The Voyageur Canoe Program offers a variety of group paddling opportunities. The Club has four voyageur canoes and each can accommodate six paddlers per boat. Voyageur trips are a great social activity and provide novice paddlers with the opportunity to participate in trips and explore the waters around Victoria. Club members from all programs are welcome to take part in any voyageur events – no prior experience necessary.

The Great Peninsula Paddle for the Kids The Program’s major annual event is the Paddle For The Kids, which is a fund-raiser in support of the BC Lions Society for Children with Disabilities (Camp Shawnigan). Annually, nearly $15,000 is raised. The Paddle entails the circumnavigation of the Saanich Peninsula from Brentwood Bay to the Gorge Waterway – 40 miles - 10 to 12 hours. A number of Lion's Clubs assist in the event by providing food, bus transportation and warm, dry rest areas along the route. This event, usually in late March, follows a series of practice paddles in February and March. The 2012 Paddle date is Saturday, March 31st and training schedule starts on Saturday Feb 12th. See the newsletter for details. To take part in the training practice paddles (open to all VCKC members), be at the Clubhouse by 8.30am on the day of the practice.

The canoes are used for events such as intermittent trips down big water rivers such at the South Thompson, paddling on the Gorge for Big Brothers Big Sisters and Canada Day paddles. There is also a trip down the Cowichan River in November – water levels permitting. Members paddle them down to Victoria’s Inner Harbour to listen to the Symphony Splash.

The voyageur canoes are often used by Associate Members of the Club for school trips and group outings.

The Club’s Voyageur canoes are 26 feet long and weight up to 175kg/350lbs. Two of the boats – the Blue Heron and the North West Territories - are 40 years old. They were built in North Vancouver in 1971 for the centennial celebration of BC joining Canada. The Shawnigan is an early model voyageur canoe built by Clipper Canoes. It was paddled on the marathon David Thompson Voyageur Brigade in 2008, from Rocky Mountain House in Alberta to Thunder Bay in Ontario – over 3000kms. The Club bought the Kawa  in 2009 after the Thompson Brigade, thanks to the generosity of Club member Harold Nishikawara and the persistence of Don Munroe, long-time Voyageur Program director. To help move these big boats, the Club has two trailers, and a portage cart designed for them.

Sterning the voyageur canoes.  Sterning these boats takes some special skills, not only because of the size and style of the canoe, but also because the sterner is in charge of the  team and has to be able to direct the energy of the paddlers.

The Club has run two RCABC Big Canoe Leader courses in the last two years and it is expected that any new sterner of these canoes will have taken and passed this course. If you are interested in becoming qualified to stern one of these canoes, contact the Program Director.