In 2007, the canoe was named one of the Seven Wonders of Canada via a CBC Radio feature in which over 1 million votes were cast. In celebration of this, the Canadian Canoe Museum founded National Canoe Day with the aim of increasing participation in paddlesports in Canada, engaging new paddlers and reaching across generational and cultural divides to introduce the canoe to those who haven’t had the opportunity to experience this great national heritage!
History
The very first Day Of 1000 Canoes was a great success and we thank everyone who participated, volunteered or cheered us on from the shoreline! As with any first time event, there were a few wrinkles and with everyone’s assistance we work those out and move ahead. We welcome your comments and suggestions (and links to any great photos you took) and ask that you use the contact form for lengthy questions.
The event is always scheduled to coincide with National Canoe Day (4th Saturday in June). Upcoming dates are Saturday, June 23 (2012), June 22 (2013), June 28 (2014)
The main idea behind Day Of 1000 Canoes is…community! Getting together with our community, promoting it to folks in other communities and all of us enjoying one of our greatest, local, natural resources – the Grand River – along with food, art, entertainment and family!
Mission
Our mission (beyond a fun time with our friends & family) is to work closely with our communities and other groups/organizations such as Haldimand County Tourism, Grand River Access Programs, First Nations and the Fast Water – Fast Friends initiative. Working together we seek to create awareness of the natural beauty of the Haldimand region, promote tourism, encourage conservation and serve as an example to other communities.
Founded by Haldimand residents Blaine Nicholls and Shane Carmichael and sponsored by the Aka:we Canoe Club of Six Nations; this is a day for families, friends and friends-we-haven’t met-yet…a fun paddle and along the journey; entertainment, food & beverages, scenery, the world’s only Tim Horton’s paddle-through and a party at your destination! People shuttles are available throughout the day between Cayuga, York & Caledonia and canoes will be “valet docked” at all stops.
You can canoe, kayak, row…or hike the walking trail along the shore (the walking trail ends at York where you can catch a shuttle to Cayuga). A leisurely paddle along the entire route may take 3 hours…or as long as you like! Or you can simply join in the events on shore with a special Festival Pass.
Our intrepid crew:
- Programming: Blaine Nicholls
- Sponsorship: Shane Carmichael
- Logistics: Jay Fitzpatrick
- Marketing: Pete Ames
- Volunteers and Community Relations: Lorna Walker (Neat Little Book Shop, Cayuga)
- Website design, management & hosting: Edd Scorpio
May you and this day of community be blessed. Such a wonderful idea to bring community and cultures together for a day of friendship and healing.
thank you, hope to see you out for the day!
Very excited to come see everyone and cheer on the community! Such a great idea – we are all looking forward to tomorrow!
This is a wonderful idea. I look forward to participating with my family on the Cayuga end. We have 2 little ones and won’t be able to actually canoe the route so my husband and I will likely do the walking trail.
if you are entered in the festival as a walking participant you will still get a t shirt, tims and use of all the events and shuttle bus
Question?
Have any arrangements been made for returning families and our canoes to our cars in Caledonia?
Yes! There is a shuttle service running between Caledonia, York & Cayuga – and “Valet Docking” for your canoe!
yes, a shuttle bus will bring you back to the start. It is included in the cost of entry.
how long is the day anticipated to be
it could take as little as three hours and as long as you want. the idea is a slow day on the river with lots of fun and stops. Average will be 4 -6 hours for total. Not a hard paddle.
Can you use an electric motor on a freighter canoe
sure, as long as you are aware that some areas of the Grand may be too shallow for the motor. Hope t see you out for the day!
Looking forward to participating….
Isn’t Seika a Pyrates name? I sure hope we don’t have any trouble on the river with any Pyrates, we should keep our eyes open
Our family is looking forward to a “grand day” on the Grand. As of today, do you have a number of canoes currently registered?
Linda, Sherry & Justin
Yes we do have quite a number registered. We expect many more in the next ten days
A common question(s) circulating regarding this event which I am hearing is “What is happening with the proceeds?” Is this in any way a charity (registered for tax purposes)?
I’d like to bring my family to participate but not to put money in someone else’s pocket.
Not accusing anyone of anything, just asking…
Thanks for the good question. All the entry fees go back into running the festival. Our goal is to make this the biggest canoe event in the world and that will take some funds.
