Topics & Insight That Affect Our Members
Pijinuiskaq Paddle Fest 2026
PIJINUISKAQ PADDLE FESTIVAL 2026 REGISTER TODAY Following the phenomenal success of the Pijinuiskaq Paddle Fest in 2024 & 2025, CKNS, Cape LaHave Adventures, the Town of Bridgewater & the Municipality of the District of Lunenburg are pleased to launch the 2026 Pijinuiskaq Paddle Festival. The Pijinuiskaq Paddle Festival will run Friday - Sunday, September 18 - 20, 2026 coinciding with the Bridgewater Harvest Moon Festival. The [...]
2026 CKNS World Tour Film Festival a success!
CKNS Film Fest 2026 a success! Every year the Paddling Film Festival begins as a film contest, with new paddling films submitted from filmmakers around the world. These films were created to inspire, entertain and empower. It is a great way to get us primed for the upcoming paddling season. This year marked our 4th year in a row holding the paddling [...]
Eastern Shore Canoe Trips 2026 edition
Reveiw: Canoe Routes of Eastern Halifax County by Toren Hynes. 2026 edition now available (5th edition) Free to members A review by Sheena Masson, author of Paddle Lunenburg Queens and the NS Coastal Water Trail Complex channel at Chezzetcook Lake Paddlers who have used Toren Hynes’ book already know what an invaluable guide it is. For those of you wanting to explore the Eastern Shore, it is an [...]
Canoe the Canal: CKNS 50th anniversary
CANOE THE CANAL: CKNS 50TH ANNIVERSARY In celebration of the 50th anniversary of CKNS is running a multi-day festival paddling across Nova Scotia on the Shubenacadie Canal System! There will be 5 legs with clinics, cultural events, a paddle and a social event each month May - Sep 2026. Open to all paddlers and paddle craft! Want to participate but don’t have access to canoe/kayak/paddleboard? Consider paddling in [...]
2026 CKNS World Tour Paddle Film Festival Films announced!
2026 CKNS World Tour Paddle Film Festival Films announced! 1,000 Miles To Tuk For over a decade, Niki Choo dreamed of a big canoe trip. When she finally meets the right partner, they take on a 1,000-mile journey from the Pacific to the Arctic testing their endurance, their bond and the limits of what’s possible. Director: Whit Hassett Winner of Best Canoeing Film 2026 Sponsored by Esquif [...]
BACK TO CAPE LAHAVE 2025
BACK TO CAPE LAHAVE 2025 By Sheena Masson Photo by Sheena Masson After many trips to the Lahave Islands, paddling and camping, the one last year had a few new surprises. Our group of three chose Cape Lahave Island for a three day September trip. The fire ban was still on so no fires or going in the woods. The Lahave Islands - about 16 in all - [...]
Instructors’ Directory: Add your listing
Hey Paddle Canada Instructors! Are you listed in our new searchable directory? Our new directory is self-serve and members need to opt-in to be listed. Profile pics, additional photos, descriptions, etc. can all be customized using the “Update Your Profile” tool on our website. Ready to add your listing? 1) Under the ckns.ca menu bar, select Members Only->Update Your Profile You will be prompted to log in [...]
Toren’s Winter Update
Toren's Winter Update by Toren Hynes It's the middle of winter. It might be the off-season when it comes to canoeing, but that does not mean that I am not thinking about it, at least occasionally. Here are some of the things I have been doing. Giving the Canoe some TLC If you're anything like me, you're probably not particularly motivated to work on the canoe during the [...]
Mapping Update Winter 2026
CKNS Mapping update The recent members survey showed that paddle-oriented maps are one of the most valued services CKNS offers. Our online library of printable maps is popular and is slowly growing, thanks to funding from the Nova Scotia department of Communities, Culture, Tourism and Heritage, and the department of Environment and Climate Change. But members said they would like to be able to purchase hardcopy expedition-ready maps. Selling [...]
