Working Hard to Safeguard Paddling Assets for All Canadians

All about Whitewater

All about Whitewater
A Blog about River Preservation and the need to protect our free flowing whitewater resources

Friday, September 16, 2011

What's new pussy cat? - Silver Wheaton does a trick


All this happened near the end of the trading day: If I didn't know better smart money is telling us where silver is going before the end of the weekend.

This is 23 times its normal volume about 24 million shares all within the space of what, five minutes?

Been around...

Thursday, September 15, 2011

Who Speaks for Canadian rivers?

I speak for Canadian Rivers? - Error 404, Dead on arrival.

GreenPeace Images: What is the message for whitewater preservationists?

What could be done, with humor, minimal resouces, something that provokes others to think, and act.




I don't think this means having a parade at parliament hill with kayaks on our shoulders.




What is it then?



















Tuesday, September 13, 2011

Summary of the 25th Annual Kipawa River Rally

Thanks to Wayne Donnison for once again organizing an extremely fun rally. The paddling and scenery was better than expected. The Ottawa and Montreal kayak clubs had an amazing time.

One thing planned is to convert the www.kipawariver.ca website int a 'contact management type' system to give everyone access to the website. Our website may get a lift from volunteers as a student project.

We might be better to engage the locals through a family walk day and fish fry and the local kayak shop at first. First and foremost this is a paddling weekend too.

The intended location of a new fish derby may be in Laniel, to attract locals. Danny from Esprit my help with a work party to fix the Hollywood trail; Scott has all materials prepared and ready to go.

The exact release volumes that we received from Hydro Quebec need a formal thank you letter - best to come from a French speaking member of our group to establish a future relationship with the dam operator.

We had a total of 61 people register for the rally and 8 people paid for the day use of the takeout, for a total of 69 people officially registered this year.

The executive now stands relatively unchanged:

Francois Diebolt Treasurer
Peter Karwacki - President
Rick Issaacson - Vice President
Wendy Sladen - Secretary/Membership Chair
Wayne Donnison - Rally Coordinator
Sandra Kiviaho and Annie Valale agreed to assist with next years rally along with Philip Lavalee. Phillip suggested we consider organizing a Fish Derby along with the rally to entice local interest.


We need to update our Website to a content management system so that we can more easily update the content. Web content was not updated quickly enough leading up to the rally. People need to have more information about Scott's place, about the Kipawa River Trail, and about the rally itself. Another raised the possibility of promoting sea kayaking as well during the rally.

Jim Coffey made the point that organizations such as Les Amis sometime experience an ebb and flow and that we are presently in a low cycle. Is it important to increase the numbers attending the rally? The number that can be comfortably be handled at the lodge is about 70 from what I could tell. Any expansion would have to take place in Laniel.

Jim raised the prospect of running raft trips from Laniel to the Park for $25 or so to increase participation.

I have names and contact information from those attending our AGM

JD will send you the membership lists and so forth. Perhaps some of the new bodies will come through for us during the preparations for next year and beyond.

Financial information Francois provided:

April 2010 through March 2011

starting balance 1342.

Income
Donations $775
Memberships $40
subtotal 815

Expenses
Web hosting 153.
Quebec Registration fees 36
Les amis income tax report 51
subtotal 239

closing balance 1918

Tommy Allan did install some new portage signs. We are waiting for the invoices but I believe these were about $200.

Sandra Kiviaho has offered to help us to upgrade our website content, something that is much needed. As mentioned either a CMS system or something like "wordpress" would help. We should try to start work on this ASAP.

Something that was not mentioned but is in order is to try and organize a work party to fix up the Hollywood portage. This would likely be in the fall and we'd have to make it so we coordinate it with weather, the Sorenson's and try have some fun as well as get the work done.

Current state of the middle class

You load sixteen tons an' what do you get?
Another day older deeper and debt.
St Peter don't you call me I cause can't go:
I owe my soul to the company store.

