2020 Canoeing Photo Contest

We just want to send out a huge thank you to everyone who entered this year. There are some truly fantastic photos that were submitted and we hope you scroll through all of them.

First Place

Justyna Gerech: 9 day portage trip in Tamagami taking a rest on the trail


Second Place

Olivia Coneys: Vermillion Lake, Ontario. It was our first ever all girls trip, which was very empowering and our motto for the weekend was “Camp with Queens and you’ll eat like Kings!”. This was our lakeside charcuterie board. It was such a wonderful experience.



Third Place

Agnes Gryc: McGregor Lake in Nopiming Provincial Park in Manitoba, Canada. A misty autumn sunrise from our backcountry campsite.

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As the 2020 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...

1. The contest is open to Canadian residents only

2. The photo must have been taken in 2020

3. 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.

4. It’s always hard to choose, but send us only one photo.

5. Contest ends November 30th. We'll randomly pick three lucky winners as 1st, 2nd and 3rd place. The 1st place winner will get to choose first a single item from the prizes below, followed by 2nd place and 3rd place winners.

6. 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…

$100 in Valhalla Pure Outfitters adventure bucks. Valhalla Pure Outfitters is helping us out for a second year with $100 towards their 1000’s of awesome choices of outdoors gear for any season. The winner will get a coupon code towards their next online purchase.

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Kevin Callan’s Once Around Algonquin: An Epic Canoe journey is autographed by Kevin himself!

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A one-year subscription to Paddling Magazine

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The entries so far…

Caelan Carr: Lake Superior Provincial Park looking out onto the lake and fog from the Agawa Pictographs. 1963 Lakefield Cree canoe.

Dean Campbell - A “rare calm day”

Sarah Martyn - I think this picture sums up Covid Camping season perfectly! Before the parks opened my daughter and I refused to let it get us down. We set up camp in the back yard (complete with homemade dehydrated meals) and even put the canoe in the pool!

Denis Lambert - Ice soup in Breeches lake (Qc)

David Bain - David Lake, Killarney

Ray Piercy - Barr Creek in Temagami area

Crystal Berezuk - Kenora, Ontario

James vanRooy - Lake Manitou in Algonquin Park. Double rainbow after a day of showers

Emily Montoya: Cauchon Lake, Algonquin Park

Cesar Flores: a buddy and I sending Onion Rapids in the Manigotagan River in Manitoba

Chris Gleeton: Coming out of the first tunnel at Caddy Lake in Whitesell Provincial Park, Manitoba

Lisa Case: Elton Lake - Nopiming Provincial Park, Manitoba. This was the last of 4 days canoeing and the morning dawned so still I had to grab this reflection before we headed home.

Agnes Gryc: McGregor Lake in Nopiming Provincial Park in Manitoba, Canada. A misty autumn sunrise from our backcountry campsite.

Susan Cockburn: Michipicoten River

Ginette Connelly: near Pointe du Bois, Manitoba. A group of us were about to endeavour one of the toughest trips I'd ever taken. We knew the portages were long (2 km, 2.5 km, 1.5 km) but we weren't aware the majority of those kms would be swampy bog - never underestimate the value of a good pair of waterproof hiking boots! Finding drinking water that didn't clog up our filters proved to be another frustrating challenge - especially after our "mud hero" portages. That said, this trip had the calmest waters I'd ever paddled - the surface was like glass. We moved very fast on those calm waters which allowed us more time to sit around the campfire and relive the day's adventures. So when I look at this picture, it makes me eager to get out there once again and face the unknown - the good, the bad and the ugly - because the good always outweighs the rest!

Elhana Dyck: Diamond Lake, Temagami. Looking across to the neighboring island following a magnificent sunrise late August.

Taylor Peer: Sunrise over Rain Lake Algonquin PP

Peter Hauguth: Dollyberry Lake, Elliot Lake, Ontario

@Cole_hartley: One more paddle? #Lateseason Algonquin

Andrea Rhodes:

Pete Parke: We paddled 170kms from Lake Nipissing, down the whole French River to Georgian Bay

Suzie Lemoine: Daniel's lake in NW Ontario. My daughter is in there

Ann MacLean Young: Kejimkujik Lake, Nova Scotia

The Ransoms: a picture of my wife Leslie Ransom (68 yrs old and 46 years backcountry camping and paddling with me). All packed up and heading out. Leaving campsite on Vixen Lake, Kawartha Highlands Provincial Park

Bryce Jenkins: McGregor Falls on the Bird River, in Nopiming Provincial Park

Christine Sprengler: My daughter, Evie, age 8, taking a break from paddling to watch the mist rise on Livingstone Lake in the Algonquin Highlands, August 2020. Her theory: clouds sleep on the lake at night and rise into the sky with the sun.

