Northern Lakes at Paddlefest Toronto

Rob Stevens

Wooden Canoes are in the Blood
I just received notification of the dates for this year's MEC (Mountain Equipment Coop) PADDLEFEST at Sunnyside Beach in Toronto;

June 12 & 13th, 2010.

I have booked a free (not for profit org) display booth. We get a 5'x5' space for a table, but there is plenty of room on the wide beach behind to display any canoes you would like to show off.
And let me know when you would like to volunteer at the booth.

Lake Ontario (a Great Lake!) is steps away for paddling (inside a concrete breakwall). The Humber (a national heritage river) is also a short distance to the west.

More info at; www.mec.ca/paddlefest (click on Toronto location)

Rob
 
So the MEC Paddlefest is on this weekend....June 12 & 13 at Sunnyside Park in Toronto on the water....WCHA is there next to Canadian Canoe Museum....see you there
 
The weather this year was a major factor in decreased attendance, however for the hearty souls who attended the Paddlefest there was lots to see and do. We set up the WCHA booth beside the Canadian Canoe Museum display and a lot of interest in our organization was generated. We had additional assistance this year from WCHA member Murat Vardar. Check out the photo of his paddles. The two other photos with people in them are Rob Stevens and John Summers (Canadian Canoe Museum GM) and John's 1937 Old Town, and Rob Stevens with Jen Burnard, Education Coordinator at the Canadian Canoe Museum.
 

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Insurance

Hi Rob

We were going to have a small booth at the local Lakes Festival to promote
WCHA. The person in charge asked if I sent in proof of insurance. I said
WHAT???? I told him we were doing this on our own and not the WCHA
orginization. I guess they want to make sure if someone tripped over our
canoe we would be responsible for the medical bills! We pulled out--
the forty dollars we sent to have the space I told them to keep as a donation to the lakes festival. Have you run across this problem?
What happened to the good ol days of just showing up and having fun telling others about wooden canoes?
John and Wendy Kimpel
 
Sorry that put you off attending.
This issue must have come up before now. I've sent a message to President Ken Kelly and copied it to Annie Burke. Hopefully it is a simple fix so a similar situation doesn't happen to other members or Chapters.

Rob
 
I have not ever heard of this being an issue for any participant at a local festival before although insurance is often a problem for the organizers of an event. I believe that the WCHA gets insurance for the Assembly from the American Canoe Association (ACA) and does not have other coverage to offer anyone in a situation like this. This is why the chapter page at http://www.wcha.org/chapters.php emphasizes that "Local chapters operate within guidelines set by the WCHA, however they are run as separate clubs and as such the WCHA and its Board of Directors cannot be held liable for any activities or actions that a chapter undertakes." It sounds like you made the right choice.

Benson
 
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