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Many years ago, while walking around the Supreme Court building in downtown Ottawa, I stopped to watch a canoe with three guys going down the Ottawa River. They didn’t look very confident and I wondered what they were doing there.
There seemed to be a slight panic in the boat. It starts to lean to one side. Before they knew it they were all in the water, but luckily very close to this little rocky island behind the Supreme Court, I didn’t have a cell phone to call for help at that time -there, so I rushed to the nearest place with a phone, but. they I didn’t want to help (I forgot where I actually went) then I walked to the security post on the west side of Parliament Hill and they reluctantly called for help.
In hindsight, it’s likely other people saw it from their office windows, but you’re doing your civic duty. Eventually, a first responder Zodiac arrived and helped them get back to shore. Meanwhile, the boat floated towards the Alexandra Bridge. I don’t know what happened to the canoe, but I hope for their sake they found it.
NCC River House on the Ottawa River
Speaking of the Alexandra Bridge, over the past few years you may have seen Escape Bicycle Tours & Rentals under the bridge on the Quebec side along the trail renting kayaks, but due to the work going on on the bridge, Escape has had to move another place.
This year, you can find Escape’s kayaks and SUPs 350 yards east of the beautifully renovated, century-old River House, the NCC’s latest success. River House is off the Parkway on the northeast end of Rockcliffe.
Kayaking on the Ottawa River?
Last week, Maria, the owner of Escape Tours, invited me on a kayak trip on the Ottawa River. You can imagine I was a little worried after witnessing the canoe accident, but I was hearing such good reviews about kayaking on the Ottawa River that Karen and I biked over to check it out.
On the way to Rockcliffe
We cycled from the Fisher and Meadowlands area to Nepean, via the Deer Park and Dynes bike paths, Hog’s Back Park and Vincent Massey multi-use trails to New Edinburgh along the Rideau River, then we cycled behind Rideau Hall on Dufferin. and turned into Lisgar Rd past the Danish, Norwegian, Bermudian and American residences for the final part towards Sussex Drive. I think we chose the hottest day of the year, it was 31 degrees Celsius (88F) but it was still bearable as the humidity wasn’t that bad.
We parked our bikes at Escape, met the staff, signed our waiver, and put on our life jackets. Escape offers one- and two-person kayaks as well as a half-dozen paddleboards. We received our instructions then got into our two-seater kayak and off we went paddling: the heaviest person (me) in the back of the kayak, the lightest in the front. Our wallet and cell phone were packed in a waterproof bag provided by Escape: I made sure there was enough air in the bag to keep it buoyant (at least that was my theory, I don’t haven’t tested it).
Cool off on the Ottawa River
We paddled along the shore towards downtown as recommended by the staff. I had heard Maria tell stories of people who overestimated their strength and first went downstream only to discover they weren’t strong enough to go back upstream. We didn’t want to embarrass ourselves, so we first went west, upstream.
First time on the Ottawa River
As it was our first time on the Ottawa River, I was a little nervous about the current, but kayaking upstream was completely doable, although I regularly had to compensate with extra left strokes to maintain kayaking in a somewhat straight line. There is also an occasional series of waves from the wake of a passing boat.
Despite the heat, it was very pleasant on the water with a very light breeze blowing water to cool us down. We passed River House then paddled towards the marina which despite 26 years in Ottawa I had never seen. Several people were hanging out on their boats, wine in hand, in a festive mood, as it was the start of the August long weekend.
Crossing the Ottawa River
At home I had already looked at the map and thought about crossing the Ottawa River towards Gatineau, but that seemed a little too daunting as we sat in the small kayak on the mighty river. We felt really small. So we turned around, lingered a bit, admired the views and paddled back, but not before Karen had to check the rock face and discovered, to our delight, several sandpipers hopping on the rocks. Two other Escape guests had parked their kayaks on the tiny pebble beach at the base of the cliff for a break and a snack.
Wet boom
We didn’t really notice the current. Until we turned around: suddenly kayaking became a lot easier! We took the kayak back to the dock and went back ashore. It was only then that I noticed that my shorts were completely wet around my butt, it felt like I was wearing diapers. Unlike canoeing, kayaking left me wet from the water flowing from the paddles into our kayak. I probably did something wrong. But you might want to wear a swimsuit.
Kayaks don’t have a keel or rudder, so you should have at least an idea of how to control a kayak, but it’s very easy to learn. Simply point the tip of the kayak at a fixed spot on land and continue aiming for that point while paddling.
Observe the monuments from the water
We have gone canoeing and kayaking before, but usually on lakes. Being on a river is a little different but at the same time not so much. If we had gone further west, we would have been able to see many landmarks from the water, such as Parliament Hill, the Prime Minister’s Residence (which is not currently in use due to planned renovations or even demolition), museums, the art gallery and the historic Alexandra Bridge.
Kayaking is not difficult. You may need a little time to master steering in the right direction. Viewing the nation’s capital from the water is a very different experience, as you won’t hear the constant noise of cars around you. So everything is above you, which gives you a very different perspective. I definitely recommend trying kayaking someday.
Where to find Escape Kayak and Stand Up Paddle Board rentals
Escape has set up a base just east of River House. You can get there by bike following the River House ramp and then heading east on the gravel road. You can also take the path from the Parkway, an exit east of the River House and head towards the (steep!) river and turn. all the way down.
If you arrive by car, you can park at P4 next to the Sir-George-Étienne-Cartier promenade and walk a little west to the river. Taking the bus is another option. I think your best bet is to take the 6 bus to Maple Lane (stop ID: 7025) and walk another 1.5km north via the New Edinburgh Club.
Leave your valuables at home
I would say leave as many valuable items at home as possible. It’s just easier. Bring dry shorts if you don’t want to walk around in wet shorts like me, although they dry pretty quickly at 30 degrees. Bring water, although Escape also has a fridge with drinks (fee). There are no toilets. The River House offers enclosed swimming in the Ottawa River and has food and bathrooms. It can get busy though.
Bike rental
Escape also offers several bikes for rent at their riverside location. Leave your car at P4 and cycle throughout Ottawa and Gatineau on the extensive trail network. For example, head east to Petrie Island Beach along the seafront (10 miles one way). For more information on renting a kayak, here is the website:
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