Tori Drost: I took this photo early in the morning as we were loading our gear into the boats after a 20-hour drive from southern Ontario to Wabakimi. This was the access point just outside the park, on Bukemiga Lake. It was supposed to be a loop trip, but we never made it back to this launch point - my friend dislocated his shoulder along the Kopka River and we had to get airlifted out. Someday we'll go back and finish the trip!

Greg Gungner: First year canoeing the backcountry with my new buddy Hudson. Lots of great days and a few not so sunny. This was a rainy morning in Temagami. I love the expression on his face.

Linda Timmerman: This is just west of Spruce Woods Provincial Park in Southwest Manitoba as we travelled over 25 km down the Assiniboine River. Spectacular colours and several Bald Eagles and Golden Eagles, Blue Heron and many other species of birds! Also a fishing couple with a Walleye along the way!!

Jim Hendry: Middle of October (13th). Day after a wicked storm and high winds all night on Windy Point, Openago Lake, Algonquin Park, Ontario. Five night trip, cut down to four, as the temperatures were hitting 0 to 5 degrees, and was worried wind would come back. Still loved it though!

Adeline Hewey: “Morning Mist” - this was taken early in the morning on Frozen Ocean Lake in Kejimkujik National Park, NS. My daughter and her friend we’re heading out to deeper water for a morning dip. We were on a three night back-country canoe trip: two lakes, six portages, eight mamas, eight daughters and endless memories!

Bryan Weaver: Copper Lake Kawartha, picked up a hitchhiker! My 14yr old son with the photo credit.

Madelyn Lecsek: Cannisbay Lake in Algonquin Park in between morning showers in late July this year.

Jessica Barlow: My first trip with my new-to-me canoe. I'm hooked and can't wait to get out next year!

Megan Veniot: We left as soon as the restrictions were lifted 🥰 Missinaibi River

Alison Zajac: Rabbit River in MB this past July, our first ever over night canoe trip. Was beautiful out in Nopiming Provincial Park :)

Bert van Leeuwen: Otter Falls Manitoba

Devorah Sugarman: Mattawa River 2020 - Ember checkin in.

Brad Toews: Eagle-Dogtooth Provincial Park

Claire Atherton: a sunset paddle on Maria Lake in Quetico Provincial Park

Terence Carty: Temagami

Melinda Snyder: Ranger Point on Lake Obabika Temagami, ON. Day 6 of our 8-day trip with our two tiny adventurers.

Suzie Lemoine: south end of of Eaglenest upon leaving Greenbay on a wickedly hot day, after many days of WIND! 8 lady voyageurs in 4 canoes

Craig Campbell: 1966 Eatons fibreglass canoe is still the perfect boat! Fox lake. Near Minaki , Ontario

Thomas Dunham: Exploring the islands off Killbear

Amanda Scholtz: Georgian Bay, Lions Head Provincial Park

Devin Riches: for the first time, we tried a 3 and a half hour backcountry canoe trip to Tom Thomson lake this past summer and actually stayed on the island! It was the best experience ever! We are planning our trip next year already!

Michel Godbout: My wife Sue McLean and I (Michel Godbout) on the Coulonge River in Quebec Thanksgiving weekend.

Darren Davidson: Morning mist rising off Wicksteed Lake on a cool August morning in Marten River Ontario

Doug Begbie: Between parkside bay and ragged lake in Algonquin Park.

Cheri Villard: Red Lake Ontario

Kari Anderson: Paddling Nopiming Provincial Park. Manitoba

Ashley Songar: Woke up at 6:30 am to get this beautiful picture of the fog leaving the lake and the sun just starting to come up. Kawartha Highlands Provincial Park

Olivia Coneys: Vermillion Lake, Ontario. It was our first ever all girls trip, which was very empowering and our motto for the weekend was “Camp with Queens and you’ll eat like Kings!”. This was our lakeside charcuterie board. It was such a wonderful experience.

Brad Van Reenen: taken in the pinch between Smoky Lake and Noganosh Lake

Scotty Hickey: Algonquin Park at Kitty Lake cabin on Farm Lake. August 2020. Early morning Paddle with a perfect mist. This was my first time taking my daughter on a canoe trip. She had a great time.

Jonathon Van de Graaf: First time taking the kids into the backcountry solo. Pen Lake, Algonquin

Ivy Lee: Enjoying the calm, almost mirror-like quality of Radiant Lake, Algonquin Park.