We are running many programs where 100 percent of profits from these programs are going to enhancing the Grand River walking trail. These programs include commemorative paddles, gold coin sales and profits from the beer and food tents.
An event like this takes a lot of time/effort from a lot of people to complete. Our goal is to have enough money left over to take the volunteers out for a fun day. We look forward to seeing your entry!
Sounds excellent!
How do I register?
We recommend you can register online (https://www.onlineregistrations.ca/1000canoes) as we cannot depend on the mail due to the rotating strikes.
You may also be able to register at the event, though it’s better we know ahead of time how many folks are attending!
We are planning to participate and anticipate a great day!
thanks for the support! Please make your entry as soon as possible, we have so much to do based on the amount of entries. I am hoping not to have a heart attack. Talk soon!
Hey Blaine,
Rhonda, Maya and I (and perhaps others) are planning to come. Is there a canoe rental service?
Ian
…nevermind. I just saw the link at the top of the page.
See you on the 25th.
I understand it’s rain or shine for your event but if i register and then it’s raining can I get a refund on my entry fee?
Sorry, it is rain or shine with no refunds. The long range forcast looks good! Keep you fingers crossed
How does the ticket numbering system work? My family has a window to participate for this event, but we want to know when we’ll be launching from Caledonia. Does it go by number or by time, and is there a way to state your timing preference?
You will get a launch time based on your check in time. Evryone is out that day for a fun time, with this in mind we will be flexible on start times. If you need to go a little earlier just let us know upon check in and we will do out best to accomodate you. Cheers!
THANK YOU very much for organizing this fun day. Our family has been enjoying the Grand River for canoeing etc and what a great way to share the river experience with others! We are really looking forward to the day.
Thanks for the support, we have been working hard to put on a good show. On the day of please introduce yourself, we love to meet new friends
Want to participate but not sure I am available for the 9am launch, what would be the latest possible time to launch? Thanks.
9am is the “ceremonial first launch”, boats will continue to be launched until about noon (at least that’s the plan)
Fantastic idea … I’m sure that this will become a popular and anticipated event.
My wife and I have kayaks but no canoe. So this is going to cost us $90 instead of $60, right? $60 seems reasonable; $90 seems a little off-puttingly steep. Would a smaller fee for kayaks be in order?
Thanks for the post, please understand that this is the first year and many people have joined with Kayaks already. Yes, we will absolutely make a change for next year specifically for Kayaks. This year it would involve too much logistically to make a change mid way. Comments like this help us with direction as we move forward, the river is warm and wonderful! You will get your monies worth. Thanks again.
That’s good to hear. Good luck with the final preparations … and I might just grumble and pay the $90 to see the inaugural event.
I was wondering if we could paddle down to the launch (as we live right by the Old Mill) and register via our canoe. We’d get out, of course.
I just don’t really want to drive the 2 secs down the road when I can save gas when I have the river right here.
Thanks for any input you can give.
Absolutely! This is all about canoeing , after all.
Keeping in mind that registration starts at 8am and the Opening Ceremonies & “official first launch” is scheduled for 9am – so time your arrival accordingly.
Can you tell me if an adult must be in the canoe. We have 2, 13 year olds who are quite responsible and really don’t want Dad to come along.
Thanks
This should be fine providing a parent signs the waiver
Best of luck with this fantastic project. It’s so nice for us people from outside of Haldimand to read about all the positive stuff going on between Caledonia and Six Nations. Thankfully, the majority of residents don’t pay attention to those who only care about preaching negatively.
Kudos to Blaine and all of those involved ! You are true leaders !
OK – the question a lot of people are thinking, not asking – are coolers allowed on the boat.
We must abide by safe boating laws, with this is mind we have cold beer for you at the end of the event.
I think this site has answered all my questions. Congratulations on getting the word out and organizing everyone! Can’t wait….
thanks for the support!
do we get a t shirt. id paddle anywhere for a t shirt
Those who register do get t-shirts!
You can even buy a commemorative paddle!
Fantastic Idea ! We have a 17ft canoe are we able to use it and how do we find out what the legal amount of paddlers are for our canoe? Also registration is 15$ for anyone want to hike instead of paddling and this includes children and adults does this apply regardless of age? (Have a 2 yr old)
In general terms canoes are rated for load capacity (ie. weight) and based on other criteria like width, depth and hull shape for how many people may be in it at one time.
