Exploring the waterway with Wildwood Water Sports

photo courtesy of Wildwood Water Sports

Wildwood Water Sports is a locally owned, family run business based in Shubie Park on the Shubenacadie Canal. This year, against the odds and difficulties with COVID-19 the family was able to open their business to provide an amazing historical and fitness experience to the community.

Wildwood Watersports rents kayaks, canoes, and paddle boards by the hour on the canal during the summer and fall to those of all ages and skill levels. Lori McKay, one of the company owners said in an interview this week, “a lot of families will come and rent boats! We have kids as young as two and we recently had a woman of 85 who tried paddling for the first time!”

This year to ensure the safety of the staff and the community, they increased their cleaning procedures in light of COVID-19. The staff are cleaning the equipment in between all customers to do their part in preventing any spread of illness.

Paddling the canal is really the way it was meant to be explored. About 10000 years ago this same waterway was used by the Mi’kmaq to travel across the province for trade of materials and goods. In the 1800s the canal was dug out to connect the Halifax Harbour to the Bay of Fundy utilizing the many already present lakes, such as Lake Charles and Lake Micmac. McKay said, “People really seem to love the canal! If you have never seen it before, you need to!”

Wildwood Water Sports is located down by the docks in Shubie Park at 54 Locks Rd Dartmouth. During the summer they are open 10:00am-6:00pm with the last boat going out at 5:00pm. They are also open in the fall on the weekends. To find out more information about Wildwood Water Sports please visit their website at wildwoodwatersports.ca. In Lori McKay’s own words, “paddling here is easy and it is a good beginner place!”

Visit Wildwood Water Sports online here

NEW MERCHANDISE

Now that the Fairbanks Centre is back up and running, we have some new merchandise to spruce up your summer wardrobe!

We have a variety of new T-shirts and sweaters with our Shubenacadie Canal Company logo that have been added to our display case and are ready for purchase!

The Fairbanks Centre is open Monday through Friday (8:30am-4:30pm)! We accept credit and e-transfer.

See you soon!

If you’d prefer to order online check out our shop here.

The Fairbanks Centre is now open!

We are excited to announce that the Fairbanks Centre is now open to the public!

We at the Fairbanks Centre were very excited to hear Dr. Strang’s go-ahead for small businesses to open a few weeks ago. Having had time to readjust and plan for the Fairbanks Centre, we opened to the public as of July 13th, 2020 for regular hours.

This exciting announcement comes with some changes to the visitation policy at the Centre. Anyone who wants to visit the Fairbanks Centre will need to social distance in the parking lot, on the trails, and in the museum for the protection of our staff and members of the public.

A few additional changes to keep us all safe:

• 10 visitors maximum will be allowed in the Centre at one time.

• We ask that visitors sanitize their hands upon entry to the museum and encourage mask wearing.

• We have marked the floors throughout the museum with arrows to create a one-way path. Please respect them.

• Demonstrations of the lock model by staff will be available. Please call ahead to ensure a staff member will be available. Unfortunately, members of the public will not currently be allowed to interact directly with the model.

• The Fairbanks Centre washrooms will remain closed to the public. However, the washrooms in the parking lot are open.

On a lighter note, we have new merchandise for purchase, including t-shirts and sweatshirts. (Watch out for a post about our new items soon!) We will be accepting credit and e-transfer payments. If you drop into the Fairbanks Centre, be sure to check out our display case.

We greatly appreciate everyone’s help in protecting the health of all visitors, and we look forward to seeing all of you this summer!

Henry Findlay Lock Keeper Award 2019

Colin Mason (left) receives the Lock Keeper Award from SCC Chair Bill McIntyre.

The Shubenacadie Canal Commission was pleased to present Colin Mason with this year’s Henry Findlay Lock Keeper of the Year Award. This award is presented annually to friends of the Shubenacadie Canal Waterway who dedicate their time and effort towards improving this provincial heritage resource and its parklands for the enjoyment of everyone.

Colin Mason received this award for his efforts in increasing the profile of the Shubenacadie Canal Commission as well as our assets and attractions. He has raised considerable donations from many private individuals and businesses to help fund the Shubenacadie Canal Commission’s portion of the Marine Railway project in Starr Park. Colin developed connections with Halifax Regional Municipality and secured advertisements for the waterway on Halifax Transit. He has also given his time to design promotional pieces for the SCC and assisted in the hiring process for the annual summer student at the Fairbanks Centre.

He has provided leadership for the Communications Committee for the past several years. During his years as chair, we have witnessed a substantial increase in social media presence within the province, which is paying dividends. He played a key role in launching an updated and highly visible branding makeover, including our “Yours to Explore” logo. Colin has also attracted younger volunteers to the SCC, whose talents have helped promote the products and services that we have to offer.

Colin continues to be an active member and leader of the Shubenacadie Canal Commission, contributing his valuable experience and knowledge for the benefit of all those who visit the Shubenacadie Canal Waterway.