Cape LaHave Winter 2026
News from Cape LaHave We're hosting a Wilderness First Responder Course at Cape LaHave Adventures on the South Shore May 1-8th. This course isn't just for professional kayak guides - it's a great course for anyone who loves to spend time in the backcountry. No experience required. We're also offering a Level 1 Sea kayak Instructor Course June 1-5th We're looking for folks who want to join some early [...]
Rod Lake’s Paddle Making course 2026
You know spring is upon us when Rod Lake starts his Paddle Making Workshop! Rod Lake's annual paddle making workshop will begin Thursday April 2 and continue for 6 weeks. Takes place at Rod’s workshop in Timberlea. Rod provides all of the tools and gives you the ability to make a beautiful paddle from a block of wood. Cost: $50 plus the cost of materials [...]
Solo on the Shelburn Part 3 of 4: The Phoenix
Solo on the Shelburn Part 3 of 4: The Phoenix by Tim O'Brien In my previous two articles (part 1, part 2), I told the tales of wrapping and wrecking my canoe on a trip down the Shelburne River and my later attempts to finally recover the canoe and bring it home. In part three, I will describe my efforts to restore the canoe and bring it back [...]
2025 Fundy Mid-life Crisis – A Wild Goats Adventure
2025 Fundy Mid-Life Crisis - A Wild Goats Adventure by Victor Wright Last year's trip was an epic 120km Kayak Trip from the Bay of Fundy in Parrsboro NS to the Northumberland Straight in Tidnish NS encompassing historic Native Trading Routes and the Ship Railway engineering wonder. What would the Wild Goats do this year for an adventure??? May 2025- Wild Goats team members, Matt Chitty, and Victor Wright [...]
Return to the Shelburn: Third Time’s a Charm
Return to the Shelburn: Third Time’s a Charm by Tim O'Brien In my last article, I wrote about wrecking my canoe while doing a solo on the Shelburne River in August of 2023. I pinned on a rock a little way below Irving Lake, and my canoe was fully wrapped (literally folded in two and inside out. Thanks to the kindness of strangers, I got [...]
Southwest Paddlers Association: Summer Roundup
Southwest Paddlers Association: Summer Roundup What a season! Brief summary: 5 paddling training workshops: Whitewater with Blair Doyle, Kayaking with Tom Blackford, and three Adaptive Paddling with Pauline Halstead 1 St. John First Aid course Monthly member-hosted paddles thanks to Carolyn Campbell, Todd Muise, Karen Cottreau, Marcy Wallace, and SWPA board Launch and successful roll out [...]
Fall 2025 – Notes From A Portage Captain
Fall 2025 by Andrew Wenning Fall 2025 has surprisingly been a breathtaking season, at least for me, for getting out for a paddle. With the drought conditions we had been experiencing through the summer paddle season, I had been anticipating a dreary Fall season dominated by an early pallet of browns, grays and leafless trees. Oh, how wrong I was! For those who know me, I am an early [...]
2nd Annual Pijinuiskaq Paddle Fest a Success
2nd Annual Pijinuiskaq Paddle Fest in Bridgewater Declared a Success by Donna Hatt Bridgewater’s 2nd annual Pijinuiskaq Paddle Festival, hosted as an expanded 2-day event on September 20 and 21 has been declared a huge success by the organizers, but more importantly, by the participants. Attracting well over 120 paddlers from near and far, [...]
AGM – Jan 15, 2026
CKNS welcomes you to join us at our Annual General Meeting Thursday, January 15th from 6:30 - 8:30 pm Fairbanks Interpretive Centre, 54 Locks Rd, Dartmouth Avery Room Celebrate an amazing year of paddling accomplishments! Agenda Welcome - Call to Order Establishment of Quorum Appointment of Scrutineers Declarations of Conflict of Interest, if any Approval of agenda Minutes of the 2024 AGM (January 11, 2025) CKNS AGM Report President’s [...]
