Paddling trip, June 17 2023 – Perth to Upper Beveridges Lock
Paddle the Tay Canal
Last Duel Park (Perth) to Upper Beveridges Lock
Saturday, June 17, 2023
Where: Paddle from Perth downstream to Upper Beveridges Lock
Leader: Simon Lunn, Naturalist (Retired Biologist)
Carpooling: Yes
Launch site: Last Duel Park, 22 Craig Street, Perth
GPS Co-ordinates: lat 44.899884 degrees long 76.2415
Max. No. of Participants: 18
Directions:
* from Smiths Falls, head northwest on hwy 43 to Perth. Turn right on Craig Street and right again into Last Duel Park directly before the bridge that spans over the Tay River.
* from Almonte, one of several routes includes heading for Carleton Place via hwy 29 south, then Hwy. 7 going southwest to Perth. Turn left onto Drummond Street, driving through town until making a left turn at Craig Street. Then turn right into Last Duel Park directly before crossing the bridge over the Tay River.
Facilities: There are both washrooms and picnic tables at both the departure and destination points. There are wooden docks and a (hard surface) launch ramp at Last Duel Park, and a large floating dock at Upper Beveridges Lock.
Car Pooling: This is not a round trip event. For this reason, we need 2 or 3 people (ie. carpool drivers, or dare I say chauffeurs) to volunteer to arrive at least a half hour earlier than normal before the event to drop their cars off at our final destination, Upper Beveridges Lock (after first unloading their canoe or kayak at Last Duel Park). This will allow us to transport drivers at the end of our event back to Last Duel Park to retrieve their cars and then return to Beveridges Lock for their gear (and paddle partners). The good news is that the trip between Last Duel Park and Beveridges Lock takes only12-15 minutes each way, albeit while the rest of our fellow paddlers are enjoying their packed lunches back by the lock. Please indicate on the registration questionnaire if you are able to help us out in this manner. Simon will then contact you to outline remaining details for your carpooling assistance.
Time & Length: Scheduled departure time from dockside at Last Duel Park is 9:45am. Our paddle route is roughly 6km. in total distance. It should take 4-4 ½ hours to complete the journey (depending partly on wind speed, paddlers’ abilities & what we encounter along the way).
The Paddle: The first part of our tour will include an easy but interesting upstream paddle to the Tay Basin in downtown Perth, followed by a visit to the site where the Haggarty Dam used to stand proud! We then head back downstream following the tree-lined Tay River channel until we reach one of the original (but long abandoned) Tay Canal locks, adjacent to the Perth Wildlife Reserve. From here we paddle into a whole new world, where the canal transforms into a gentle river winding it’s way through open skies and vast stretches of cattails & marshlands … until we eventually reach the canal cut that leads us to our final destination, the upper lock of Beveridges Lockstation on the doorstep of the Rideau Canal. Are you getting excited yet?
What to Expect Along the Way: From marsh wrens to muskrats, bitterns to black terns,
ospreys to otters, catbirds to kingbirds, polywogs to painted turtles, and stinkpots to snappers, you never know what we might find. If the wind and sun lie low & our eyes and ears stay keen, the possibilities can be endless in the habitats we will be paddling through. For the Tay has tales to be told and a history known by few. We will stop for water/snack breaks as needed during our journey of discovery. Hopefully we can hold off on diving into our packed lunches until we reach lockside at trip’s end. For those of you who have not visited this spot before, a tiny surprise may await us there!
Items to Bring: A packed lunch and snack(s), water/liquids, sunscreen, towel, insect repellent, hat, binocs, camera &/or smartphone, band aids, any relevant meds (if applicable), you know the drill!
Please insure you bring along your safety equipment such as life jacket, bailer, whistle, heaving line, extra paddle, flashlight, etc.
Registration: You must pre-register for this event by completing the form found here.
Registration is limited to 18 participants.
Safety Caution: Due to the length & exposed nature of the downstream wetland stretch of our route, the use of a solo canoe, particularly one without a keel, is only considered suitable for this event if calm conditions (ie. no winds) are forecast.
MVFN membership must be up to date (check your membership card). If needed, you can update and pay for your membership on the MVFN website You may bring a friend or two subject to available space and the approval of the trip leader. For further information, contact Simon Lunn at 613-283-6663 or email .
In the case of a forecast of unsuitable weather conditions for Saturday June 17 th, the event will be rescheduled to the next day, Sunday June 18th provided the weather forecast for that day is OK. A confirmation email will be sent out just before the event in either case. If in doubt, contact Simon at 613-283-6663 by 7:30am the day of.
For more information or to volunteer to lead a trip, contact Art Solomonian at paddling@mvfn.ca.
2023 MVFN Day Trip Schedule
Sun. May 28 – Denis Gallant – White Lake
Sat. June 17 – Simon Lunn – #21 Perth to Upper Beveridges Lock
Tues. June 27 – Andrea McCrady – #28 Upper Tay to Christie Lake *
Sun. July 9 – Pete MacEwen – #13 Mississippi River upstream from Pakenham
Sat. July 22 – John Willis – #26 Pike Lake
Sun. Aug 6 – Arn Snyder – #8 Mississippi River from Dalhousie Lake downstream
Sun. Aug 20 – John Grierson – Otty Lake
Sat. Sept 30 – Linda Sewell – Madawaska River from Clay Bank boat launch upstream
* Our first weekday trip, by popular demand.
Note:
- Day Trips are open to MVFN members and their guests
- The above schedule is subject to change.