A 17′ canoe with two seats should take 2 adults and two children quite comfortably with all the appropriate safety gear. With three seats, three adults & two children…or even 5 adults (though less comfortably).
There is no charge for a child of 2yrs. – though it could be a bit of a long day for such a young child…then again, a slow ride in the river could rock them to sleep!
Who will be in the “ceremonial first launch”?
You will have to be there to see, in other words we are still making finaL arrangemmts.
Hi Blaine. Well, the kids and I were quite excited to be involved; however, we’ve experienced a couple of determining glitches so we’ll have to aim to be in the next one. We will be taking canoe safety training next month with a certified trainer to make sure the kids are clear on how to handle themselves and the canoes properly. As well, we’ll be working on raising funds so the kids can be involved in future. The day sounds like a lot of fun and we’re looking forward to future fun times along the Grand. Have a great day, everyone, be safe.
safety is always important! Thanks for the support
If we registered on line, do we need to bring the confirmation with us on Saturday morning?
Yes…please bring a copy just to be sure.
How many canoes are thre
While we do know there are a lot of people signed up, we will not have an accurate count of canoes (etc.) until after the event…but there’s always room for one more!
We are planning on bringing our dog–will we be able to take her back to our vehicle on the shuttle?
As long as she’s leashed – and not the size of a horse – there should not be a problem.
Do we need to bring our own coffe mugs for the padddle through?
They are supplied
This is such a fun idea to put that lovely Grand to use as our forefathers did. I travel the river road quite often and always glance at that sparkle in the sun following the road. Cayuga will be my station to watch all the “1000 Canoes ” arrive.
See you all there.
What an incredible day! Thanks to all who organized, volunteered and made it all come together. See you next year!
I wasn’t sure where I was to plant the dogwood I brought in my kayak. I stopped on one of the islands AFTER the sign that said “plant in the next 1 km”. I planted it in a good spot. Took forever to hack the weeds around the planting site and dig the hole with my paddle knife! The mosquitoes appreciated my presence.
AHOY MATES!!!! What a GRAND day te be sure… not often ye see 1000 Canoes, 2 Pyrates n’ a Mermaid rowin’ down the river… it was a SPLENDIFEROUS day te be sure!!!
Thanks to all that stopped at York, hope to see you next year!
Thanks for putting our part of the river on the map.
Well done
Lorne
What an amazing day of paddling and meeting others.
I really appreciated the assistance by your guys and girls who helped us seniors from our kayaks after 20km. It was a day to remember. We’ll sign up next year for sure.
Fabulous organization by all. Greatly appreciated.
What a fantastic time we had! We met so many amazing people along our journey down the river. I thought the Tim Hortons paddle thru was truely a unique idea. Can’t wait to do it again next year.
This was the best day we have had on The Grand River. What a great event and our huge congratulations to all of the organizers as well as the amazing volunteers. We will be spreading the word for next year, inviting as many friends as we can and hopefully, we will be able to surpass the 1,000 canoes! Oh yeah, the Tim Horton’s Paddle-Through was the coolest thing … we just need to attach a ‘cup holder’ to our kayaks for next year. Thank you again!
great day yesterday. The grand is certainly grand. It was great to see people on the rivers edge cheering us on. Will do it again next year. Wasn’t able to purchase a paddle at Cayuga is there somewhere where I can purchase one. Would like it as a memento
Also noticed lots of photographers on the river are any of them going to be be made available for purchase
Once again thoroughly enjoyed day out. Arms sore today
What a wonderful day! Your committee and volunteers were all so friendly and helpful.
The music, food and entertainment were all great. Even the weather cooperated.
Thanks Blaine and Shane for all your hard work. We look forward to next year.
Will you be posting photos from Saturday on your website?
How do we upload our photos for others to view?
Wow! Wow! Wow! thanks everyone for the great support! We will in the next day have a spot to put all the great photos. Cheers and put June 23 2012 on your calender.
What an amazing day! You folks did a great job and we can’t wait until next year.
Congratulations on hosting the smoothest running, first time event I have ever been to! We had a wonderful time, and everyone was so friendly and kind. A special thanks to the Tim Hortons franchisee for offering the ‘Paddle Through” coffee line. It just goes to prove that Canadians can still be true innovators!