June 4 is Canadian Rivers Day
B
eing an avid road tripper I am always looking for my
next outdoor adventure. Don’t get me wrong, I am far
from a professional outdoorsman, (I hike trails with a
Tim Hortons in hand) but I enjoy being outside and
exploring. Typically, I don’t hit the road without going at
least 4 hours east down the 401 so how was I going to enjoy
these activities anywhere near the Rose City? I have debated
with many that the beautiful hidden places I find just aren’t
here in our traffic-congested city. I was adamant that they
just didn’t exist here.
Boy was I wrong.
There are 160 kilometres of waterfront in
Windsor-Essex County just waiting to be explored.
So I was determined to find the outdoor adventures that
I usually travel hours to experience. With my hectic juggling
act of working the midnight shift, 2 preteen boys and being
midway through major home renovations, I really needed an
activity to just enjoy when I found a spare thirty minutes.
That most of the places I ended up didn’t require an
appointment was a gift I greatly appreciated.
After a scenic drive down Riverside Drive I spotted a
bright yellow and blue tent festooned with life jackets, and
saw beautifully coloured kayaks along the water's edge. The
exploring began with the first stop, Windsor, Adventure Inc.
located just past Sand Point Beach. A quick U-turn to park
and I was ready to go.
Never having kayaked and hesitant to try it, my
adrenaline kicked in. What was I thinking? Where were the
canoes? Those were easier, right? My anxiety was getting to
me. I am a clumsy person and if I have learned anything it is
that if there is a mistake to be made I am definitely going to
be the one to make it. How was I going to handle this boat
out on the Detroit River by myself? What would I do if I
tipped over? How am I going to get my legs out when I
inevitably do tip over and I am stuck in this little hole in the
boat? It would literally be sink or swim!
Mark Malone, owner of Pelee Wings Nature Store in
Leamington, says that being stuck in a kayak is a common
myth or misconception.
“Kayaks are designed with a low center of gravity so
they sit low in the water and it takes a lot of rocking and
swaying to tip yourself over,” said Malone. And even though
it looks like just a small hole to sit in, especially for someone
like myself who isn’t a size two, there's quite a bit of room.
“There is plenty of movability and clearance in a kayak to
quickly free yourself if you happen to tip over,” said Malone.
So here I was in a kayak on one of the busiest waterways
in the whole world, and it seemed so tranquil! The day for
most was just beginning and I was already out on the water
paddling my way around, just as French explorer Antoine
Lame de la Mothe, sieur de Cadillac did back in 1701 to
establish Fort Pontchartrain, which later became Detroit.
The Detroit River has played such an important role to
the trade economy in Windsor-Essex and is a grand symbol
of the relationship between Canada and the US. With the
Ambassador Bridge standing as a tall reminder of how
closely we are intertwined together and over 150, 000 jobs
dependant on this border crossing, I couldn’t help but
reflect on how things have changed between the two
countries.
From Canada’s indigenous peoples, to 17th century fur
traders to local entrepreneurs during the Prohibition: if only
these waters could talk. I spent the rest of my paddling
imagining the many others that have traveled these waters
throughout history; in my own small way I was now one of
them.
The Detroit River is the only waterway in
Windsor-Essex to be designated as a Canadian Heritage