From Lakefield to Lift Lock
On a sunny Saturday, July 13, 34 Brownsea Base participants and staff took to the water to paddle en masse in canoes from Lakefield to Peterborough through five separate locks (including the World's Highest Hydraulic Lift Locks!) in their annual Canoe-A-Thon.
The Canoe-A-Thon is first and foremost a fun day but it is also a fund-raiser which helps cover the costs of equipment and watercraft repairs.
First-year participants traveled together in Brownsea Base's impressive 25-foot War Canoe and all other participants trav- eled in standard Brownsea Base canoes used during regular instruction nights through the summer.
It was quite spectacular to see the group departing from the Lakefield Wharf at 9:00 a.m. and making their way down the Trent Severn Waterway, stopping for lunch at Lock 22.
Everyone enjoyed a refreshing swim before tucking into a barbecue lunch consisting of hot dogs, chips and juice. Brownsea Bear made an appearance and so did the local television news who dropped in to interview Alan Aslett, director of Brownsea Base as well as Arwen Anderson, third-year Brownsea Base participant and incoming Kawartha Waterways Area Youth Commissioner.
After lunch the group set out to complete the last leg of their journey making their way through the Peterborough Lift Locks.
Not everyone can say they've paddled through the World's Highest Hydraulic Lift Locks in a canoe but Brownsea Base participants can! They finally arrived back at base around 4:30 p.m. tired but happy with the wonderful sunny summer day spent out on the water.
Everyone is looking forward to doing it all again next year!