2023 Canoeing Photo Contest
UPDATE: Thanks again to every single entry this year… it is so inspiring to see such adventurous trips in canoes. Also a HUGE shout-out to Ostrom Outdoors and Mountain Equipment Company for supplying the fantastic prizes this year! We couldn’t have done it without them! Be sure to visit their websites for all of your last-minute holiday shopping.
1st Place - Jay Case
2nd Place - Pete Parke
3rd Place - Travis Wilkinson
As the 2023 Canoeing season starts to wind down we look back fondly through the trips we've taken... which means it's time for our yearly photo contest!
The rules are simple...
The contest is open to Canadian residents only (I’m terribly sorry to our U.S. and international readers, it’s not always easy for us to ship prizes out to you and there are some sticky legalities behind it as well.).
The photo must have been taken in 2023.
There are no specifics as to what you have to submit. Send us your best photo of you or your family in a canoe, what you spotted while in your canoe, or even a snapshot of you portaging. What ever you like! Be sure to include where you were too.
We know from experience, it’s always hard to choose… but send us only one photo.
Contest ends November 30th, 2023. We'll pick three lucky winners as 1st, 2nd and 3rd place winners. The 1st place winner will get to choose first a single item from the prizes below, followed by 2nd place and 3rd place winners.
You’ll have to the end of the year to claim your prize (we’ll contact you). In the rare chance prizes go unclaimed, they will be entered back into our prize pool.
How do you enter?
Easy! E-mail us a photo, or send it to us on Facebook or Twitter or tag us on Instagram (and give us a like or follow while you're there!)
The Prizes to choose from…
Ostrom Outdoors Winisk Canoe Pack
Ostrom Outdoors, a name I’m sure you’re very familiar with when looking for canoe packs was kind enough to offer their traditional soft canoe pack as a prize.
Their Winisk Canoe Pack is a 96-117L (fully extended) frameless pack that has the ability to custom fit the torso length while also offering shoulder straps and a hip belt.
MEC Slogg HD 70L Dry Pack
The MEC Slogg HD 70L Dry Pack is a heavy duty dry bag stands up to any adventure. The 70L capacity is enough to hold your tent, sleeping bag, sleeping pad, camp kitchen and more.
MEC Slogg HD 35L Dry Pack
The MEC Slogg HD 35L Dry Pack is a rugged, dunk-proof bag. Padded hipbelt and shoulder straps help make uphill portages more bearable. Holds enough dry clothes and gear for a minimalist weekend, or keeps a wetsuit from drenching the rest of your stuff.
The entries so far…
Josie Dinsmore - I took this photo while paddling on Long Lake at Samuel de Champlain Provincial Park this September. The lake was a little rough that day because of some wind, so we paddled a little further into some little coves and inlets to check them out. As we paddled out of one inlet, near the east end of the lake, we saw this beautiful view and reflections, with hints of colourful fall leaves starting to pop.
Nathan Johnson: Little Otterslide, Algonquin Park
Brianne Curry: Breaking at the portage. Location: OSA Lake, Killarney Provincial Park
Carl Pawlowski: Taken during an ice out trout fishing trip in northern Algonquin Park Spring 2023. Beautiful surprise when we noticed the northern lights make a quick appearance before the moonrise.
Kyle Christie: This was a shot I took with my drone while canoeing out on Harp Lake near Huntsville.
Kevin Resendes: Algonquin Park, Welcome Lake
Robyn Underhill: Our canoe dog! Taken on George Lake near the Freeland portage in Killarney Provincial Park. Pixel is the dog, Clayton is the human.
Doug Roberts: A Glorious Fall day on Happy Isle Lake Algonquin Park Sep 2023
@openairoutdoor: Upper Path Lake 2023
Mike Judson: Ragged Lake when I was guiding the Grade 12 Grad trip for LCS
Graham Gill: Spider Lake, Massassauga
@sue_squared: George Lake, Killarney
Tim Hawes: Taking on Lake Louisa in Algonquin Park this August. Perfect morning of calm water, great fishing, and beautiful sunrise.
Emmett: Paddling the Continental Divide, Artic and Pacific Lakes, Northern BC. 2 connected lakes: one drains north to the Arctic, and one drains south to the Pacific.
