Madawaska Kanu Centre

Madawaska Kanu Centre
Canada’s First Whitewater School for Kayaks and Canoes
Welcome to MKC
Pack your paddle and plan to join us
this summer for another great season of adventure on the water. Whether
you’re a beginner or ready to go pro, we’ll help you improve your skills in an
atmosphere of fun and friendship.
Choose a 5-Day Whitewater Course or try one of our
Weekend Clinics and discover why MKC is not just
another paddling school. It is a unique whitewater
vacation centre. Started in 1972 by my parents,
MKC is now internationally rated as one of the best
paddling schools worldwide.
Our instructors come from all over the world,
returning here each year, back by popular demand.
They all have a love for the sport and a keen interest
in sharing it with others. They tell us the Madawaska
is an ideal learning river—with its warm and clean
currents and remote wilderness settings.
We realize your holiday time is precious. We have
a tradition to please the need of every student.
So don’t settle for anything less.
Join us this summer.
Claudia and Dirk Van Wijk
A Complete Vacation Centre
The Madawaska River
The Madawaska River is justly celebrated as one of the best
places in North America to learn whitewater skills. Flowing past
our front door through a forest of pines and hardwoods, the river’s
supply of dam-controlled water is warm, clean, and dependable
all summer long.
We’ve been paddling here for more than 30 years and know
every sluice and eddy. The river is a series of rapids and pools,
alternating places to play and rest. Rapids like Staircase, Chalet,
Gravelpit, Cottage and Claudia’s Roller range from an easy
Class I to a manageable Class IV.
During class hours, Ontario Power Generation (OPG) releases
a generous flow over the top of the dam upstream, filling the
riverbed with warm water from the surface of the lake. In mid
summer the river temperature is 20° C (70° F).
Within an hour's drive are five other excellent whitewater runs,
including the Ottawa River with its two channels, the Petawawa
River, Upper, Lower and Palmer sections of the Madawaska River,
which we will visit depending on flow, season and skill levels.
A Typical Day at MKC
Start the day with a stroll through the woods, a quick jog, or a dip in the
river before breakfast. Classes start at 9 a.m. Break at noon for a buffet lunch.
Instruction resumes until around 4 p.m., when our shuttle vans return you to
the centre. Unwind with some social time on the deck, comparing river stories
over coffee, juice and a freshly baked snack. Or take a sauna—we make sure
it’s hot when you return. The dinner bell chimes at 6 p.m., and, aside from an
hour of informal classroom time after supper, the rest of the evening is yours.
During our 5-day course, we spend Wednesday afternoon at our Bark Lake
Beach. It’s a casual diversion from class, where you can test-drive different
boats, play volleyball, or just relax in the sun—master the art of doing nothing.
We serve dinner on our outdoor grill, and there is usually a guitar for some
lake-side echoes.
We make every effort to ensure that your experience is one of personal
fulfillment and physical achievement. MKC offers an exhilarating adventure
packed with sun, fun, fresh air and companionship. Relax. This is your vacation.
Food and Lodging
Paddlers need good food. MKC is famous for its cuisine. A hearty buffet
breakfast awaits you every morning. You can eat out on the deck as the sun’s
rays warm you or come in and take a fire-side chair. Lunch is buffet-style in
our adjoining log pavilion hot off the fire.
The dinner bell rings at 6 p.m. for a wonderful evening feast. All our meals
are home-made with fresh ingredients, highlighted with herbs from our
own garden.
We offer three types of accommodations: lodge rooms (based on double
occupancy), dormitory lodging, or a tent site at our wooded campground.
Our modern washhouse, hot showers, laundry facilities and sauna are
available to all students.
The MKC Chalet
Centre of Activity
Our two-storey Swiss-style chalet is the MKC centre of activity, home
to games, music and our library of books and videos about the sport.
The chalet is also the start of a web of trails for running, hiking and
mountain biking. Outside we have a volleyball court and a screened-in
log pavilion with a large fireplace.
Taking a Class
Which Class is Best for You?
Are you enthusiastic, adventurous and in good physical shape? That's all you need—we will provide
the rest. MKC is an adult centre (17 and older), but we offer family weeks and weekends where 10 and
older can participate amongst their peers, while parents are challenged in their own classes.
5-Day Courses
Our 5-day courses are our most popular. They are for people who want to combine a vacation with
learning. And learn they do—a rank beginner usually ends the course as a confident whitewater
paddler, Eskimo roll and all!
Experienced paddlers are divided into skill level groups of similar abilities from intermediate to
advanced, to develop their comfort level and to be introduced to new challenges.
The 5-day course provides the ideal amount of time to master new playboating, technical and river
running skills, as well as river reading and river safety competence. A great week of learning utilizing
video analysis and gates, with certification available, leading to diplomas recognized worldwide.
