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
Most of Canada to receive emergency alert test today
The federal government will test its capacity to issue emergency alerts today, with the exception of Ontario, where the test will take place on May 15.
OPINION What King Charles' schedule being too 'full' to accommodate son suggests about relationship with Prince Harry
Prince Harry, the Duke of Sussex, has made headlines with his recent arrival in the U.K., this time to celebrate all things Invictus. But upon the prince landing in the U.K., we have already had confirmation that King Charles III won't have time to see his youngest son during his brief visit.
Ontario man devastated to learn $150,000 line of credit isn't insured after wife dies
An Ontario man found out that a line of credit he thought was insured actually isn't after his wife of 50 years died.
Boy Scouts of America is rebranding. Here's why they're now named Scouting America
After more than a century, Boy Scouts of America is rebranding as Scouting America, another major shakeup for an organization that once proudly resisted change.
Stormy Daniels describes meeting Trump during occasionally graphic testimony in hush money trial
With Donald Trump sitting just feet away, Stormy Daniels testified Tuesday at the former president's hush money trial about a sexual encounter the porn actor says they had in 2006 that resulted in her being paid to keep silent during the presidential race 10 years later.
Rape, terror and death at sea: How a boat carrying Rohingya children, women and men capsized
In March, Indonesian officials and local fishermen rescued 75 people from the overturned hull of a boat off the coast of Indonesia. Until now, little was known about why the boat capsized.
These adults born in the '90s partnered with their parents to buy homes in Ontario
An Ontario woman said it would have been impossible to buy a house without her mother – an anecdote that animates the fact that over 17 per cent of Canadian homeowners born in the ‘90s own their property with their parents, according to a new report.
For their protection, immigrants critical of China and India call for speedy passage of Canada's foreign interference legislation
Canadian immigrants threatened by hostile regimes are urging parliamentarians to quickly pass the 'Countering Foreign Interference Act' so they can feel safe living in their adopted home.
How Drake and Kendrick Lamar's rap beef escalated within weeks
A long-simmering feud between hip-hop superstars Drake and Kendrick Lamar reached a boiling point in recent days as the pair traded increasingly personal insults on a succession of diss tracks. Here’s a quick overview of what’s behind the ongoing beef.