Grand Opening – Paddle to the Sea
Dreams Come True as Nipigon Opens Paddle to the Sea Park
Thunder Bay-Superior North MP Bruce Hyer congratulates Mayor Richard Harvey for his part in the culmination of a decade of work by the communty of Nipigon to put in place one of Northwestern Ontario's largest playgrounds. The park stretches from the site where celebrations were held, following down the road all the way to the Nipigon Marina with a 1/2 dozen independant stations, each with unique equipment following the story of Paddle, along the way.
(Nipigon, ON) Despite a bit of chilly weather, the opening of the Paddle-to-the-Sea Park was well attended and enjoyed international participation with a wooden Paddle-to-the-Sea carving sent all the way to Northwestern Ontario from Atlanta, Georgia, and two entries for the Dare to Dream Art Project from Florida. Nipigon Mayor Richard Harvey says, “It’s amazing how well known the story of Paddle-to-the-Sea is around the world. The Paddle-to-the-Sea Park puts Nipigon on the map”.
winner of the Dare to Dream Art Competition is Desiree Boulter with Mayor Richard Harvey.
The winner of the Dare to Dream Art Competition is Desiree Boulter, who created two pieces of art about her dreams. The first dream is “My dream for the future of Nipigon, my family and myself is: That jobs will be made in Nipigon, that my dad will get a good job here (he will not have to work away any longer,) and we can be together. Especially because I don’t want to have to move away.” Desiree’s second entry is “My dream is to be an author in my spare time. I hope to win several awards and make tons of money.” The presentation of Art Awards was done by Roma Kopechanski from OPG, Bruce Hyer M.P. and Mayor Richard Harvey. Desiree received a limited edition Paddle to the Sea Park Paddle, which is also a donation to the Nipigon Curling Club Junior Curling Program.
Kim McNaughton and Rob Swainson from the Ministry of Natural Resources dug into the creek bed to identify insects and learn about the ecology of the creek. Photo couresy of Sarah Lewis.
It was a full day of activities for local schools. “The day was successful because it incorporated new activities into the Park, for example, the kids loved geo-caching which is all about geography, and a great way to get kids interested in tourism.” said Barry Maurice, of the Land of Nipigon Chamber of Commerce. As volunteer Shauna Dampier explained to the students, Geo-Caching is like a high tech treasure hunt, where students use GPS units to find hidden caches within the Paddle to the Sea Park. Smokey the Bear was on the scene to teach the kids how to prevent forest fires. The Nipigon Historical Museum had new displays to share. The Grade 6,7 and 8 classes from St. Edwards Catholic School in Nipigon as well as the Boys and Girls Club of Thunder Bay enjoyed activities based on the themes of the Paddle to the Sea Park; the natural environment, the geography of the great lakes and Nipigon’s cultural heritage.
The Lake Helen Ladies Drumming Group performed three songs the Ojibway lyrics beautifully complemented by their rythmic drumming.
Nipigon CDO Sarah Lewis MC'd the event.
The activities were followed by the opening ceremony, with local musicians Jim McCullough entertaining the crowd as it gathered, and drumming by the Lake Helen Women’s Drum Group. Donor agencies and local leaders spoke about the Park and its importance to tourism in Northwestern Ontario.
Visitor, Emeraude Charron, takes a 'ride' with Paddle.
More photos & videos of the park, a walking tour by Sarah Lewis and the opening ceremonies to be added later this evening (05.15.10)
