Frequently Asked Questions

General

PRCC does not rent individual canoes and kayaks. If you are interested in giving paddling a try, we recommend our Rouge River Expedition program. We offer one-time sessions where you will be able to explore paddling with an experienced coach, who will be able to help you learn how to paddle/simply enjoy your experience in a safe environment. 

Unfortunately, due to a number of factors (one of the most prominent being COVID-19), we have had to suspend these two programs for the time being. We are hopeful that in the coming years we will be able to bring these two programs back.

Regardless of your program, you must bring a lifejacket with you to your session(s). It is also highly recommended that you bring a pair of shoes that can get wet (eg. sandals), a water bottle, a towel, a change of clothes, and sun protection. In our summer youth programs that run from 9-4, snacks and lunch are also required. PRCC will provide you with boats and paddles*, however, seasoned paddlers will often want to purchase their own equipment as they become more experienced.

*Some exceptions apply for our more competitive programs (High-Performance and Development)

We have relocated! We are very excited to announce our new site is located in the Glen Rouge Campground while the construction on Rouge Beach prevents public access to our clubhouse. The Glen Rouge Campground is located just off of Kingston Road, in between Altona Road and Sheppard Avenue East.

We regret to say that this new site is not built to accommodate people with mobility issues. The ground is uneven and it is rather rocky near the water access. However, if your concern about your mobility is mild, we have coaches who are more than happy to assist you with getting down to the water and getting in/out of our boats.

Glen Rouge has free but limited parking. We recommend (when safe to do so under COVID-19 guidelines) trying to set up a carpool with others in your program to alleviate some of the strain on the parking lot. We are currently working on a solution for summer drop-off and pick-up for our youth programs, but it is likely that there will be a drop-off circuit set-up in the parking lot like the ones seen in schools.

Anyone can join PRCC – we offer programs for a variety of ages and abilities! Whether you are interested in finding a great summer camp for your children, recreational paddling, team racing, or sprint canoe and kayak racing, we have a program that is right for you.

Absolutely! There is nothing better than spending the summer outdoors while enjoying activities with positive role models and friends. The whole family can, and often does get involved. Many of PRCC’s programs are specifically tailored to children, including our summer camp and U16 sprint program.

Youth at PRCC train with experienced coaches whose goal is to help the paddlers develop confidence and skills at their own pace. The emphasis is on safety, personal development and fun. The focus on individual goals makes paddling well suited to young athletes who are building their skills, ability, coordination and strength. Members can paddle in crew boats and singles making it both a team and individual sport. Those who wish to try racing have many opportunities throughout the season, no matter what their ability level is.

Some children begin as early as age 6 in our summer camp and age 9 within our U15 sprint program. Others have joined the club in their mid-50s. PRCC provides programs to suit all ages and abilities.

PRCC does not store boats at either of our locations for non-members. This is mainly due to access restrictions requiring a staff member to be available to open and close our boat storage facilities and space availability. Member boat storage may be available depending on space availability within our storage facilities. Charges may apply for storage.

No, some members are not interested in racing and would rather just experience the benefits of living a healthier lifestyle in a fun environment. Please communicate this with your coach.

PRCC is not responsible for any items that are lost or damaged while participating in our programs. We do not recommend bringing anything overly valuable with you while you are going paddling. We do offer bins for the belongings that cannot be left at home, and they are stored safely for the duration of your program. If you decide to bring any electronics with you on the water – including phones and car keys, we recommend purchasing a waterproof case. We also recommend that this case floats. If something is dropped in the river, we cannot guarantee you will be able to recover it, as some areas are extremely deep.

While we do strongly encourage participants to be vaccinated, we are not requiring it for our programs.

As an organization, we are proud to say that in the past two years we have not had an outbreak of COVID-19 in any of our programs. We require masking (exempting those with health conditions) whenever we cannot guarantee that our participants will be more than two meters away from each other when on land. When on water and masking is not possible, coaches are vigilant and do their best to ensure physical distancing measures are being followed by their group. For more information, please visit our COVID Response Plan.

If the program for which you wish to register is full, you can add the participant’s name to a waiting list here. If more spots open up and you are next in line, you will receive an email letting you know to register as soon as possible. The waitlist will be updated periodically to reflect the number of other people on the waitlist.

Canoe Camp

Our summer camp consists of week-long sessions and is catered to participants from ages 6-13. Throughout the week, participants learn the basic techniques of paddling in different water vessels (kayak, canoe, and stand-up paddleboard). But our camp experience is not entirely on the water. Participants rotate through different stations with their coaches, including on-water, active games, arts and crafts, and quiet games. Throughout the week we also have different activities that are specific to different days of the week, such as Water Wednesday, Tie-Dye Thursday, and Fun Friday. Each week in the summer also has a different theme that comes into play with the games/activities we do. 

Our board members and staff have been working to make our transition as seamless as possible. Our new location gives us much more open space to play our favourite games, and we will be in a lower traffic area. This lower traffic is beneficial because it allows our participants to enjoy themselves without fear of getting clipped by a bicycle or other man-powered vehicle. We will also be working with Parks Canada to take advantage of all of the amazing opportunities this location offers including some of the scenic hiking trails.

Although we do not guarantee group requests, in the registration there will be an option to leave comments. You can add the group requests there. PRCC staff do their best to ensure siblings are in the same group if they are close enough in age to help limit any possible spread of COVID-19. However, if siblings wish to be in separate groups you can also add those requests in the same box. Please note that any group requests that are made less than a week before the start of your session are extremely unlikely to happen. We highly recommend submitting group requests in registration, rather than in an email at a later date or in-person on the first day of your session. 

