrew Abyo, is a start-up in Anchorage, Alaska, harnessing the genius of traditional Native craftsmanship and combining it with digital fabrication technology to produce custom, 3D-printed traditional kayaks. Karabelnikoff hopes the project will support the preservation of traditional boat building knowledge and use, and spur homegrown economic development throughout Alaska. The project also aims to develop a culturally relevant social enterprise for workforce development training and digital fabrication training for at-risk youth, especially Alaska Native youth. You can donate to the Qayaq Co-op’s Kickstarter campaign, running until May 10, to help the organization reach its $25,000 goal. Every person who donates through Kickstarter will receive an award, from a 3D-printed, 10-inch model kayak for $250 pledges; to a full-size, individually tailored, digitally fabricated traditional qayaq for the top $10,000 pledge. Learn more at www.qayaq.org; and on Kickstarter
Low Water in Great Lakes Stymies Ferry
Low water levels in Lake Huron have caused problems at the docks in Tobermory and South Baymouth, Manitoulin Island, postponing the Chi-Cheemaun ferry’s sailing season for the first time in its nearly 40-year history. Ferry service to the island from southwestern Ontario typically begins the first Friday of May, delivering the tourists and other travelers who are the lifeblood of Manitoulin’s seasonal tourism industry. This spring, however, the water level is about 10 inches shy of where it needs to be for safe docking and operation of the ferry, says Susan Schremf, president and CEO of the Owen Sound Transportation Company, which owns the ferry. “Unless the fenders [that keep the boat from hitting the dock] are modified, we are at the mercy of rain or spring melt,” she said. “I can’t predict that; it could be weeks.” Lake Huron and the other Great Lakes have been struggling with low water levels for years. The problem is a long-term cycle of more evaporation as temperatures rise, and not enough water from melting snow and rain to make up for it. “To make matters worse, the average level of ice cover has fallen dramatically since the 1970s, leading to increased evaporation,” said John Nevin of the International Joint Commission for the Great Lakes. Via The Toronto Star.
