Get your boats ready for this great event honouring a paddling legend on July 14th, 2012  Listed below are the details!

Everyone is invited to participate and there is no cost or registration! Please bring the following:  canoe, kayak, or other self-propelled craft,  and  life jacket to be worn by each participant.  Also, please make sure you bring the appropriate  safety gear for your boat( bailer, tow line, first aid kit, etc)

The flotilla starts at 10:00am at the junction of the Red and Assiniboine Rivers – “The Forks” – in Downtown Winnipeg (or wherever you decide to put in).

Participants are asked to congregate on the water at this historic paddling location at 10:00 am to begin the trip down to Kildonan Park.

The flotilla ends at Kildonan Park and the route is approximately 11km (roughly 2-3 hours of paddling).  Following the paddle, you are invited to bring food and drinks and join the Starkells for a picnic at Kildonan Park after the flotilla.

We intend to have the lead boat in the flotilla manned by Dana Starkell, Jeff Starkell and Gabby Delgado. They will be paddling a replica of “Orellana” – the canoe that was used on the Amazon trip (currently being kept at the Canadian Canoe Museum in Peterborough, Ontario). Gabby helped paddle Orellana through a treacherous ocean leg of the Amazon journey and will be visiting Winnipeg to take part in this event and the Don Starkell Commemorative River Cruise (see details below). There will be an opportunity for the public to meet Dana, Jeff and Gabby during the leisurely downstream paddle on the Red River and at Kildonan Park.

Don’t Forget: Be sure to bring water and any snacks you wish to consume during the trip, and to pack out all trash. Depending on the conditions, sunblock, a hat, and insect repellent may also come in handy. If you are not being dropped off at your put-in location and picked up where you are hauling out, be sure to have a shuttle vehicle waiting for you at your take-out point. Useful river access information is available at the following website:

Winnipeg Canoe Destinations and Access Points

http://home.cc.umanitoba.ca/~burchil/pm_canoe/winnipeg_route.html

The Don Starkell Paddling Flotilla and Picnic will take place as planned on Saturday, July 14, 2012 barring severely inclement weather such as heavy rain or lightning. The organizers of this event are not responsible for any injuries or property damage or loss resulting from participation in this event.

More information can be found at this website!  http://www.danastarkell.com/adventure/commemorative.html

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