To complement the Northern Hardware race revival, the Nechako Valley Sporting Association is staging a canoe race on the Nechako, last run in the 70s.
On June 26, the race will run 26k downstream from the Braeside crossing to the Riverside Park in Vanderhoof. This “Sturgeon Class” will be for tandem canoes only.
The finish will be by ringing a bell in the park like the finish to the old Nanaimo bathtub race!
Organiser Paul Collard was a competitor in this race back in the 70s, and remembers the fun and excitement of those days. “ We just fired a gun and went for it” he said, “a lot different from the requirements of today”
The event is being run as a fundraiser for the Vanderhoof Pool society that is determined to provide this valuable facility to the residents of the area, and there will be edible cookie medals for winners, and a hot meal provided in the Park at the finish.
For those not wanting to spend three hours racing, there is a recreational “Trout Class”. This will run from the Highway 27 bridge on the Nechako to the Park. This is only 7k, and will enable anyone wanting a nice paddle in company to get on the river that day, and contribute to the Pool Fund.