Paddling Festival Lauches 2nd Annual Event on the LaHave River
BRIDGEWATER, NS – Following the phenomenal success of the Pijinuiskaq Parade of Paddlers on the LaHave River/Pijinuiskaq in 2024, Canoe Kayak Nova Scotia (CKNS), Cape LaHave Adventures, and the Town of Bridgewater are pleased to announce the event will return in 2025, expanding to become the two-day Pijinuiskaq Paddle Festival on September 20 and 21. Honouring the areas ancestral and cultural connection to the LaHave River, the event [...]
Adaptive Paddling Solutions Society (APSS) – Summer 2025 Edition
Adaptive Paddling Solutions Society (APSS) Newsletter – Summer 2025 Edition Who Are We? Founded in May 2022, Adaptive Paddling Solutions Society (APSS) is a nonprofit with a big dream: to make paddling accessible for everyone, regardless of ability. Imagine gliding across Nova Scotia’s beautiful lakes, rivers, and coastal waters—the calm, the connection, the sense of freedom that paddling brings. Now imagine that [...]
Southwest Paddling Association Summer Update
Southwest Paddling Association Summer Update 2025 It’s all systems go (and all canoes and kayaks are “to-the-ready”) for SWPA members this summer. SWPA had three successful Adaptive Paddling instructional sessions with Pauline Halstead this spring and 10 of our members just completed an Emergency First Aid and CPR course. We bought four great kayaks and lots of gear from Old Creel [...]
Town of New Glasgow accessible kayak launch
The Town of New Glasgow is proud to announce the successful installation of the EZ Launch One-Way Accessible Canoe and Kayak Launch. Fully operational for the 2025 paddling season, the Launch provides enhanced, inclusive access to the beautiful East River for residents and visitors alike. Situated at Glasgow Square Theatre (155 Riverside Parkway), the Launch offers a user-friendly experience for paddlers of all [...]
Canoe Route of Eastern Nova Scotia exploration 2025
Canoe Routes of Eastern Nova Scotia Exploration by Toren Hynes This year, I intend to continue scouting out and GPS tracking some of the backcountry paddle routes in Nova Scotia’s Eastern Shore. Following a chilly visit to Three Mile Lake Cabin (when there was still snow on the ground!) in April, I scouted out three portages on the Abbiecombec Lake Route in June, namely: Abbiecombec → Gossard Lake Abbiecombec [...]
Solo on the Shelburne: When Plans Break and Canoes Bend
Solo on the Shelburne: When Plans Break and Canoes Bend by Timothy O'Brien In 2023, my summer vacation plans were cancelled at the last minute, so I decided to paddle the Tent Dwellers Loop from Kejimkujik National Park, down the Shelburne River, across Lake Rossignol and up the Mersey River back to Keji. I added a run up the Shelburne to Cofan Cabin [...]
CONFESSIONS OF A KNOW-IT-ALL
CONFESSIONS OF A KNOW-IT-ALL By Sheena Masson May 1990 This story previously appeared in shunpiking magazine (1996), and in Paddle Quest (2000), a collection of paddling stories from across Canada. It was a warm day in early May and Fred and I had just put in on the Waughs River near Tatamagouche in northern Nova Scotia. The upper Waughs is too stony to paddle in the summer but in [...]
Pijinuiskaq Paddle Fest 2025
PIJINUISKAQ PADDLE FESTIVAL 2025 REGISTER TODAY Following the phenomenal success of the Bridgewater 125 Parade of Paddlers on the LaHave River/Pijinuiskaq, CKNS, Cape LaHave Adventures & the Town of Bridgewater are pleased to launch the 2025 Pijinuiskaq Paddle Festival. The Pijinuiskaq Paddle Festival will run Saturday & Sunday, September 20 - 21, 2025 coinciding with the Bridgewater Harvest Moon Festival. A full day of clinics will be [...]
