Basic skills and enjoyable paddling: Enjoy the sights and sounds with this one-hour beginner-friendly session on Bowness Park’s sheltered lagoon. Learn the essentials of entering and exiting a canoe and basic paddle strokes. Perfect for those new to canoeing, this session provides a relaxed and supportive environment to experience the serene nature at Bowness Park.  
Prerequisite: none
Includes: certified instructor and all canoe equipment (canoe, paddle, PFD)

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Foundations of flatwater canoeing: Develop fundamental canoeing skills while building confidence and control on flatwater. This course introduces key techniques such as boat control, tracking and turning, with an emphasis on teamwork between paddling partners. Ideal for those looking to expand their abilities beyond basic strokes, this course lays the groundwork for relaxed lake paddling and longer excursions.
Prerequisite: none
Includes: certified instructor and all canoe equipment (canoe, paddle, PFD)

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Expanding skills for day and overnight trips: Enhance your flatwater paddling skills to prepare for day tours and easy overnight canoe trips. This program introduces advanced stroke techniques, refined boat control in open water, and strategies for reading water conditions and mitigating risks. You’ll also practice essential skills like docking, pivoting and smooth navigation while refining both bow and stern paddling strokes. This program sets the stage for more independent and confident lake travel. 
Prerequisite: Beginner Tandem Canoeing or equivalent experience
Includes: certified instructor and all canoe equipment (canoe, paddle, PFD)

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Building river skills, eddies, currents and manoeuvring: Expand your canoeing skills with an introduction to moving water. This program focuses on boat control, reading currents and manoeuvring through and across the eddies at Bowness, while also learning to mitigate risk. After a morning of skill-building, put your techniques into practice with a short river run down to Shouldice Park. Ideal for paddlers looking to transition from flatwater to dynamic river environments. 
Prerequisite: Beginner Tandem Canoeing or equivalent experience
Includes: certified instructor and all canoe equipment (canoe, paddle, PFD)

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Precision river running and technical manoeuvres: Take your river paddling to the next level with this full-day moving water program. Focus on canoe stability, advanced boat control and using river features to navigate efficiently. Develop precision paddling strokes and refine your ability to read water and mitigate hazards, all while practicing technical manoeuvres to confidently navigate the Bow River. Perfect for experienced paddlers looking to refine their river-running skills and gain confidence in more dynamic water conditions.  
Prerequisite: Intermediate Tandem Moving Water Canoeing or equivalent experience
Includes: certified instructor and all canoe equipment (canoe, paddle, PFD)

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Basic skills and enjoyable paddling: Enjoy the sights and sounds with this one-hour beginner-friendly solo session on Bowness Park’s sheltered lagoon. Learn the essentials of entering and exiting a canoe, sitting for solo paddling and basic paddling strokes. Perfect for those new to canoeing, this session provides a relaxed and supportive environment to enjoy being on the water. 
Prerequisite: none
Includes: certified instructor and all canoe equipment (canoe, paddle, PFD)

- Click to return to all Canoeing programs -

Foundations of flatwater canoeing: Develop fundamental solo canoeing skills while building confidence and control on flatwater. This course introduces key techniques such as boat control, tracking, turning and bracing, with an emphasis on balance within the boat. Ideal for those looking to expand their abilities beyond basic strokes, this course lays the groundwork for relaxed lake paddling. 
Prerequisite: none
Includes: certified instructor and all canoe equipment (canoe, paddle, PFD)

- Click to return to all Canoeing programs -