Michael Joseph: Ragged Lake Algonquin PP

Jocelyn Plouffe: Paddled Tulabi Lake to MacGregor for our [big] dog's first canoe trip - he got the hang of things pretty quickly, with the little one’s help.

Jolene Kozak: Sunset view from a campsite on Rabbit River in Nopiming Provincial Park.

Rosalie Tarleton: lunchtime paddle my family did on Moon Lake in Riding Mountain National Park. My daughter, Maggie, is learning to love canoeing as much as we do!

Christine Mazur: Lower Bird River near Nopiming, Manitoba. Canoe: a 14' 1975 cedar/canvass Tremblay

Duane Ouimette: One of many early mornings paddling and fishing the Detroit River in my hometown of LaSalle, Ontario. This morning was particularly calm (pretty rare for the Detroit River). It’s certainly not wild or remote but I’m always happy any chance I get to be out on the water in a canoe.

Dustin Carey: Crotch Lake, Algonquin Park

Bill Vandermeij: Algonquin Park, camping with my daughters family

Jamie Porter: Passing storm, Welcome Lake, Algonquin

Chris Sims: Ontario between Kenora and Atikokan

Kevin Drummond: a trip my wife and I did on the Ottawa river, Ottawa, Canada, we put in below Parliament near the rowing club and paddled up as far as we could. Parliament is spectacular from the water and the weather was perfect that day.

Farmer’s Rapids on the Whitemouth River in Manitoba

Steve Elms: Kennesis Lake in Ontario

Gayathri Mallur: Killarney Provincial Park. Paddled from Carlyle lake to Johnny lake

Patricia Knobl: Arrowhead Provincial Park just as the sun was rising. It was a cool August morning, but the water was so calm. It was beautiful and peaceful.

Niels Pierik: Sunset canoe paddle on Pen Lake, Algonquin Park

Devin Gale: Big Dam Lake, Kejimkujik National Park

Brad Lee: Paddling partner Michel Godbout anticipates an approaching storm, from Campsite 13 on Spider Lake in The Massasauga

Jeff Bardell: Algonquin Park. Booth -> Kitty

Herb Stencil: Kootenay Lake SE BC

Sean Smyth: Spider Lake in The Massasauga Provincial Park

Patrick Kramer: Lovesick Lake

@jacobthomasphotography: After a long-dreaded wait, Algonquin finally opened backcountry camping and this past weekend was our May 24 make-up trip. I had one wish, to spot a moose that was not just off the Hwy 60 route. Well boy oh boy, Not only did we get 1, or 2... but 3 moose sightings! This mother and her calf wandered into our campsite just 15 feet away as we were chatting around the fire before dinner. We had the most surreal privilege to share our camp with these two before they walked up the tree line into the setting sun

Raymond Bungay: Beautiful evening on Mink Lake in Algonquin Park

Rachel Wagner: Bird River route out at Nopiming Provincial Park

Bert Schuh: Cornall Lake, Ontario

Margaret Jamieson: In September, we got Jake our new puppy.... this was his Christening voyage on Koshlong lake in Haliburton, Ontario for a Sunrise paddle

Tony Jackson: Amazing 11 day adventure, Sutton River, canoeing through Polar Bear Provincial Park out to Hudson Bay early August 2020. Certainly lived up to it's name and took things to a new level of intensity!

Chris McGyver: A quiet days paddle on Pittock Lake in Woodstock Ontario.

Joshua Scudds: Annual Noganosh Trip, taken on Smokey Lake I call this one "WidowMaker"

Ashley Spencer: Matagamasi lake, we were out geocaching!!

Alice Herculson: Strawberry Hill

David Bain: David Lake Killarney

Ernie Thiessen: Manitoba

Paul Harland: Manitoba

Martin Giesbrecht:

Victor Lagassé: Crowduck Lake Mb.

Vivian Sigurdson: Tulabi Lake, Nopiming Provincial Park Manitoba

Jon Wakani: my infant sons first backcountry canoe trip, by far the shortest, easiest and yet most memorable trip ever. Looking forward to returning with his new baby sister this year!

Ciaran Ballantyne: We didn't get out padding as much as we would have liked and apparently I didn't take many pictures. Here's one of us on the Peace River - BC

Cameron Ruml: the Rabbit River in Nopiming MB

Shelly Morrison: Lac Kipawa, Quebec

Marilyn Cross: North Rathbun Lake, Kawartha Highlands Provincial Park

Rob & Amy: Mink Lake Algonquin Park

@taitgoosey: “First portage is always getting out of the parking lot”. Taken (safely) crossing the road back to the parking lot after a 3 day trip in the Poker Lakes.