NS Coastal Water Trail
Looking for a place to launch along the coast here in Nova Scotia? The Coastal Water Trail map shows over 600 sites around Nova Scotia suitable for paddlers. Each site comes with directions, GPS, amenities on site, photos, landmarks, some route suggestions and more. You can find this map on our web page. The information of these sites has been collected and updated over the past 15 years. If you [...]
Paddle Without Barriers #2
How to get someone into a kayak who uses a wheelchair by Pauline Halstead Barriers, barriers and more barriers. For today, I will only talk about the physical barriers. Imagine a keen adaptive paddler, patiently waiting in their wheelchair, imagining what floating on the water will be like. What comes first - the transfer on the beach or by the water? If by the water, how to get [...]
East Coast Outfitters Paddling Club
East Coast Outfitters Paddling Club Every Tuesday for the last 20 years, we have hosted a paddling club every evening. Throughout those years, we have made new padding friends, new guides, and some of those connections last to this day. If you are a local paddler and are looking for a group of people who share in the enjoyment of paddling and learning how to paddle, we invite you [...]
Butts in Boats 2025
The 3rd annual Butts In Boats Festival is back and ready to hit the river. Over the last few years, there has been a growing interest and a bit of a spotlight on paddling on Cape Breton Island. From this stemmed the idea to create an event and bring everyone interested in paddling, no matter what discipline, together for an annual event to network and paddle together. 2023 marked [...]
Cloud Lake Wilderness Area Solo Canoe Trip
Cloud Lake Wilderness Area solo canoe trip with some added elements of surprise. by Shannon Burt It’s Summer, and I’m sitting on a rock in a small inlet on Frog Lake under the light of my headlamp. The drone of a helicopter moving beyond my line of trees breaks the backcountry silence in an evening punctuated by change. About an hour earlier I was being threatened by rumbling [...]
Public Access to Beaches and Portages
Almost all of our province's beaches are public, both on tidal and non-tidal waters.The only exception is if the adjacent landowner owns a pre-1867 water lot. Those are very rare, and almost all are located near the centres of established communities such as Dartmouth Cove, Bedford Basin, and the Northwest Arm. Our lake and river bottoms are deemed to be provincial Crown Land. The boundary on non-tidal shorelines is [...]
CKNS – Maps R Us
CKNS - Maps R Us You don't want to be up a creek without a paddle, and you don't want to be there without a map either. CKNS has been creating maps for Nova Scotia's paddling community for years. Many have been funded either partially or in full by the provincial government for which we are grateful. And for the past two years we have had the [...]
Southwest Paddling Association launches Adaptive Paddling Program!
Southwest Paddling Association launches Adaptive Paddling Program! SWPA has partnered with 11 community organizations that work with youth and adults with physical and cognitive challenges, and will provide weekly paddling programs for their clients. We also have an ambitious paddling program with Acadia First Nation, immigrants, and seniors. Remember the 29-ft. Big Canoe that Wayne Doucette and SWPA volunteers made last year? She’ll be [...]
Rod Lake’s Paddle Making course
You know spring is upon us when Rod Lake starts his Paddle Making Workshop! Rod Lake's annual paddle making workshop will begin the first Thursday of April (April 3rd) and continue for 6 weeks. Takes place at Rod’s workshop in Timberlea. Rod provides all of the tools and gives you the ability to make a beautiful paddle from a block of wood. Cost: $50 plus [...]
“I’m getting Old, But I’m not Old yet”
“I’m getting Old, But I’m not Old yet” by Bernie Levy, aka Jackknife Since I was introduced to the Warden’s Cabin on Three Mile Lake by Dusan in February of 2014, I have become very enthralled with the area. Since then, I have had many enjoyable trips to the cabin with friends and family, some work parties, some leisure and a combination of both. [...]
CKNS Community Mapping Project
CKNS Community Mapping Project The CKNS Community Mapping Project is now live! Thanks to everyone who participated in the beta test over the past year and a half. As a result of those contributions and the hard work of our CKNS Admin and board, the Community Mapping Project has now been released to the CKNS membership. Boasting over 300 GPS-tracked portages, a couple hundred geo-located campsites, access points, [...]
