Paul Collard watched the high-water hijinx of last year's Northern Hardware Centennial Canoe Race and decided there should be a warm-up event to get paddlers ready for this year's race.
So he's taken on the task of organizing the Paddle for the Pool race on Sunday, June 26 on the Nechako River near his home in Vanderhoof to help stimulate interest in the sport of marathon canoeing.
Racers will have their choice of the 26-kilometre Sturgeon class, or the seven-kilometre Trout class courses. The long race starts at 11 a.m. on June 26 on the north shore of the Nechako west of Vanderhoof near the Engen railway crossing at Braeside Road, and ends at Riverside Park in Vanderhoof. The shorter race begins at 12:15 p.m. at the Highway 27 bridge over the river.
Collard remembers competing in the canoe race in Vanderhoof in the mid-1970s and figured it was time to get it going again, capitalizing on the success of last year's Northern Hardware Centennial Canoe Race in Prince George. He hopes to make the race an annual event.
"The guys who used to race for Northern Hardware, because they used to have their own dedicated team, they always used to come to our race in Vanderhoof and they would clean up," said Collard. "So then I thought, why not have our own race in Vanderhoof again? We haven't done it since the '70s, and they don't cost a lot to put on.
"Many people in the Central Interior are very active in winter but it's difficult getting co-ordinated events for them in the summer. This is strategically placed two weeks before the Northern Hardware (race) so anybody in the local area who wants to practice and get in shape and do some down-river paddling can come and do this one."
Collard figures the fastest paddlers will take three hours to complete the long route. Entry in the Sturgeon class is restricted to tandem canoes, but the Trout class is open to canoes (single and tandem), kayaks, paddleboards and other types of boats, as long as they meet safety requirements.
"It's not difficult water, it's 26 kilometres but there's no whitewater in it," said Collard.
The race is sponsored by the Nechako Valley Sporting Association, Vanderhoof Aquatic Association and Rio Tinto Alcan. All proceeds will be donated to help the city of Vanderhoof build a public swimming pool.
"I'm hoping for an entry of 50 boats," said Collard.
"When they finish, it won't be the first to touch shore, they'll have to scramble out of the canoe with stiff legs and run up the beach and ring a school bell on the table."
A chili-and-bun lunch will follow, with musicians on hand at Riverside Park to entertain the crowd. The entry fee is $20 per person. Registration is available online at strideandglide.ca. Each racer will receive cookie medals made by Woody's Bakery in Vanderhoof.
For more information call Collard at 1-250-567-4805.
This year's Northern Hardware race is set for Sunday, July 10. Last, year, Mike and Fiona Vincent of Regina won the 67.5-km Mackenzie class race, beating second-place finishers Greg Blackburn and Pat Turner by just 20 seconds. The Northern Hardware race also includes a 35 km Simon Fraser class.
