Pimiskatan Canoe Club registration will be held Wednesday. (Derek Cornet/larongeNOW Staff)

By Derek Cornet

hitting the waves

Canoe club organizers anticipate busy season as COVID restrictions set to loosen

May 25, 2021 | 12:59 PM

With COVID-19 restrictions expected to gradually loosen in the coming months, Pimiskatan Canoe Club organizers are hopeful their paddles will hit the water more often this year.

“Last year, because of COVID-19, we were restricted on our regular activity,” club member Warren Kelly said. “You could still go out and paddle, but you couldn’t really paddle in groups. We didn’t have our weekly race and we didn’t have lessons and so on.”

There is a sense of renewed energy this year, however, as Saskatchewan has already passed the second target in the province’s reopening plan. Restrictions in place for outdoor sports will be eased starting Sunday, which was previously part of step two. The rest of step two is tentatively set to begin June 20.

Anticipating a potentially busy season, the canoe club is hosting a membership registration event Wednesday at 7 p.m. at the Eagle Point Marina. Kelly noted races, lessons and recreational paddling will be part of this season’s activities as long as they are permitted to do so. If residents can’t attend this week’s sign up, registration is available online at the canoe club website.

“Some of this will depend on how COVID-19 goes,” he added. “I think there’s lots of pent up interest there for people to get out and enjoy themselves and get a little bit of exercise.”

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Kelly is also hopeful the annual Eagle Point Classic in August will be more of a success. The race typically draws canoers from out of town, but last year it only consisted of a few local people.

The Pimiskatan Canoe Club has a variety of 16 canoes and is located along McGibbon Bay. Kelly mentioned anyone who wants to join the club is invited and he expects there could be many new members in 2021 as people look to get outdoors.

“Just like in the winter, skis were really hard to get,” he said. “I think canoes and bike are hard to get. I think people have just been couped up for so long. They want to get outside and enjoy themselves now.”

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derek.cornet@pattisonmedia.com

Twitter: @saskjourno