Monday, September 12, 2011

Alternate Power Source - Alternatives to Hydro Power



http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CXJgAmft2jI&feature=player_detailpage

More Details: http://www.solarfire.org/P32

Some General Details:

1000 watts per square meter of sunlight
The cost of the concentrator with boiler is 5000 - 7500 USD depending on quantity purchased. The cost of a 3 HP steam engine would be about 1300 USD.
5 HP steam engine is being run

Some General concerns:

Mirror Cleaning
Automated Solar Tracking
Effects of Wind and elements especially in freezing climate
Power Modulation
Energy Storage for power flow
Boiler regulation and licensing


Possible Efficiency Improvements:

Recycling steam and water to conserve BTU's in a closed loop
Improved insulation of high pressure lines
Use of a turbine such as the Capstone Microturbine instead of a piston style steam engine


**********Have a Nice Day**********

Canadian Rivers

Canadian Rivers
I speak for river users too!

The Queen is not amused!

The Queen is not amused!
http://www.ispeakforcanadianrivers.ca/

The Damned Dam - 2005 -

The Damned Dam - 2005 -
22nd Annual Kipaw Rally has modest turnout. - 23rd does better

The Ashlu river: it could happen to you

The Ashlu river: it could happen to you

Whitewater Ontario

Whitewater Ontario
Working Hard to Protect Canada's Paddling Resources

Whitewater Ontario - Mission Statement

It is Whitewater Ontario’s mission to support the whitewater paddling community through the promotion, development and growth of the sport in its various disciplines. We accomplish this through the development of events, resources, clubs, and programs for personal and athletic development, regardless of skill level or focus, to ensure a high standard of safety and competency; We advocate safe and environmentally responsible access and use of Ontario’s rivers. Whitewater Ontario is the sport governing body in the province, and represents provincial interests within the national body Whitewater Canada and the Canadian Canoe Association http://www.whitewaterontario.ca/page/mission.asp

Kipawa, Tabaret, and Opemican

Kipawa, Tabaret, and Opemican
If Hydro Quebec is not actively pursuing Tabaret what is that bite out of Opemican for?

Kipawa Dam: After

Kipawa Dam: After
Laniel Dam at 2006 Rally

Where is the Kipawa

Where is the Kipawa
Kipawa flows into lake Temiskamingue, running from Kipawa Lake, under hwy 101 in Quebec

Kipawa Dam

Kipawa Dam
laniel dam at 2004 River Rally

Tabaret is a Bad Idea

About the Kipawa



The best thing paddlers can do to help the cause of the Kipawa:

1. attend the rally and bring others including non paddlers to attend and buy beer and have fun

2. write your MP /MNA and raise the issue and post your objections -1 letter = 200 who didn't write

3. Write Thierry Vandal the CEO of Hydro Quebec strongly opposing the 132 MW standard decrying the use of "diversion" as the most environmentally inappropriate method of power production

4. Write Jean Charest, Premier of Quebec protesting that either the algonquin or the tabaret project will eliminate all other values on the Kipawa River by turning it into a dry gulch.

5. See if you can get other allied groups interested by showing your own interest, ie the Sierra Defense Fund, Earthwild, MEC, and so on.

6. Demand further consultation

7. Currently we are at the point where we need to sway public opinion and raise awareness.

However, if all else fails, don't get mad, simply disrupt, foment, and protest . The Monkey Wrench Gang.

Have you read Edward Abbey?

Important Addresses
CEO,Hydro Québec, 75 boul René Levesque, Montreal, P.Q., H2Z 1A4Caille.andre@hydro.qc.ca



Tabaret is a Bad Idea (Part Two)

Les Amis de la Riviere Kipawa is poised to use an application to the Federal Court to issue a Writ of Mandamus to ensure the Minster does what he is supposed to do, protect the public's right to navigate the water control structure at Laniel, Quebec using the Navigable Waters Protection Act. (see http://www.kipawariver.ca/)

In the now gutted Navigable Waters Protection Act lay the means by which the Minister of Transport could keep the public right of passage down our great Canadian Heritage, our rivers and streams which are threatened especially by resource corporations and power brokers such as Hydro Quebec.

These powerful entities continue to petition that 'this' river or 'that' stream is not navigable and therefore not protectable.
I don't say that dams and bridges should not be built, only that if they are, historical navigation rights should be considered and preserved by making reasonable accommodations for recreational boaters.

It is the Minister of Transport, in exercising the right to allow or disallow work on or over a navigable waterway is what keeps boats and recreational boaters plying our waterways.

