FAQ

Membership

The Rideau Canoe Club offers coached sessions in flatwater canoe kayak. There are two options available- Competitive Sprint Membership Program or the Non-Membership Paddling Program. A membership is required to participate in the sprint program which is a competitive training program from U10 to Masters with weekly coached training sessions. No membership is required to participate in the Paddling Program which includes summer camps (Canoe Kids and Intro to Sprint Paddling Camp), Adult Intro to Canoe or Sea Kayak and seasonal programs like Seniors and Fitness Paddling. 

Rentals

The Rideau Canoe Club offered coached sessions in flatwater canoe kayak and does NOT provide rentals.  Nearby rental options include Dow's Lake. ​

Boat Storage

The Rideau Canoe Club is a membership based club.  Members have access to boat storage for an additional annual fee.  There is only boat storage available for Olympic style racing canoes and kayaks. The RCC does not offer boat storage for recreational canoes, kayaks, OC boats or SUP boards.  Unfortunately, the club is not aware of this service available in Ottawa. View the full Storage Policy here.

Swim assessments

Prior to getting in boats participants must show they have the ability to roll into the water and swim 25 metres (any stroke) and stay afloat (tread water) for 1 minute (as per the National Lifesaving Society Swim to Survive standard). Swim ability is assessed without a life-jacket or other flotation device. If your child is nervous about this process we welcome you to swim along with your child to ease the nerves. The assessment will take place at the Rideau Canoe Club dock in the Rideau River the first day of the camp supervised by a certified instructor.  Participants are required to pass the assessment every year.

Affiliation fees

Affiliation fees are mandatory for all member athletes in the competitive sprint program and only need to be paid once during the season. Affiliation Fees include CanoeKayak Canada, CanoeKayak Ontario, CKO Sprint and Eastern Ontario Division.

Refund policy

Registrations are only considered final when full payment is made.
NO REFUND will be issued once the program has already started.
NO REFUND will be issued if cancellation is done within the week before the program.
NO REFUND will be issued if a participant has to leave a camp/program due to disciplinary issues.
If cancellation is done at least 4 weeks before the start of the camp/program, a refund will be issued less a $50 administration fee.
If cancellation is done at least 2 weeks before the start of the camp, a refund of 50% will be issued.
All cancellation/refund requests must be done in writing to the RCC Administrator and Program Coordinator. All refund requests will take up to 2 weeks to process.  View the full Refund Policy here.

Parking

The parking lot at the Rideau Canoe Club is small. There are 27 spots including 2 for handicapped. Parking on the field is not permitted. Please also refrain from using the Rideau Canal lock station parking lot. You can review the RCC Parking Policy and parking options HERE

Club hours/dock duty hours

Dock Duty hours is when club staff in orange t-shirts are available to help members with club equipment. Hours may change due to weather and holidays.

• Spring - May and June - Monday to Friday - 4:00 PM to 8:00 PM; Saturday: 8:00 AM to 4:00 PM; Sunday: 9:00AM to 1:00 PM
• Summer - July and August - Monday to Friday - 7:00 AM to 8:00 PM; Saturday: 8:00 AM to 4:00 PM; Sunday: 9:00AM to 1:00 PM
• Fall - September and October - Monday to Friday - 4:00 PM to 8:00 PM; Saturday: 8:00 AM to 4:00 PM; Sunday: 9:00AM to 1:00 PM

​Members looking for paddling procedures outside of scheduled program hours can find details on the Club Hours Page.

RCC news - newsletter

The RCC newsletter is the best way to stay informed about club news, upcoming registrations, events and results. Subscribe to the Newsletter today!

Policies

The posted guidelines & procedures were approved by the board of directors. All policies will be reviewed and revisions made if necessary on a yearly basis. Policies are created and maintained in collaboration with the board of directors, a policy committee, as well as input from the membership and staff, in compliance with our signed agreement with the City of Ottawa. You can review all club policies HERE.

Volunteer policy

The RCC is proud to host and attend several regattas throughout the on water season. The only way for a regatta to happen is with the help of our committed volunteers. Part of becoming a member of the RCC and signing up for the Sprint Program is committing to volunteering as per the RCC Volunteer Policy. Volunteering is great way to get to know the sport and wonderful people who make it such a special environment. We look forward to seeing you at one of the events! Any questions about volunteering can be directed to the Volunteer Coordinator at [email protected]. ​

Buy and Sell Equipment

Looking to buy used canoe, kayak or equipment? Looking to sell used canoe, kayak or equipment? Check out the RCC's Buy & Sell Link to see what's available from the RCC paddling community.

Purchasing new sprint paddles

An option for sprint paddles is Braca-Sport paddles. The contact info for the Canadian dealers are below.

Nova Scotia
Braca Paddles Canada
Kati Latorovszki 
80 Ridge Avenue
N.S., B2R 1G4
Canada
Mobile: +1 902 229 9273 
E-mail:  [email protected]

Quebec
Kayak Ideal
Guillaume Morin
950 Bona Dussault
Saint-Marc-des-carrières
Q.C., G0A 4B0
Canada
Mobile: +1 418 326 0480
E-mail: [email protected]