Grand River
While the Grand River might be the farthest thing from a whitewater expedition, it's still where we cut our paddling teeth and is full with sentimental value and memories.
The Grand is an ancient glacier melt path so much of it has its own valley carved into an otherwise flat part of southern Ontario. The incline on the banks kept the farms and uncivilization back from much of the river. The run from Glen Morris to Paris Ontario has surprisingly few buildings, bridges or farms that can be seen from the water. It creates the feeling of being away in the wilderness, while still a few minutes from impatient drivers at a Tim Hortons drive-through.
The Grand River is one of Canada's Heritage designated Rivers. In the past it had a bad reputation as a dirty river due to industry in Waterloo and Brantford. Since so many communities rely on the Grand for water, so much work has been done over the last several decades to clean up and properly manage this critical resource. This work has made the Grand once again worthy of its namesake.