2026 marks our 30th Anniversary!
That's a lot of boat trips, jumping fish, and happy smiles!
We look forward to many more years of fun on the water with our guests.
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June On the Water - Our First Smiles of the 2026 Season!
After a long, drawn-out spring, June finally arrived and with it the start of our 30th season on the water.
It was a busy month with hundreds of guests joining us for leisurely trips along the Rideau Canal and River, the latter with fishing, which saw a few impressive catch & release experiences.
We also hosted two special events in support of groups whose respective missions align with ours.
On June 16, we took part in the Community Investment Day coordinated by Volunteer Ottawa. We welcomed 8 employees of Export Development Canada for a lively canal cleanup from our Dows Lake boat. We thank them for choosing us for their annual day of volunteering in the community.
On June 17, we organized a fishing derby for the CHEO School at our RCMP Long Island Recreation & Event Centre. Kids learned to fish from the shoreline with lots of fun all around, including a visit by a large snapping turtle.
Season-Opener BBQ
On May 30th, we officially launched our 30th season with a riverside BBQ for members, supporters, and friends!
This summer, look out for our newly decorated boat taking our special-needs guests on fun trips along the Rideau Canal. Departing from Dows Lake, our unique, free service keeps bringing smiles onboard - and catching a few more from walkers and bikers along the shore as we go by at a leisurely pace.
We are especially grateful to the Dave and Darlene Foundation for their multi-year support of our organization. In honour of their dedication and generosity, we are naming our Dows Lake boat ' Mendel' - a word, chosen by them, that signifies comfort and mutual support, which is what Dave and Darlene embodied and inspired all of us to emulate. We are forever grateful. 🤗
At Long Island Locks and the RCMP Long Island Recreation & Conference Centre, our adapted pontoons will also be in action for those who want to add a bit of fishing to the experience.
Finally, this season, for enhanced safety and comfort, we are introducing new, sturdier boarding ramps at our three locations. We thanks the Fondation Miroir Foundation for funding this latest improvement.
Happy Boating!
Safety Training for New Members and Experienced Crews
On Saturday, May 16, we organized the first of two training sessions covering basic safety measures and emergency protocols. Nearly 20 of our members were in attendance. We thank Serge Brissette, a certified first responder and qualified instructor, who is also an active member of our organization, for designing and delivering the engaging session.
The safety of our guests is our absolute top priority, from the moment they arrive at the dock until we return and help them disembark after a relaxing trip on the water. This year, we are introducing new, sturdier boarding ramps to help our guests get on and off our three adapted pontoon boats more easily. More on this new feature in an upcoming post...
Another Amazing Community Event!
We really enjoyed meeting the hundreds of people who stopped by our booth to chat and take part in our minnow races at the Outdoor & Adventure Travel Show this weekend!
Looking forward to returning next year to keep the kids entertained and talk about the fun and smiles we generate every summer by taking people with special needs out on free boat trips in and around Ottawa.
Thanks to Dave Brown for the free exhibit space.
Come see us at the Ottawa Outdoor & Adventure Travel Show
April 25 & 26, Nepean Sportsplex
Bring the kids, try our popular minnow race! We look forward to seeing you there!
Thanks to all who dropped by our booth at the 2026 Ottawa Boat & Outdoors Show!
We had a wonderful time chatting with potential new members, fellow exhibitors, as well as the hundreds of visitors who wanted to know more about the unique service we offer the community.
As always, our live minnow races were a huge hit with the kids - and quite a few adults too!
Thanks to Kori Levy and her team the for the free exhibit space.
Thanks to Manotick Bait & Sport for the energetic minnows.
All Wrapped Up! See You at the Next Show!
Catch us at the Ottawa Boat and Outdoors Show this winter!
February 19th to 22nd, come say hello, take part in our minnow races, and find out what we have in store for summer 2026.
We look forward to seeing you there! It will be a fun-filled weekend!
More info: https://www.ottawabos.ca/
We Had a Record-Breaking 2025 Season!
With more than 1,800 guests booked, this was our busiest season ever!
The mostly dry and warm summer helped us catch tons of smiles as we welcomed groups of all ages and abilities across our three locations. Recent upgrades to our boats and a handful of new volunteers also contributed to a sense of renewal that will only grow as we plan for additional improvements for the 2026 season.
Stay tuned for announcements as we prepare for our 30th anniversary on the water!
Our 2025 Season Has Started!
Make sure to wave if you see us on the Rideau Canal in Ottawa or on the Rideau River in Manotick!
This summer, our volunteer crews are delighted to welcome nearly 1,800 guests with special needs for free boat rides and fishing trips!
Did you catch us at the Ottawa Outdoor & Adventure Travel Show in April?
Once again this year, we were thrilled to promote the benefits of our free service, recruit new members, and run our ever-popular minnow race!
Our 2024 Season Was a Huge Success!
Our 2024 Season Was a Huge Success!
We welcomed almost 1,600 guests across our three locations in the Ottawa area.
Thanks to all our volunteer crews of captains and mates!
We look forward to taking even more groups of people with special needs on the water in 2025.
See you next summer!
FUNDING ANNOUNCEMENT!
We thank the Ontario Trillium Foundation
for their generous support.
The grant we received in 2024, will allow us to refurbish one of our boats during the off-season. In addition to increased space capacity, this will provide a more comfortable experience to our guests.
We thank the Ottawa Community Foundation
for their generous support.
The grant we received in 2024 will allow us to purchase new nautical and safety equipment. This will ensure that our boats continue to provide a pleasant and safe experience to our guests.
In 2023, we welcomed more than 1,500 guests!
We thank all the community groups that booked more than 200 trips at our three Ottawa-area locations. Our volunteer crews were delighted to serve you. We look forward to having you on board again next summer.
If you enjoyed your trip, spread the word. We are always happy to meet new groups and introduce more people to the joys of being on the water.
In 2022, we were in the news!
See the CBC story (text & video) about us, published in August 2022!
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