A Kings County tradition
Whether a tubing newbie or seasoned veteran, floating down the Gaspereau River is a fun activity
Tubing down the Gaspereau River has become a classic summertime tradition and staple activity in the Annapolis Valley enjoyed by those coming from near and far for decades.
The float down the 2.5- kilometre stretch of river — from the Nova Scotia Power Station on Black River Road to the bridge on Gaspereau River Road — with its subtle twists and varying degrees of speed in certain areas, takes approximately 30 minutes. Tubers pass by the scenic farm lands of the area, and sometimes even get a close-up view of local farm animals as they navigate around cattle crossing the river.
It’s even become a summer business for some area residents. Places like King of the River Tubing (KOTR) rent tubes at a location close to where people enter the river on the Black Rock Road.
While KOTR owner Joy Power has been renting tubes to people looking for a fun way to cool off on a hot summer day for the past two decades, the activity itself has been around long before that.
“I’ve been here renting for 22 years,” says Power. “But tubing in the Gaspereau River has been around long before that; there used to be tubing festivals years ago.”
The first tubing festival took place nearly 44 years ago, from July 26 to 28, 1974, and while the annual event no longer occurs, the activity itself has only become more popular.
So popular, Power adds, that, while it’s a well-known activity in the Annapolis Valley and beyond, it’s also been known to draw interest from outside the province, and even outside the country, as far away as from England.
“People are coming left and right from everywhere; we had a group recently from England,” says Power. “It’s a big thing, and it’s a cheap day for people, $5 a tube, and you can tube as many times as you’d like.”
And it’s something that any age can enjoy, she says, adding that no one is too old or too young to enjoy tubing down the river.
“We’ve even had people who aren’t born yet tubing,” says Power. “The oldest person I think we’ve had is 93, and this year we had someone, I think in their 90s, that had this on their bucket list.”