Situated in the Comox Valley with the back drop of the Comox Glacier and snow covered (in the winter) mountains, the Comox Strathcona Canoe Racing Club has it all! We launch into the Courtenay River, paddle an estuary into open water, and are treated to a variety of water conditions - river outflow, 5 metre tides, shallows, wind, swell, and flat calm. In stormy weather we have the option of heading upstream into the shelter of river bends and another ecosystem. Eagles, herons, seals, seal lions, otters and the occasional beaver share our waters. Our proximity to Mt. Washington ski resort means that in winter we can ski and end the day with a paddle.
In 1996, our paddling guru Annie (Boulding) and her husband Don Irvine launched the club with a small but enthusiastic group paddling an old Burrard OC6 (aka "The Black Barge") borrowed from False Creek Racing Canoe Club. The canoe resided on a beach, and was rolled across logs down to the water and back, sometimes 100 metres at low tide. Launching and returning the boat to its resting spot was back breaking, and on occasion a harder workout than the paddling.
Today we have the luxury of 2 OC6's and a trolley in a compound, close to a launching ramp and warm washrooms at the Courtenay Airpark. From our humble beginnings, we now have 3 programs: the Wahines (women's competitive), the River Rats (mens), and Tawanda (novice and now competing women). No group is exclusively unisex though. When it comes to practices - its all about paddling!
Here is a pdf manual of interest to paddlers: Web Guide to Outrigger Canoeing.