The guaranteed mid-week water releases on our front door section of the Madawaska River ensures a
superb variety of Class I to IV rapids. Advanced paddling groups will make day trips to a variety of other
rivers in our immediate vicinity. Each evening enjoys additional dry land sessions that complement the
day's learning. The last day of the course gives you the chance to test and enjoy your newly acquired
paddling skills as we descend on a full-day trip down one of five great rivers.
Weekend Clinic
Our weekend clinic is our introduction to whitewater, or if time is a factor, a great refresher clinic for the
more experienced paddler. This course will lay a foundation of basic skills and river safety in Class I to II
rapid—add to this MKC's hospitality and you have the perfect start to your new sport.
Sport Canoeing
Tandem or Solo
The open canoe is all but synonymous with Canada. Paddling
flatwater or portaging rapids are skills and experiences widely
enjoyed.
But for many, the spirit of adventure beckons farther. And as we
search for new canoe routes we find the river systems of Temagami,
The Bay, Atikaki, Labrador and the Northwest Territories are the
ultimate canoe tripping challenge. But are we prepared to paddle
whitewater? How often have you stood on the portage, wistfully
watching the rapids, wondering if you dare try running that stretch
of whitewater, not even sure if the rapid is runnable?
At the Madawaska Kanu Centre, we have designed a program
specifically for the canoeist interested in learning the skills, techniques
and safety required to paddle Class II to III and even IV whitewater—
we call this sport canoeing.
In our weekend clinic we will introduce you to Class
I and II whitewater skills: adapting flatwater strokes
to whitewater, entering and breaking out of eddies,
forward and reverse ferries, safety and rescue, and much
more. The weekend clinic covers the fundamentals to
whitewater canoeing. ORCA Level I is attainable.
For best value we offer the 5-day course. Canoeists
are divided into small skill level groups as per paddling
ability. Then you proceed on to learning and perfecting
all strokes and river manoeuvres.
We teach tandem canoeing as well as solo for those who like to
take to the currents on their own. You should have some flatwater
experience prior to attending MKC.
You will learn river reading and river running skills,
safety and rescue techniques and be introduced to rope
rescues. For the more daring, we show you how to surf
and ride holes. Video analysis and gatework compliment
your course. This program is a good primer for those
planning extended whitewater trips during the season.
The solo canoe is the most challenging whitewater craft, making it
necessary for you to have previous whitewater tandem experience
before embarking in a solo canoe.
Paddle Canada and ORCA Moving Water Level I and II
certificates as well as MKC diplomas are attainable in the
5-day course.
Kayaking
makes your heart pound and your toes tingle. It’s a fast, exploding,
roller-coaster kind of ride and—best of all—you do it solo. The ideal craft
for whitewater, the kayak is sleek, manoeuvrable, fast and has a unique
feature—it can be righted when capsized by doing the Eskimo roll.
When starting out in whitewater, we strongly recommend taking your first
course in a kayak. Your skills are easily transferable to either the open canoe
or sea kayak.
Choose a 5-day kayak course or try one of our weekend clinics and discover
why mkc is a world-renowned kayak school.
In our weekend clinic you begin on flatwater, learning how to go forward and
backwards, turn, brace, and you will be introduced to the Eskimo roll. Soon you
will apply these skills in easy currents, practising eddy turns, front and back
ferries and wave surfing.
For more experienced paddlers use the 2-day clinic to refresh your skills.
Tanya Faux
Team TEVA
Freestyle World Champion
In the 5-day course kayakers are first divided into separate skill level groups.
As you master each stage, you will gradually be exposed to more challenging
grades of whitewater.
“Ich Bin Der Beste!”
Top off the week by attempting to join our world-renowned
“Ich bin der Beste” board. How do you join? Twirl your
paddle three times over your head and shout, “Ich bin der
Beste!”—while surfing Gravelpit Hole on the Madawaska.
You’ll earn a special T-shirt and immortality on the wall of
the MKC chalet.
Started in 1972, the board now boasts more than
400 members, including, we’re proud to say, many
world-champion paddlers. Join the club!
For beginners we start on flatwater with the basic strokes, as outlined in the weekend clinic on facing page.
A full week allows you time to learn, practice and perfect these skills, making you a confident novice kayaker
in Class II whitewater.
Novice, intermediate and advanced students will be separately challenged by the Madawaska’s fantastic
eddies and surfing waves and many hydraulics, in Class II to Class IV rapids. There are several easily accessible
playspots to be introduced to or perfect those dazzling freestyle moves.
Slalom gates are strung across our swift Chalet Rapids, as well as over our flatwater pool. Gates teach the
kind of precision paddling that helps you avoid real obstacles on a river (just ask an MKC alumnus).
