Kayaking the Long Sault Parkway, Ontario

Cloud dance is one of the best shows on Earth. It is captivating. On the open water you are surrounded by it when the Cumulus clouds come out to play and mingle whimsically with the wind. Their ever changing shapes make you imagine and wonder. Kayaking is a great way to experience cloud dance. Long Sault is a special place to find it.

At Long Sault, on the St. Lawrence River in Ontario, you’ll be paddling around Lost Villages that were moved before the area was flooded in 1958 to expand the St. Lawrence Seaway.

The 11 islands in the Long Sault Parkway are high points that remained after the flooding. More than 6500 people, and 500 homes were moved and relocated. What couldn’t be moved was bulldozed or burned down. Many of the displaced villagers moved to the new towns of Ingleside and Long Sault. Divers still explore the submerged ruins.

The first week of May has been awesome for getting out and paddling after a long, hard winter in Canada, although the skiing and snowshoeing was fantastic, so I'm not complaining.

It feels so good to be back on the water. The ice has finally thawed on Canada's lakes and rivers. The air is warm, the sun is bright, the skies are blue, the birds are singing and nesting, the flowers are blooming, spring allergies are peaking, and the water is icy cold.

Maelstrom Vital 166 sea kayak parked on Macdonell Island, Long Sault Parkway, Ontario, Canada

For more photos and information about paddling the historic Long Sault Parkway, my next post is up on The Great Waterway, a cool Ontario tourism website, where I'm a regular blogger, if you'd like to check it out. 

Kayaking the big sky of the Long Sault Parkway, Ontario, Canada

Take care. Love your boat and enjoy the 2013 paddling season!
The BaffinPaddler