To many recent cases launched in the Federal Court concerning the Navigable Waters Protection Act, most recently the case of the Humber Environment Group of Cornerbrook Newfoundland versus the Cornerbrook Pulp and Paper Company indicates that the important oversight is not being faithfully performed. Have we really come to the point now where we must say "such and such a stream is one foot deep, possessing so many cubic feet per second flow and so on?" The answer to this is... YES!

The honourable Mr. Justice John A. O'Keefe, ruled that it had not been shown that the river was navigable. How convenient was that to the Minister? But either the Minister of Transport acts to protect our rivers and streams as a public right or he does not and that means rivers and streams currently enjoyed by kayakers and canoists.

Enough of the cheating, and double-talk. Canadians! our rivers and streams are our own, lets urge the Minister of Transport and the our government to protect them.

Peter Karwacki

Tabaret is a Bad Idea (Part Three)

10 Reasons WhyTabaret is a Bad Idea1) Tabaret is too big. The station is designed to useevery drop of water available in the Kipawawatershed, but will run at only 44 percent capacity.We believe the Tabaret station is designed to usewater diverted from the Dumoine River into theKipawa watershed in the future. 2) The Tabaret project will eliminate the aquaticecosystem of the Kipawa River.The Tabaret project plan involves the diversion of a16-km section of the Kipawa River from its naturalstreambed into a new man-made outflow from LakeKipawa. 3) Tabaret will leave a large industrial footprint on thelandscape that will impact existing tourismoperations and eliminate future tourism potential. 4) The Tabaret project is an aggressive single-purposedevelopment, designed to maximize powergeneration at the expense of all other uses. 5) River-diversion, such as the Tabaret project, takinglarge amounts of water out of a river’s naturalstreambed and moving it to another place, is verydestructive to the natural environment. 6) The Kipawa River has been designated a protectedgreenspace in the region with severe limitations ondevelopment. This designation recognizes theecological, historical and natural heritage value ofthe river and the importance of protecting it.Tabaret will eliminate that value. 7) If necessary, there are other, smarter and morereasonable options for producing hydro power onthe Kipawa watershed. It is possible to build a lowimpactgenerating station on the Kipawa river, andmanage it as a “run-of-the-river” station, makinguse of natural flows while maintaining other values,with minimal impact on the environment. 8) The Kipawa watershed is a rich natural resource forthe Temiscaming Region, resonably close to largeurban areas, with huge untapped potential fortourism and recreation development in the future.Tabaret will severely reduce this potential. 9) Tabaret provides zero long-term economic benefitfor the region through employment. The plan is forthe station to be completely automated andremotely operated. 10) The Kipawa River is 12,000 years old. The riverwas here thousands of years before any peoplecame to the region. The Tabaret project will change all that.

Problems on a local River?

  • There is more to do as well but you have to do your research and above all, don't give up.
  • IN the meantime prepared a document itemizing the history of navigation of this spot and its recreational value. Use the Kipawa river history of navigation as a guide: see www.kipawariver.ca
  • Under the Ministry of Environment guidelines you have a set period of time to petition the change under the environmental bill of rights, you may have limited time to take this action. But it involves going to court for a judicial review of the decision.
  • 4. contact the ministry of natural resources officials and do the same thing.
  • 3. contact the ministry of the environment and determine if they approved the project
  • 2. determine if the dam was a legal dam, approved under the navigable waters protection act.
  • 1. research the decision and timing of it to determine if an environmental assessment was done.

Minden Ontario

Minden Ontario
Gull River Water control at Horseshoe lake

A History of Navigation on the Kipawa River

Prior to the environmental assessment there was no signage at the Laniel Dam

T-Shirts Area: These are available now!

T-Shirts Area: These are available now!
Send $25 and a stamped self addressed envelop for the Tshirt, and for the bumper sticker, a stamped and self addressed envelope with $5.00 for the bumper sticker to Les Amis de la rivière Kipawa, 80 Ontario St., Ottawa, Ontario, K1K 1K9 or click the link To purchase a Les Amis "T" contact Doug with the following information: Number of shirts:Sizes: Ship to Address: Method of Payment: cash, cheque and paypal, Shipto address:

Bumper Stickers Now Available

Bumper Stickers Now Available
Get your bumper sticker and show your support for the Kipawa Legal Fund ! - send $5.00 in a Stamped, self addressed envelope to: Peter Karwacki Box 39111, Ottawa, Ontario, Canada, K1H 7X0