TUMPLINE > > > N E W S • T I P S • E V E N T S High Water Everywhere CANOEISTS RIDE FREDERICTON FLOOD
PADDLERS IN FREDERICTON, New Bruns- wick, are accustomed to great canoeing. Te St. John River and its tributaries offer plenty of enticing spots close to town, but this spring the paddling opportunities were right out their doorstep—literally. In April, a winter’s worth of record
snowfalls started to melt throughout the headwaters of the 730-kilometre-long St. John River. By May 1st, residents in Fredericton
had watched the river rise almost two me- tres above normal spring levels. Up to 800 people had to leave their homes and farms, power was disconnected to more than 700 buildings and mail delivery was suspend- ed—but not everyone found the high wa- ters a problem. Kayakers frolicked under the Waterloo
Street overpass and canoeists circled the statues in Officers’ Square. Nearby, the nor- mally high and dry lighthouse that serves as a tourism centre had a distinctly more
maritime look to it with waves encircling its base. Te main bridge across the river was above water, but several off ramps were reduced to boat-only traffic. Meanwhile, the Emergency Measures
Organization (EMO) was issuing warnings to discourage recreational boating. EMO was concerned that paddlers could inter- fere with rescue operations, or even create more rescue victims in the hypothermi- cally cold water. A primary danger in flood paddling
comes from floating debris. With currents running at twice the normal speed, every- thing from sofas to porches to an entire house swept down the St. John River this spring. Te danger of collision was ever- present on the main river channel. Equally dangerous were fixed obstacles. Street signs became sweepers and parking meters were deadheads waiting for the unwary. Paddlers Dave Bradshaw, Pat Wilson, James Handrahan and Mike Wilson were
PADDLINGTOWN, N.B. PHOTOS: A. HUGHES
well-prepared in equipment and experience to explore their city by boat. Tey ferried across the swift current from the north side of Fredericton to the downtown south side, floating along the waterfront blocks of York and Regent Streets and through parks and parking lots. Although the 2008 flood was a dark
cloud for many, it had a silver lining for these paddlers. Not only did the flood gar- ner them an unexpected day off work, it opened for them a novel new playground. — Alison Hughes
www.mohawkcanoes.com call us: 877-226-6329
14 n
C ANOE ROOT S fall 2008
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