May 31, 2020 Season Update

We want to take a moment to thank you. 

Thanks for your willingness to make decisions to protect those around you, in your community, and yourself. Thanks for your hard work in minimizing physical interactions, travel, and practicing good hand hygiene. It’s thanks to our collective effort that we now have more opportunity to get outside, explore, and enjoy the beautiful landscapes our region offers. What’s remarkable is how strong of an impact, how beneficial of an effect we can all have, when our choices are mirrored by so many others, when we are aligned in principle and practice, and we can enact real change in real time.

There is power behind our actions. 

Let’s keep going!

At Paddler Co-op, we are so excited to begin helping you get back on the water, rediscover the river, and recreate responsibly in a time when we need it most.

Here’s an update on our state of affairs, and our plan for reopening.

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Rentals are open as of June 1st

Our first stage of reopening includes boat and gear rentals for curbside pickup at Paddler Co-op, and select drop-off/pickup locations by request.  This decision has taken us time and serious consideration from consulting with industry organizations, professional advisors to Public Health guidelines and Federal, Provincial and Municipal regulations. Keeping in mind our local community and our paddling community, we are super excited to offer COVID-19 compliant boat and gear rentals! Drop us a line at [email protected] or give us a call at 613-758-2772 to book your rental canoe, kayak or gear.

Extra sanitization procedures and limited supply/turnaround mean we expect to book up quickly – best to reach out in advance to secure your booking. Our rental gear will be fully sanitized using either disinfectant or a 3-day “time out” procedure.  Read on for more info on our COVID-19 Precautions and changes.

Our Campground and facilities remain closed until June 14th

As we continue to fine-tune our campground changes and wait for restrictions to ease up before opening, our campground will remain closed. We understand that backcountry camping is now open in Ontario’s Provincial Parks, however our public campground will need to wait for the next stage in provincial reopening. We believe in the “bubble” mentality, and plan to accommodate “bubble friendly” camping at the Co-op this season, when we can. We truly want to thank you all for your patience and understanding, we know you are looking to experience the outdoors, and we eagerly look forward to being able to safely welcome you back to Palmer Rapids! As the days draw nearer, we will be updating our website and keeping our membership posted through our newsletter.

COVID-Compliant Canoe and Kayak courses – It’s a thing!

You want to improve your paddling, dust off the rust, get outside and enjoy yourself.

We love to teach and provide the countless benefits of spending time on the river.

Over the last few weeks, we have been hard at work developing COVID-compliant Instruction and Guiding procedures. We know you’re looking for an opportunity to get out at last, and we’re here to help make that happen, in a safe, responsible, hygienic and professional way.

As experts in risk management and safety, our commitment is

to maintain as high standards off the water as we do on the water.

The health and well-being of everyone from staff to visitor is our first priority, and our COVID-Compliant courses will reflect that. It’s important we are all on the same page to ensure that we are still working to minimize the spread of germs, while allowing for safe and responsible recreation, and maintaining healthy physical and mental states of being.

As of June 1st, we will begin accepting inquiries and begin bookings for a very limited number of courses in the coming weeks subject to strict criteria. Starting with experienced paddlers, we will be implementing rigorous pre-screening and monitoring procedures, daily declarations and check-ins, as well as obeying public health guidelines on sanitization, physical distancing and group sizing. Our group sizes will be small, non-introductory at first, we will be maintaining 2m physical distancing at all times or using masks when on shore and close by individuals from a different household. Our courses will have extra emphasis on personal hand hygiene, distancing and sanitation. We plan on adjusting our course site selection, program curriculum and risk management strategies accordingly. Safety and risk management have always been and continue to be a priority for us on the river, and we plan to maintain the highest possible standard of care for everyone both on and off the water.

These programs will only be run for experienced individuals who have not shown any COVID-19 symptoms in the past 14 days, who understand and are comfortable with our risk management controls and precautions, and view participating in a Paddler Co-op program as being within their acceptable level of risk. We want to ensure everyone who gets on the water understands the precautions, agrees to follow our procedures, and feels safe while doing so.

Stay tuned for more specifics on how we’re navigating COVID-19 safety precautions and paddling, or give us a ring at 613-758-2772 to discuss further. We welcome your thoughts and encourage you to share how you can see yourself at Paddler Co-op this summer!

Stay Safe, Stay Healthy, Stay Well,

See you on the water soon,

Ryan, Lynda, and the crew at Paddler Co-op