Ninety-seven paddlers in 55 canoes, kayaks and stand-up paddleboards will be participating in the 64 km Mattawa River Race from Olmsted Beach, North Bay to the Mattawa Island Conservation area. An additional 15 participants will join the last 13km of the race leaving from Samuel de Champlain Provincial Park. The North Bay-Mattawa Conservation Authority’s Mattawa River Canoe Race is presented by Susan Weiskopf, Senior Financial Planner at IG.
“We’ve got paddlers coming from all over the province — even a few from New York State,” said race coordinator Paula Loranger. “With so many traveling in for the event, a lot of them will be spending the weekend right here in the community.”
The canoe, kayak and stand-up paddlers in 13 categories will follow the historic route, making their way through lakes, rivers, fast moving water and up to 12 portages from Olmsted Beach on Trout Lake to Mattawa Island Conservation Area, passing through Samuel de Champlain Provincial Park.
The first flight of paddlers leaves Olmsted Beach at 7:30 am Saturday June 14, with categories leaving every 15 mins. The final paddlers head off at 8:15 am. Racers in the 13 km will leave Samuel de Champlain Provincial Park at 12:00 pm.
"Registration’s closed but come down to Olmsted Beach, North Bay and cheer on the participants as they kick off their 64 km adventure!"
Race Sponsors Include – Susan Weiskopf, Senior Financial Manager at IG, Degagne Carpentry, Development and Renovations, Redpath, Ontario Northland, Slingchoker, Stock Transportation, City of North Bay, Comsatec, Canadore College, Lake Talon Conservation Association and Clermont Duval, Supported by Town of Mattawa, Rogers Radio and Ontario Marathon Canoe & Kayak Association.
The North Bay-Mattawa Conservation Authority (NBMCA) was founded in 1972 by the Province of Ontario and the NBMCA’s member municipalities. NBMCA is one of 36 Conservation Authorities in Ontario responsible for watershed management on behalf of local municipalities, stakeholders, and the province.
The public can follow NBMCA on the web at nbmca.ca, on X (@theNBMCA), Facebook (@theNBMCA) and Instagram (nbmcainfo).
For additional information, contact:
Paula Loranger, Community Relations Coordinator, 705-494-5115