Mother Nature’s Father’s Day Surprise on the Grand River
This past weekend was supposed to be a celebration of dads, families, and time spent together on the water. As a father to three kids, I know exactly how much these family traditions mean. However, the Grand River had a different itinerary in mind for us this year.
Following severe thunderstorms and days of heavy rainfall earlier in the week, the Grand River Conservation Authority (GRCA) opened several discharge gates for a controlled release of water from the reservoirs to help alleviate the influx. This led to a massive surge in water levels, with river flows climbing to a staggering peak of 152 cubic meters per second by late Saturday. As much as we love seeing families out enjoying our canoes and kayaks, operating in those conditions crosses the line from an exciting adventure to an unnecessary risk.
Making the call to cancel our Learning to Paddle course for the second consecutive week, along with all standard operations on the Cambridge to Paris and Glen Morris to Paris routes, was incredibly difficult. We know how frustrating it is to have your weekend plans derailed at the last minute. But a deep respect for the river is the very first lesson any outfitter learns, and the safety of our guests will always dictate our operations.
Despite the widespread closures, the weekend was not entirely without action. By Sunday, as the water finally began to slowly recede, we were able to open the Paris to Brant route for a select few. It was inspiring to see highly experienced groups adapt to the demanding conditions, lashing their canoes together into catamaran configurations to safely and stably navigate the fast water.
To everyone whose plans were washed out this weekend, thank you for your immense patience and understanding. All cancelled trips have been automatically issued gift cards for their full value, ensuring your family adventure is simply delayed, not denied.
The waters are steadily dropping back to our standard operational levels. We are looking forward to calmer days ahead and cannot wait to get you and your families safely back out on the river this summer.