You will also learn river reading skills, safety and rescue procedures, and enjoy evening video analysis of
your progress on the water. The last day of the course is spent running and playing one of five local rivers.
Paddle Canada River Kayak Level I and II certificates as well as MKC diplomas are attainable in our 5-day courses.
Outfitters Store
Our recently expanded outfitting store has everything a whitewater
paddler needs—from paddling equipment to nose plugs and MKC
souvenirs.
We rent the complete package—solo and tandem open canoes, kayaks,
paddles, lifejackets, sprayskirts, helmets and wetsuits—and everything
is available for purchase in the store as well.
If you’re bringing your own boat, canoes must have bow and stern
flotation bags, 10-foot bow and stern painters, and we strongly
recommend thigh braces and knee pads. Kayaks must have grab loops,
and stern flotation bags.
Instructors
We’re very lucky. Because of our long-time involvement with the
international paddling community, and because paddlers love to train on
the warm, reliable Madawaska, the world’s best come to teach at MKC.
They include Tanya Faux, Andrew Westwood, Paul Mason, Sarah Boudens,
Billy Harris, Jeffy Johnson, Kent Ford and Ken Whiting—sorry, we can't
name you all.
Yet our instructors are more than World champs. They are sensitive,
experienced teachers and you will like them.
Sea Kayaking
The addition of sea kayaking instruction to MKC’s paddling program is a natural progression for us.
This program is perfect for paddling enthusiasts who would like to kayak but not venture into the adrenalinerushing whitewater. Sea kayaking focuses on the calmer elements of lake, sea and ocean paddling and the
freedom these places have to offer.
 
MKC is offering weekend introductory courses leading to Flatwater and Sea Kayaking Level 1 Paddle Canada
certificates. The undisturbed remote waters of Bark Lake have sheltered bays with sandy beaches and
large expanses of open water with exposed shoreline that are ideally suited for sea kayak instruction. Our
instructors will cover rescue, navigation and paddling skills—readying you for venturing out on your own.
MKC Week of Rivers Programs
Our MKC Adventure Program is designed to introduce intermediate and advanced paddlers to the best
Canadian whitewater. We know and love these rivers and wish to share them with you. Please see the
course calendar for specific dates, then call our office for a detailed itinerary.
Canadian Shield
Ontario and Western Quebec – Intermediate/Advanced Open Canoe
Five days on the very best open boat rivers in Eastern Canada.
MKC’s Classic – Intermediate/Advanced Kayak
Five days on Ontario’s best whitewater rivers.
Create Your Own
Get a group together and create your own itinerary. Let our instructors be your guides to planning
and customizing your trip. A minimum of five participants is required.
MKC at a Glance
From May to September we offer 5-day and weekend whitewater open canoe and kayak instruction
packages for paddlers of all levels, plus comfortable accommodations in the Eastern Ontario wilderness.
You don’t need previous experience in whitewater. We’ll teach you everything you need to know!
How to Get There: MKC is located on the Madawaska River near Barry’s Bay, Ontario—less than
four hours from Toronto and Montreal.
Class Schedules:
5-day courses for open canoeing and kayaking at all skill levels run every Monday to Friday of the
summer season.
Weekend clinics are our introduction to whitewater, or if time is a factor, a great refresher clinic for the
more experienced paddler. Held every Saturday and Sunday of the summer season.
Check-in Time: Students in 5-day courses should arrive Sunday evening (between 7 and 9 p.m.).
The course officially starts Monday morning and finishes Friday evening after dinner. Staying an additional
night with breakfast can be arranged upon arrival (space dependent). For weekend classes, please
arrive Friday (between 7 and 10 p.m.) and check out Sunday at 4 p.m., before dinner.
Close-up of MKC area
Voyageur bus travels to
Barry’s Bay. MKC pick-up
charge is $10 per person.
Madawaska Kanu Centre
Food: Our meal plan begins with breakfast on the first day of class and ends with the last meal before
your check-out time. The meal plan features a hot breakfast, buffet lunch and sit-down dinner prepared
in our kitchens at the chalet. We do not offer meals outside the full package plan and do not cater to
special dietary needs.
Stay With Us: Choose between a private (double-occupancy) lodge room, our dormitory or a site at
our campground. For all accommodation, please plan to bring your own bedding, towels and toiletries.
All students are welcome to use our wash-house, hot showers, sauna, laundry, and the chalet. Sorry,
pets are not permitted.
Summer:
Box 635, Barry’s Bay, Ontario K0J 1B0
Tel: 613-756-3620
Fax: 613-756-3667
Winter:
39 First Avenue, Ottawa, Ontario K1S 2G1
Tel: 613-594-KANU (5268)
Fax: 613-234-4097
1.888.652.5268