RCABC Annual Canoe Festival 2025

Our members from across the province gather to put on paddling clinics, slide shows, nature paddles, back country camping seminars, and a fun race! Many of BC's top canoe instructors are in attendance offering fabulous clinics on a variety of canoeing disciplines often including, solo and tandem, marathon, voyageur, poling, play-boating, sup, sailing, and more! The event is hosted at Camp Kawkawa and includes food and accommodation with options for tenting or staying in a cabin. This event fully organized and staffed by volunteers, and is run at cost by the association. And, with subsidized tickets for youth and students this is a heck of a good deal! There are workshops for kids and adults and anyone is welcome regardless of your skill set.

This event is also open to RCABC members as well as non-members. However, we encourage you to show your support for our volunteer run organization by which only costs $15 a year. Members may attend our AGM and instructor members may attend our IAGM. At these meetings we elect new board members to our executive as well as Zone Reps. At our IAGM we update our instructors on new changes to our manual and teaching practice, as well as elicit input and address any concerns that our brought forward.

*Camp Kawkawa is a "dry" Camp and here is no alcohol permitted.

*Please be aware that you will need to fill out a waiver prior to participating in the event and that one is available to view or download under on our website.

• Regatta: A fun race around Kawkawa Lake for all paddler classes: tandem, solo, marathon, voyageur and family!
• On the water sessions, from basic paddling and rescues to stroke refreshers and more.
• Presentations on canoe trips, environmental issues, etc.
• Workshops on themes such as paddling gear, food, canoe songs, trip planning, yoga for paddlers...
• Guided nature walks and paddles around Kawkawa Lake.
• Social activities including square dancing, storytelling, and games.
• RCABC Annual General Meeting and Instructor Annual General Meeting.

Run a session! Or two!

We're looking for people willing to run sessions! Let us know via the registration form by March 20th(Early Bird Deadline), so we can plan our schedule. Travel subsidies are offered for those volunteers ready to lead or assist in at least two sessions.

We need help gathering donations!

Each year, we collect donations from different retailers. We use these as door prizes as well as to give acknowledgments to our festival volunteers and to those who help RCABC throughout the year. We could really use some help in this integral part of our organizing. See Get Involved for more information or contact: .

Info: Please do not arrive at the site earlier than 3:00 pm (Unless you are in one of the special Friday Certification Clinics)

If you need to arrive after 6:30 pm, please let us know on the registration form.

Info: The first Paddle Conference sessions start Friday, April 25th at 4:00 pm. and will continue through Sunday at Lunch.

Event Venue & Nearby Stays

Kawkawa Camp Society, 66706 Kawkawa Lake Road, Hope, Canada