May 24 weekend rafting tradition

Heritage

(continued)

Sometimes getting started is a little more difficult than planned

Some prefer to peddle

Safety in numbers by banding together

A calm stretch

Craft of every type take part

Many canoes band together to form a floating flotilla

It has been a long-standing tradition that happens every May Victoria Day weekend in Saugeen Shores in Bruce County.

Rafting or canoeing down the Saugeen River, despite weather and frigid water, has become the thing to do and the place to be on May '24' weekend.

On this Victoria Day, that arrived early this year, the sun was shining but the blustery wind was out of the northwest and the temperature a cold 13Celsius. It didn't seem to matter to the many canoeists and rafters however, as they let the swift, high-water current of the Saugeen River take them downstream.

The rafts are all 'homemade' and many of the canoeists band together to make a floating flotilla.

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17/05/2009 09:02 PM