K Switzer: “Sunset over Cedar Strip” Big East Haliburton Highlands Water Trails

Dean Ducas: “Awash With Stars”. We reached up above the atmosphere with our rocket canoe and paddled in outer space viewing a multitude of stars. Paddle started at the St. Lawrence River by Cornwall Ontario, snow falling at night

Mike: Chantry Island's famous lighthouse on Lake Huron

Debbie Johnston: Bottle Lake, Kawartha Highlands, Ontario

@meperhaps: Buzzard Lake

Mark Muschett: Buckhorn Lake. Our old dog Apollo enjoying time on the water.

Keelia Meredith: Sunrise on Ronald lake, in the Halliburton Water Trails 🥰🥰

Gerry Carr: Sec Lake Algonquin Park. Four night stay with my sister.  The total of our combined ages is 133! We hope to be tripping for many more years!

Mark Falls: Jubilee Lake, Algonquin Park. Time for one more late season Paddle, out for a weekend trip in mid October. A Little snow wasn’t going to stop us going for a paddle (Day before we were in Shorts and t-Shirts)

Luke Sovie: Teepee lake

Evelyn Robertson: After the portage from Copper Lake into Serpentine in Kawartha Highlands Provincial Park. Photo was taken during my first solo trip this past summer. Can't wait for the next adventure!

Stefanie Kane: “One Last Paddle” – Black River, Washago, Ontario. The water was like glass and the air was so fresh; on November 21st, 2020 we were fortunate enough to get out for one last paddle before the rivers and lakes begin to freeze over.  It was delightful and a first for us being able to say, “We paddled in Ontario in NOVEMBER!”

Tom Forbes: Herb Lake, Haliburton Highlands Water Trail, Ontario

@urbanpaddlers: Morning fog revealing the fall landscape on Parkside Bay in Algonquin. Photo by Cassandra Jowett.

Rebecca Piercey: Snack time on the Peace River, Northern BC.

Eveline Bohemier: Exploring the Whiteshell

Paul Shipman: This photo sums up my entire summer, which I spent working on my upcoming cookbook, working recipes, taking pictures and paddling Manitoba. This photo is of my Taco soup on the shore of the campsite on War Eagle Lake in the Whiteshell. This photo is featured on the book’s cover.

Nicholas Elrick: Two kids and their dad, Magnetawan River

Ariel Estulin: Philip Edward Island

Manuel Calleja: backcountry trip this August in Algonquin Park. It was taken at the start of the 975m portage from Straight Shore into Rosswood Lake. Mucky!

Ellee How: We finally made our way over to view the spectacular Grand Rapids on Chatterton Lake, in Quetico Provincial Park, Ontario

Justyna Gerech: 9 day portage trip in Tamagami taking a rest on the trail

Andrew Bruce: Natty's First Algonquin Adventure!

Michele Ashley: Britt, Ontario

@alonajanealvear: Lakes and trees, yes puh-lease! 🛶🍂

@samanthacurt: The Big Cheese 💙

Jessie Bulmer: Wilders lake in Ontario !! Lots of turtles and our dogs first time in our boat!

Steve Thompson: Lady Evelyn River. Such a great trip!

Hailey Sonntag: Taken in Killarney on Kakakise Lake on Thanksgiving weekend.

Jodi Nutley: Algonquin Sept 2020. Littledoe Lake

Mercede Rogers: My husband portaging up Seagram Falls in Temagami. Early on in our 30 day family trip this summer. I’m waiting at the tip of the Falls with our 5 yr old and 19 month old. 😁

Eric Schmidt: Always gotta remember to stretch on a canoe trip! Turtle River Provincial Park in NWO

Brody Dupuis Davidson: entering Tim River from Tim lake. Moose selfie

Julia Caravaggio: This is a photo of my 80 year old Nana and I doing some city paddling on the Humber River in Toronto!!

Chelsea Phelan-Tran: Sunset paddle on Crab Lake (Kawartha Highlands)

Patricia Dickson: Dickson Family Annual Canoe Safety Drills; Cold Lake, Kawartha Highlands Provincial Park.

Kritsy Lee Belley: This is clearwater river in Alberta.

Liza Yz: (the toddler is wearing a life vest under the rain jacket, so all safety precautions were taken)

Bryce MacDonald:

Cindy Kozak: Pickerel River

Sarah Maki: Test paddle with baby! (Our backyard, in Muskoka Ont)

Sabina S: Charleston Lake (Algonquin P.P)

Pam Stortz: Portage yoga, Algonquin PP

Nicole Marie: Montreal River. Temagami

Janet Brooks: This is my son, Dominic, taking the canoe out alone. He is 14. We were in North Eastern Ontario at Bear Lake.