Notes from Southwest Paddlers
Notes from Southwest Paddlers Association This past season was the best yet! Launched our Big Canoe, co-operators; hosted a Big Boat Leader course with 16 participants; co-operators took part in the Bras d’Or Lake Brigade, Bridgewater La Have River Festival, a presentation and paddle at Keji, and other local activities. SWPA members Eko Raharjo and Alec d’Entremont led the way on a multi-day [...]
Recent entries: Long Lake warden’s cabin
Recent entries: Long Lake warden’s cabin logbook Submitted by Dusan Soudek October 16-17, 2024 Hiked in from the road for the night to take in the fall colours and solitude. The trail starts off marked and clear but quickly turns into a bushwhack of downed trees. I lost a leg off my tripod somewhere along the way. This place looks beautiful! I enjoyed going through [...]
March Break paddling in Florida
March Break paddling in Florida by David Lewis Marathon paddling means getting between points A and B in the shortest time possible by paddling. The Nova Scotia Marathon Canoe Association, was the sanctioning body for all things marathon paddling in NS but due to lack of insurance and interest the association wound up in 2015. Their events included multiple classes for recreational canoe and kayak as well as [...]
Bay of Fundy Sea Kayak Symposium
The Bay of Fundy Sea Kayak Symposium, hosted in Lower Argyle, Nova Scotia, offers an unparalleled opportunity for paddlers to learn from a world-class coaching staff. The event attracts top-tier sea kayak instructors, many of whom are recognized leaders in the paddling community. These experts bring a wealth of experience, teaching everything from essential skills to advanced techniques, in a supportive and hands-on environment. Participants benefit from personalized instruction [...]
6 Simple Tools & Tactics 2 Sea Kayak Rolling
by Christopher Lockyer Check out these fantastic infographics for tips on rolling your sea kayak!
There is a First Time for Everything
There is a First Time for Everything by Adam Zita Congratulations! You have never paddled before and you have decided to give it a try! You want to go just for the day, nothing too long because you have never paddled before. This is completely reasonable. Ok, great — where do you start? I strongly urge first-timers to paddle with someone with experience, possibly someone who [...]
AGM – Jan 11, 2025
CKNS welcomes you to join us at our Annual General Meeting Saturday, January 11th from 1:00 – 3:00pm Sport Nova Scotia building, 5516 Spring Garden Road 3rd Floor Classroom Celebrate an amazing year of paddling accomplishments! Agenda Welcome - Call to Order Establishment of Quorum Appointment of Scrutineers Declarations of Conflict of Interest, if any Approval of agenda Minutes of the 2023 AGM (January 6, 2024) CKNS AGM Report [...]
Province Proposes Sixteen New Protected Areas
The NS Department of Environment and Climate Change recently proposed the establishment or expansion of 16 wilderness areas or nature reserves throughout the province. It is the government’s policy to expand the proportion of protected lands in NS from the current 13.6% to 20% by 2026 and 30% in 2030. CKNS supports these designations, as almost all of the parcels include navigable inland or coastal waters. The public consultation [...]
Paddle Without Barriers
By Pauline Halstead Fences, brick walls, doors - this is what most of us think of when the word "barrier" pops up. Imagine kayakers leaping over a fence, racing to get up speed to jump over. Quite the feat! What about the barriers in our heads, the "I can't do that," or "They can't do that......?" Almost 25 years ago, when I was working at an outdoor adventure show for [...]
Portage Committee Has A Busy Season
The CKNS Portage Committee has held well over 50 work parties this year, including large multi-day outings at the Rocky Lake Ranger Camp in the Medway Lakes Wilderness Area. Restoration of the building is complete! Other recent multi-day work parties included rehabilitation of the Long Lake (Moser River) – Hunting Lake (Liscomb River) water trail in the Boggy Lake Wilderness Area and the Alder Ground Wilderness Area. Other work [...]