Dane Zelenski: I took this while out canoeing with my partner (Mur) on Comox Lake, Vancouver Island. It was the middle of the work week in August and we sporadically decided we wanted to go out on our canoe. I got home from work and we packed up the truck real quick and drove out! The main mission was to enjoy a hot cup of tea with a stroopwafel in the middle of the lake. Mission accomplished! We scrambled back just in time for the sun to set as we drove home. It doesn't always need to be the big journeys that make memories. Sometimes it's just the calm unassuming weeks where you find a few hours of magic.
Caleb Harding: I was able to snap this shot of my wife (Bethany) and 1 year old (Elliot) on our first overnight canoe trip as a family. He was tuckered out - and fell asleep eating his sandwich haha.
Toquart Lake - Vancouver Island
Jennifer Kirby: We snapped this pic after a rather taxing portage in Algonquin backcountry this summer that ended in a trek through a swamp. My husband took the brunt of it and didn’t smell right for a week after :). Worth it though!!
Daniel Smith: This is a picture I took while on a week trip on Costigan Lake in northern Saskatchewan. My wife is relaxing on massive and empty beach near our campsite at sunset while our 9 year old son is paddling around.
Andrea Somerville: our 3 day family paddle down the Peace River from Clayhurst, BC to Dunvegan, AB this past Labour Day weekend. It's a trip we have been planning to do for years with my husband, 2 boys and my parents. We had wonderful weather but smoke from the fires in Northern BC rolled in for the last 2 days. In this shot my kids are playing in the river mud like I used to do as a kid.
Alora Sweeney: this picture was taken on a family canoe/camping trip up to Clarence-Steepbank in northern Saskatchewan.
Neven Bilic: Family Cottage Canoe Day Trip on Soyers Lake with our 14 month old daughter
Andrew Schwerd: Kinbasket Lake BC
Darin Bitz: Foggy start to the day on Montgomery lake Quetico
Mark Jago: Melfort sk. Last night on barker island, Churchill River
Kalen Gillies: Rock Trout Rapids
Gord Goodwin: Spanish river Ontario, September, my friend and I running the infamous “big graveyard rapids”
Morgan Gillies: Paull River, SK
Barry Elford: Moon river looking up river just the other side of a waterfall . We paddled 71/2 hrs to get to the campsite from 400/69 rested the next day then paddled 3 hrs into Bala for dinner then back same day and downriver the last day back to 400/69
Muriel Singleton: Morning of day 2 on the Powell Forest Canoe route this July. Photo location: Nanton Lake, Sunshine Coast, BC
Susan Elliott: Sunset on Bottle Lake, Kawartha Highlands Provincial Park
Craig Mcrunner: My two favourite camping companions.
Dee Helseth: Burditt Lake, NW Ontario
Jessica Cyfko: Oastler Lake PP
Alix Zello: Amisk lake 2023. Peaceful living :)
Tim & Karen Cook: Here’s our favourite picture from this past summer - taken in the middle of Kejimkujik Lake, NS
Kathleen Perrier: Kejimkujik National Park, NS June 2023
Sarah Groat: My friend gets a drink of fresh clean water from Nistowiak Falls. This majestic feature is a gem in Northern Saskatchewan.
Cedric Leblanc: Here is a picture I took of my son and 3 of his friends on Saturday April 8 when they are finishing a 2 day canoe trip right up to the ocean in Salmon River NS, this trip has been going on for over 50 years in the Municipality of Clare in Nova Scotia and is known in French as 'La Canoe trip de Clare"
Mike Daniels: This is my wife, Jennifer Kirby holding up a splake on Sproule Lake on Canada Day long weekend 2023. It was a great trip, she caught this fish on one of her first casts and was very excited because she had never caught a plake before. We figured we were in for a great day of fishing. It turned out that we were in for a great day of canoeing because not another single fish was caught that day haha.
Michael Mourre: This was an early morning shot just before daybreak on Kingsmere Lake in PANP. I was heading out on father's day with the weather forecast for big winds later in the morning so I elected to paddle at first light and was well rewarded with a glassy ride all the way out just before the winds picked up.
Claire Quewezence: It was taken in August of this year by myself in Woodland Caribou Provincial Park. I was preparing to portage gear and 16’ Souris River Prospector canoe along a very pretty segment of the “Bunny Hop” route within the park.
Tina McAuley: Portaging through the Otterslides in Algonquin
Koen Tholhuijsen: Paddling with my best friend
Dee Helseth: First paddle with the new pup - Burditt Lake, NW Ontario
John Lawren James: A great day of fishing well off the beaten trail.
