Georgian Bay Paddling

Collingwood, Ontario

MEET OUR TEAM

KELLY (she/her) 

Kelly is a certified teacher and owner of Georgian Bay Paddling. Having first learned ORCKA skills through a high school Outdoors Club, she is happiest on the water and exploring in nature. She feels very fortunate to be able to share paddling skills in both Ontario and Nova Scotia, promoting safety and helping to build confidence and empowerment among her clients.
Qualifications: ORCKA Basic Canoeing Instructor, ORCKA Voyageur Canoeing Instructor Level 1, ORCKA Flatwater Kayak Instructor, ORCKA Day Trip Leader, ORCKA River Running 1A, ORCKA Canadian Style Paddling 1A&B, Wilderness Water Safety Certification, Red Cross Remote First Aid, OCT (photo credit: Adam Miller)

JEANETTE (she/her) 

Jeanette is a certified teacher with a wealth of knowledge about the natural environment in our local area. She has lived and taught in England, India, South Africa and Canada, offering an open and worldly perspective in everything she does. She is always up for an adventure and has some great tripping stories to share. Her technical paddling skills, sense of humour, and ease with working with people will have you feeling very comfortable on the water.    

Qualifications: ORCKA Basic Canoeing Instructor, ORCKA Canadian Style Paddling 1A&B, ORCKA Voyageur Canoeing Level 2, Red Cross Remote First Aid, OCT (photo credit: Andrea Hamlin)  

RIVER (she/they) 
River is an outdoor enthusiast who loves all seasons. She started canoe tripping on crown land and in Algonquin Park at a very young age and now has multiple seasons of experience working as an overnight trip guide in Algonquin Park and a Canoe Route Technician for Wabakimi Provincial Park. River has attended Lakehead University's Outdoor Recreation program, collecting incredible and varied skills along the way. She loves teaching paddling skills and feels happiest when on the water.
Qualifications: ORCKA Basic Canoeing Instructor, ORCKA Canadian Style Paddling 1A&B, Wilderness First Responder

MATT (he/him)  Matt discovered canoe tripping more than twenty years ago and has been exploring lakes and rivers ever since. Over the years, he’s developed a deep appreciation for the challenges and rewards that come with time on the water, and he enjoys passing that knowledge on to others. In addition to instructing, Matt runs boat-building programs with youth, where learning practical skills goes hand in hand with building confidence and resilience. He brings patience, experience, and a love of canoeing to every course he teaches.
Qualifications: ORCKA Basic Canoeing Instructor, ORCKA Canadian Style Paddling 1A&B, Red Cross Remote First Aid (photo credit: Kelly Dewhurst) 
                                             
Our Mission at Georgian Bay Paddling is to provide a safe, fun, inclusive and informative environment for everyone who has an interest in paddling, whether new to it or looking to improve technique.

    🏳️‍🌈 Equity and Accessibility 🏳️‍🌈

At Georgian Bay Paddling we are committed to offering programming to all. If someone wants to get on the water, we want to help them get there! Since every person's needs are unique, please feel free to contact us so we can work together toward removing barriers that exist, and introduce you to the amazing world of recreational paddling.

If you are interested in competitive paddling for people with disabilities, click on this link: https://canoekayak.ca/paddle-all/
C$137

ORCKA Basic Canoeing Levels 1-3 Sept 20-21

C$50

ORCKA Basic Canoeing level 1 - Sept 20

C$50

ORCKA Basic Canoeing Level 2 - Sept 20

C$50

ORCKA Basic Canoeing Level 3 - Sept 21

C$110

ORCKA Basic Canoeing Levels 1-3 (Condensed) May 24

C$125

ORCKA Basic Canoeing Level 4 solo (Condensed) May 25(FULL)

C$210

ORCKA Basic Canoeing Levels 1-4 (Condensed) MAY 31-June1(FULL)

C$110

ORCKA Basic Canoeing Levels 1-3 (Condensed) MAY 31

C$125

ORCKA Basic Canoeing Level 4 solo (Condensed) June 1(FULL)

C$210

ORCKA Basic Canoeing Levels 1-4 (Condensed)

C$110

ORCKA Basic Canoeing Levels 1-3 (Condensed)

C$125

ORCKA Basic Canoeing Level 4 solo (Condensed)

C$0

Payment, Refund and Cancellation Policy

  • *****ALL COURSES REQUIRE A MINIMUM OF 3 PARTICIPANTS TO RUN*****
  • PAYMENT
  • A 50% deposit is required upon registration to secure a participant place on a course.
  • The remaining 50% is due 14 days before the course start date.
  • Payments can be made online through Paypal or by cash or e-transfer to info@georgianbaypaddling.com
  • REFUNDS and CANCELLATION
  • A full refund (or rescheduling of course) will be provided for the following scenarios:
  • - Course cancellation made by Georgian Bay Paddling due to unsafe weather conditions (to be determined by lead instructor)
  • - Course cancellation made by Georgian Bay Paddling for any other reason
  • - Cancellation made for any reason by participant more than 30 days prior to the course
  • If cancellation is made by the participant the following schedule will determine the refund amount:
  • 1 month before course start = Full refund
  • 2 weeks before course start = 50% of full course fee refund (or equal to 50% deposit)
  • 1 week before course start = 25% refund of full course fee
  • Less than 1 week of course start = No refund
If you have any questions about our courses or would like to enquire about booking a private course, alternative dates, or an alternative location, please complete the form below.