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Mattawa River Canoe Race sets attendance record

'I love canoeing. Just spending the day on the water is a real treat because being a mom of three kids, it is hard to get out and have that much time alone' Alysha Martin

North Bay's Alysha Martin knew she would have some last minute jitters getting her canoe ready for the start of the 41st Annual Mattawa River Canoe Race.   

It has long been a dream of Martin's to paddle the 64 km route from Trout Lake in North Bay to the Mattawa Island Conservation Area. It wasn't until this year that the mother of three finally got up the courage to say 'why not? I'm just going to do it.' 

Martin and her paddling partner tested their endurance by following the route, which she describes as picturesque, on a few occasions. 

"We signed up really early. We'd already given our money, so we couldn't back out," laughs Martin. "I really enjoy the route, it's gorgeous back there. There's a cave in one spot and some really nice cliffs. I love canoeing, so just spending the day on the water is a real joy for me, a treat, because being a mom of three kids, it's hard to get out and have that much time alone." 

In addition to the 64 km race, family and youth were encouraged to register for the 13 km race leaving Samuel de Champlain Provincial Park, ending at the same finish line in Mattawa. 

Like Martin, roughly half of the registrants are new to the race, others have been competing for nearly three decades.  

This is the 28th year for Mark Clout. His win-loss ratio is close to 50 percent. He holds two records, one in the solo class C1 and the  other in the C2 mix class. 

Clout and his partner Dean Brown typically paddle against each other, but recent circumstances lead to them teaming up this year. Clout, a North Bay native, lives in the Niagara region.  Brown is from Hamilton. The pair who have battled against each other, had only about a month to practice how to battle with each other. They are thought to be the team to beat.

"Dean and I have been getting together twice a week to practice on the Welland River down there, paddling very hard, running and weight training. Mentally we just paddled Monday night, then took the rest of the week off to rest and eat. We had lots of pasta, and the Dairy Queen is on the list too. We put a few extra pounds on because we're going to burn them off during the race," laughs Clout.   

This is Brown's fourth year competing in North Bay. His record is two wins and one second place finish. 

"For me the rapids are challenging because I don't usually do those much in other races, and the portages too. At least one of them is pretty tough to run through with the big rocks and stuff," said Brown. "I like the scenery, I like the distance. Its not too long, its not too short. Its a nice challenging race. It has a little bit of everything." 

The men know many of their competitors. Clout says going across Trout Lake, they chat with one another, paddling in a big pack, like the Tour de France. When they get close to the end of the lake, the mood shifts, they grow quieter, becoming more serious as they focus on what lies ahead.

The race is organized by the North Bay Mattawa Conservation Authority. It follows the Mattawa River fur trade route,  which was essentially, the Trans-Canada Highway of its day, 400 years ago. Many of the challenges that existed all those years ago, still exist today.

"The portages haven't changed very much at all," said Brian Tayler, Chief Administrative Officer with the North Bay Mattawa Conservation Authority. "There's a couple of fairly large portages, particularly Talon Chutes. That's a big portage, lots of rocks to crawl over. And the river is sort of moderate water level now, but there are 12 portages on the route." 

A record was set this year for the total number of boats registered, at more than 70. Roughly 130 participants, from five provinces, took to the water in canoes and kayaks.

Courtney Sinclair from Mansfield Quebec, was the lone stand up paddle boarder. Last weekend she finished first in the 100 km half marathon from Kingston to Ottawa, beating out a few other competitors. She competed in this race last year racing a canoe. 

"For me its the elements, the sun on me all day, just staying well hydrated and nourished is actually the biggest challenge. I'm hoping to average about six kilometres an hour so I'm guessing it will take about 10 hours or so. I like the solitude, but it is nice to meet up with people at the portages. It's all about one stroke at a time, one check point at a time."    

Seventy-five percent of all participants are from out of town. 

Paula Loranger, Community Relations Coordinator for the Conservation Authority explains, 

"A lot are Ontario Marathon Canoe Kayak Racing Association members, and they promote all the races all throughout Ontario. So a lot of people don't necessarily participate in the point series, but participate in all the different races throughout the province, and there's about 15 of them."

The Mattawa River Canoe Race is the fourth of five races in the Ontario Ultra Points Paddling Series. Three are in the town of Huntsville and one follows the Kingston to Ottawa route.   

"They accumulate points not only for winning, but just for attending the race. So if  you can attend all five races and complete them, you may get more points than someone who went to one race and won it." 

The most senior paddler this year is 74, the youngest is 12.

Proceeds from the race go back into the authorities environmental education and stewardship programs, which includes the Restore Your Shore program and the Chippewa Creek, Adopt-the-Creek program.