A trailblazer for rafting on the Ottawa River

Claudia Van Wijk, owner and operator of OWL Rafting relives her memory of the first descent of the Ottawa River;

“Seemed the thing to do… checking out new whitewater spots in our backyard is something I was used to doing with my father. I loved the surprise. Thus, our family trip up to the Ottawa River in the spring of 1974 was just another family road trip for me. Quite disappointing at first, because the region we drove into was flat which doesn’t forecast any potential drop that would create sizeable rapids.  But, when we arrived on the Quebec side, by Calumet Island we got to run the Sullivan Island Dam which was definitely worth the trip. Then the mystery unfolded…”

Read the Bomb Flow Magazine article to find out more about Claudia and her father’s first descent in modern kayak of the now world renowned Ottawa River.