New Canadians learning skills and belonging through Learn to Paddle program
Some nights there are as many as 20 people gingerly stepping into the canoes at Carburn Park, their first experience in a water craft that has connected this vast land for more than 1,000 years.
Participants are signed up through Immigrant Services Calgary, and qualified paddling instructors walk them through everything from putting on a life jacket and getting in and out safely, to draws, pries and j-strokes.
"When newcomers come to Canada, we are worried about housing, employment and the recreational doesn't always come first," said Erika Tam with Immigrant Services Calgary.
"They need to find a new identity of how they are in Canada, so canoeing is one of the ways of integrating," Tan said.
Learning to paddle is also a way for some to connect with new friends. Eunice Olorunleke said she wants to go camping, but felt she needed to develop some comfort on the water and some basic skills.
Canadian newcomers learn how to canoe
"I said: 'Okay. Let me just try," Olorunleke says. "I would love to travel with them to go camping, so I said let me just come and learn how to paddle so that I can go with them."
The lessons are free, part of a federal grant program given to Canoe Kayak Canada. Local clubs Rocky Mountain Paddling Centre, Bow Waters Canoe Club and Waterwerks Kayak Club provide a mix of equipment and instructors.
The learn to paddle program has only one more session this year.
Canoes can be rented in Calgary for as little as $25 a day, making them a fun and affordable option for families.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
BREAKING | Two people dead following severe Ontario thunderstorm
Two people were struck and killed by falling trees during a severe thunderstorm that hit most of southern Ontario Saturday afternoon.

Putin's invasion of Ukraine an 'act of madness,' former U.K. PM Blair says
The United Kingdom's former prime minister Tony Blair says Russian President Vladimir Putin's decision to invade Ukraine is an 'act of madness.' In an interview on CTV's Question Period airing Sunday, Blair said Putin doesn't appear to be the same man he knew in the early 2000s.
Flu cases on the rise in Canada despite expected fall
The federal government is reporting a sharp rise in influenza in recent months, at a time of the year when detected cases generally start to fall in Canada.
Storm topples trees in southern Ont., killing 2; warnings remain for parts of Ont., Que.
As the May long weekend kicked off, a massive thunderstorm in southern Ontario brought strong wind gusts that knocked down trees, took out power and left at least two people dead.
Youngest of 10 Buffalo shooting victims laid to rest
Roberta Drury, a 32-year-old woman who was the youngest of the 10 Black people killed at a Buffalo supermarket, was remembered at her funeral Saturday for her love for family and friends, tenacity 'and most of all, that smile that could light up a room.'
The science behind why smoke seems to follow you around a campfire
Why does smoke seem to follow you around a campfire? B.C. research scientist Kerry Anderson told CTVNews.ca the answer actually boils down to physics.
Expert's tips on what to do if you're being carjacked amid rash of Toronto incidents
Some drivers in Toronto may be feeling on edge as Toronto is dealing with a rash of violent carjackings targeting mostly high-end vehicles.
A year of trauma, catharsis and finally peace for some survivors of Kamloops school
The nightmares started last May, said Harvey McLeod, chief of the Upper Nicola Indian Band and a survivor of the former Kamloops Indian Residential School.
Marineland bans lawyer, filmmaker and scientist among others from entering park
Marineland has banned a number of people from its premises, some of whom have never visited the Niagara Falls, Ont., tourist attraction, days before the facility was set to open for the season.