Hank Hofmann: September sunset on Beaverhouse Lake in Quetico
Tif Moore: First canoe trip was a hit.
Daphne-Lynn Antle: Taken from Slapfoot beach just after sunrise on Oct.28,2023 at Kejimkujik National Park
@coachmegjade - So hard to pick my favourite #canoe picture for this year’s photo contest! Here is my submission taken on Bird Lake, Nopiming PP, Manitoba from our @SourisRiver canoe.
Justin Simpson: Bronson Lake, casual day with my 7 year old son and 5 year old daughter.
Shannon Osolinsky Richards: My son heading out end of April on a solo trip. There was still ice on the lake
Jason Lykken:
Justin Kirby:
Roger Duncalfe:
@mediaovereverything: Weekdays dreamin’ about weekends 🏕️ Rockin the two best bags on the market with @watershed_drybags and the RBW expedition bag from @canadianoutdoorequipment
Kyle Schappert: Kwasitchewan Falls, Grass River Provincial Park, Manitoba. On the second night of my September solo journey, I had the pleasure of watching the northern lights dance over my favourite stop along The Grass River.
Henry Allain: I was born in a boot, and I’ll die in a boat, Algonquin Backcountry, October 2023
David Bennett: Trip from Fred Heel Launch to Saskatoon, Sk
Ann MacLean Young:
Pete Parke: This was taken in July 2023 in front of Conjuring House Rock on the Missinaibi River.
Zack Zomer: This picture was taken this summer on a canoe trip from Black Lake, Sk to Baker Lake, Nunavut (I only did the first 20 days of the trip before the group flew in and I flew out).. The photo was taken at around 2am during the sunrise on Wholdaia Lake in the NWT.
Travis Wilkinson: This is a picture of our family enjoying the sunset on an island on the Churchill River by Missinipe, Saskatchewan.
Sarah Bradley: taken in August 2023 along the Stewart River in Saskatchewan.
Steve Martin: solo Killarney Lake spring trip with canoe. Royalex Novacraft in the foreground, made right here in London On.
Laura Thompson: North Magnetewan River in July. Looked up after a post dinner sprinkle and we had a rainbow.
Devon Boldt: Bonnechere River evening solo paddle in August.
André Francoeur: Algonquin Park, Petawawa River, The Natch, September 21, 2023
Steve: Coming upon an unexpected obstacle in the river. Location: Kopka River Provincial Park, July 2023
Sheri Tuck: Sunset Potage into Jarvis Lake - Algoma Ontario. Portaging into a new lake is like canoeing around a bend on a river for the first time ... you never know what awaits you and the excitement and suspense for the unknown is always so exhilarating.
Jay Case: Steel River, Northwestern Ontario. This photo was taken on the Steel River, approximately 1km north of Santoy Lake, in Northwestern Ontario. We had spent a week fighting torrential wind and rain, and were near the end of our canoe trip. This was taken as we were searching for a way around this 400-500m long log-jam, near 3pm on a rainy and chilly day. It didn't deflate our spirits, though. We found a trail around the jam and made our way to Santoy Lake, soaking wet but feeling accomplished!
John Gill: This is a photo from Stave Lake in BC, looking at the impressive North face of Robie Reid. As the snow melts in the spring, huge avalanches crash down the face and echo around the bay. We camped nearby and watched the sun set over the summit. Such a magical place.
Cassie Pellerin: A bird’s-eye view of our campsite on Crotch Lake, North Frontenac Parklands – The perfect destination for weekend warriors living in Southern Ontario.
Michael Grieve: Taking a break to enjoy the turquoise blue waters of this remote lake north of Sudbury, Ontario.
Barry Skillin: First night campsite on a short solo canoe-camping trip on Pitt Lake, BC. Pitt Lake is North America's largest freshwater tidal lake and one of the largest in the world.
Mike Whitmarsh: The attached pic was taken on the Buzzard Lake portage in Kawartha Highlands Provincial Park this past October. The weather was changeable so, along with the wolves, we had the park to ourselves.
Cedar Eagle: Carswell river Saskatchewan on a 2 week solo expedition from Carswell Lake to Uranium City. August 26, 2023.
Christine Plourde: Manigotagan River, Manitoba. August 2023.
Marianne Balkwill: My photo is at the end of a portage between Willow Island Lake and Lady Evelyn Lake in Obabika River Provincial Park in Temagami.