Bantam

Our summer Bantam program is an 8 week-long program designed for participants aged 9-15. This program focuses on improving paddling techniques in sprint canoes and kayaks. This includes doing both on-water and on-land workouts. Bantams have three stations that they cycle between with their coaches; on-water, running and body-weights, and active games. These stations are completed once before lunch and again after. There are different themes each week that will be incorporated into their activities, keeping things interesting for all 8 weeks. Bantam also joins up with our summer camp to participate in weekly events such as our Fun Fridays. Although the Bantam program is a lot of physical activity, we want to encourage potential participants to not be turned away by it. The focus of this program is to encourage fun as well as skill-building, and participants will be sorted into groups based on abilities, which is reflected in the planned workouts, so no one feels left behind or incapable. Many of the participants who were originally hesitant about the workload quickly find themselves enjoying the planned activities and getting to see their progress. The Bantams also have the opportunity to compete at some regattas where PRCC gets to compete against other clubs in our area and cheer on their teammates at these events. The overall goal of the Bantam program is to introduce participants to the sport of paddling and hopefully encourage them to continue the sport with some of our more competitive programs.

Yes! We recommend that interested children participate in our two week Intro to Sprint program. Campers in this program will often have the opportunity to try sprint boats during their session and work with Bantam coaches and athletes. More information can be found here.

Although no experience is required, we have found that the transition from our summer camp to the Bantam program has been beneficial. This is because participants already have a preliminary understanding of paddling techniques and they have had the opportunity to observe parts of the Bantam program to see if that is something they are interested in. However, we have had several athletes join the bantam program with no previous experience and really enjoy themselves. So although it isn’t required in any way, some people may feel more comfortable with having some experience. 

Yes, you can! PRCC offers the Bantam program in summer, fall, winter and spring sessions. Fall and spring sessions are run on Tuesdays and Thursdays beginning at 4:30 and ending at 6:00. These sessions still contain both on-water and on-land workouts. However, during the winter we are not able to use the Rouge River for paddling because of the temperature. So, instead, our program consists of practice Tuesday and Thursday afternoons (4:30-6:00) where we run and use gym equipment at a local gym called the Shed, and a Saturday morning run in Glen Rouge (8:00-9:00).

Development / High Performance

The High-Performance program is designed for experienced paddlers aged 15 and older with aspirations of training competitively and making the national team. Development athletes are younger and train less intensively. Typically, athletes will start in the development program and as they progress, in both skill level and age, they will have a conversation with our head coach to talk about moving to High-Performance. High-Performance and Development athletes typically train 10 times a week. The programs focus on extensive paddling and on-water training combined with cardio, weights and callisthenics. The winter program consists of weights, working on ergs and cardio such as running. If these programs look too intense for the type of training you were looking for, our Bantam or Masters programs (age-dependant) may be more suitable for you.

Our High-Performance and Development programs are designed for experienced paddlers who want to increase the intensity at which they train. Experience in sprint boats is required. It is recommended you speak with our head coach Rebecca Fanok (rebecca.fanok@pickeringrouge.ca) to confirm that you are eligible to participate in these programs if you are uncertain. 

One of the requirements of being a High-Performance/Development athlete is purchasing your own paddle. Additionally, once you have progressed skill-wise beyond the boats we have available, you are encouraged to purchase your own single sprint boat. We will still have boats available to you, however, they are designed for an intermediate skill level; and you may find yourself held back by the equipment you are using. High-quality crew boats are provided by PRCC for athletes of all skill levels.

Rouge River Expeditions

In the six-week program, participants will cycle through three types of watercraft; leisure kayaks, leisure canoes, and stand-up paddleboards. For our single session participants, the type of watercraft you will be using is dependent on what is available during your session, and what the rest of your group decides to use. 

We have opened a separate SPT group for participants aged 9-14, please ensure if you are wishing to register only children that you register them with the correct program. 

If there are enough spots open, yes everyone can! If there are participants aged 9-14, we do have a separate program for them if they would like to be with others around their age group. However, these participants are permitted to join one of the regular sessions if they have an accompanying adult.

Masters

None! Master is just an age group for racing in sprint paddling that includes racers 25 years of age and older. Our program, however, is open to anyone over the age of 18. This means that if you are in our Masters program between the age of 18 and 25 and were interested in competing, you would not be racing in the master category. It would be called something else depending on your age. 

The objective of our Masters program is to learn/develop skills in sprint paddling rather than in leisure watercraft. PRCC has a variety of sprint boats to accommodate different paddlers and their skill levels. 

All Abilities Special Olympics

Our All Abilities program is designed for individuals of aged 9 and older with intellectual disabilities. This program is not designed for individuals with physical disabilities, as our current site is not accessible to people with mobility issues and the equipment we use does not have any accommodations for differently-abled individuals.

No accompanying adult is required, however, the option is open for friends/family to hang around our water access and watch from shore.

Our coach to participant ratio for our All Abilities program is 1:3. This low ratio ensures that coaches get to know participants well throughout the program, and it increases safety for participants.

The option to race is available (and encouraged) to our All Abilities athletes. In 2021 PRCC All Abilities athletes brought home a total of 2 bronze, 1 silver, and 2 gold national medals!

Unanswered questions?