Had a good time yesterday at the Kitchener-Waterloo Canoe Symposium. Like last year's event, it was a good day...enlightening, friendly, low key, fun, not too overwhelming.
As mentioned above, there was a great presentation by Phil Cotton on Ten Years of the Wabakimi Project, which makes me weep when I think of all the years I lived in Thunder Bay without visiting this treasure...aah my wasted youth.
On a serious note, he pointed out that a management plan is in the works for that area, and encouraged every canoeist to submit a letter really soon as the deadline is in 10 days. The worry as i understand it is that while the original core of the park has a wilderness designation, the areas added to the park in the late 90's do not, and might not get such a designation in the management plan, opening that area up to roads (among other things) and the problems that easy access will bring. I don't have the link handy, but i wager if you go to the WB Project website you'll find it.
Other speakers included
Jeff McMurtrie, who makes Jeff's map of Algonquin ( and soon Killarney) and showed us why and how he made his maps...
Algonquin park canoeist Mark Rubino of markinthepark dot com, who showed us some of his favourite spots in that park...
Mike Monaghan, who showcased his awesome photos, many of WCPP,
2 poets (Leigh Kotsilidas, Linda Besner) and a singer ( sorry I didn't catch her name)from the Fish Quill poetry canoe tour, who tour the Grand River area of southern Ontario by canoe each summer visiting different towns and performing..
.
Chris Mayne from North Bay, who showed us a book about canoeing made to raise money for children's treatment in the North Bay Mattawa area...lots of pics of Temagami, Chiniguchi, etc. areas within the hospital catchment zone...
and Hap Wilson, who showed us highlights from his life as a canoeist and defender of the ancient forests. I wish he had spent more time telling us about the Path of the Paddle water trail, which will join Thunder Bay to Kenora by canoe, but I guess that will have to wait for another year as it's not totally completed yet ( though the route has been chosen and mapped by him).
I think that was everyone. It was good to see that they sold out the theatre quite quickly. Look forward to next year. Thanks to the organizers if they are reading this.