On our southern Ontario Brigade paddle in July -Aug 2023, we met with Hiawatha first nation's artist and each contributed to her quill art project. The artist was traveling to Powwows across the country and getting people involved. We were honoured to add our quills to the water around that canoe!
Erika Momeyer: Evening sunset. Azure Lake, BC
James Colp: Here's one we took on the Bird River, near Elbow lake in Nopiming Provincial Park in Manitoba. This was part of a several day canoe trip and the maiden voyage of my new Wenonah Wilderness canoe.
Powell James: Taken on a 2 day trip on the north Saskatchewan river near Drayton Valley.
Claire Andrew: The photo shows the view from one of our campsites during an 8 day canoe adventure in Broughton Archipelago, B.C. that my husband, my dog and I took in August.
Jason Clarke: Family trip to Canisbay Lake in July.
Trina Ross: this is my son Breas Ross getting ready to go paddle. This photo was taken this Month November here in Winnipeg at the Manitoba Canoe and Kayak Centre.
Craig Thomas: my son and I just starting up the Madawaska from Lake of Two River Algonquin Park.
Ken Corbett: on the Bartibog River, by Paddling Hal
Tyler Allen: September 2023 on a small island on Eaglenest Lake while canoeing the upper Big whiteshell canoe route.
John L. Langelaan: Fall colours on the St. Croix River New Brunswick, Canada. October 3, 2023.
Elliott Price: Flooded portage in Algonquin. I forget which specific Portage, but it is close to the magnetewan access point
Alexandra Gill: This was taken on a 7 day trip to Desolation Sound near the Sunshine Coast, BC. We managed to get some drone shots during our longest ocean crossing, showing our tiny canoe with the coast mountains in the background.
Alice Herculson:
Kent Orlando: Paddlers Kent Orlando (stern) and Mark Waugh on a class 3 section of rapids on the Bonnet Plume in the Yukon this past July. We paddled 610km from Bonnet Plume Lake to Fort McPherson in the NWT over 13 days.
Mark:
Kath Twigg: This is from August 2023 in Temagami, Ontario and misty skies due to forest fires.
Ben Kornelsen: Here is a photo of our Esquif Cargo. We used it to take our family of 4 and our dog for 3 nights on the McLennan Lakes loop in Northern Saskatchewan. This picture is our campsite on Minuhik Lake.
Jonathan Riley: Ashlea and I were paddling up Still Brook after a weekend on Frozen Ocean in Kejimkujik National Park and National Historic Site this October. We were super grateful to see the fall colours at their peak.
Alain Belliveau: Photo taken in the Medway Lakes Wilderness Area, Nova Scotia.
Ben Wong: Ben and Hen(ry) on the Portage. St. Regis canoe area, NY.
Simone Chen: Photo taken on Little Long Pond in the Adirondacks, during our first Wooden Canoe Heritage Association assembly.
Ezra Huang: La Mouricie National Park on Lac Wapizongoke
Luca: No Fish on Fish Pond... Saint-Regis Canoe Area
@BackwoodsRamble: Counting down the days until lazy days exploring the shores of #NovaScotia
@NorthernLove93: From our Novacraft Haida 17 Davidson Lake, Nopiming Provincial Park was looking gorgeous. June 2023.
Deryck Robertson: A paddle in @Algonquin_PP on July 8 while visiting the Mowat Cemetary and paying our respects to @TTLastSpring.
@janet_northrop: Kejimkujik National Park. 2 Nova Scotia duck tollers. 3 months and 8 years. They love the canoe.
Jennifer McIntosh: my canoe crew taking a break on a gravel bar up the Murtle River, Wells Grey Provincial Park, B.C., September 8, 2023. We paddled a 37km out and back from Straight Creek campsite that day.
Nick Wagstaff:
Bennett Sutherland: Taken on the turtle river route right near white otter castle in northern Ontario. July 29 2023
Sandra Yaworski: Me and my husband are training our puppy Milli all about canoeing so I captured this picture of her in our canoe just as we were heading out on a day trip. This is Whitefish Lake, which is about 20kms south of Flin Flon, MB. If you paddle across this lake and up the PineRoute River, over two short portages (plus a beaver dam!), you can get to Mikanagan Falls. It’s a beautiful spot for a picnic and not many people go there. We are surrounded by water here in Northern Manitoba. An outdoor enthusiast’s playground!!
