Paddler's Guide to Happy Camping

What an unbelievable story. Not only disrespectful but amazingly dangerous. Does the lake have a cottager association? Is there a way to post this story in the magazine? I would love word to get back to those cottagers about how irresponsible they were and that that their fellow cottagers feel the same way. Maybe a visit by the OPP?

I wish I had a video camera. The police won't do anything without a clear idea of who they were - and even then, what would they really do???

Kevin

Very disrespectful and dangerous! How could they even do that with a young child in the canoe??

We were actually planning to canoe this lake on Sunday. Thinking we will find another lake.

we plan on doing this lake, this sunday, hopefully this is an islolated inc ident, ill let you know, ill take my camera with me, thanks for the info warning on the lake, we decided on this lake weeks ago, as a day trip, going give it a try, sad people act like that, hopefully we can stop this from happening, ill post here happens to us

The purpose of reporting this incident to police is to create a record of the incident. While it is true that your incident may not result in police laying charges, it creates an audit trail for police to prove intent. You mention another group of canoe people were then targets, if each party reports their experience to the police, the cumulative effect is very powerful and it then becomes the word of a few boys against many.

If you do nothing, can you live with the knowledge that another party will not be so lucky? You are an experienced canoe person - I am not and frankly, in the same circumstances, I might not have made it back to shore.

I called the OPP today since I had KH on my radar as a place I wanted to go on the Sept long weekend and this has made me very concerned. I asked the OPP what I should do in the event this happened to me.

Their response is:
1. YOu don't need a video camera to convict people of a crime. And this is a crime - make no mistake, people cannot put other people's lives in danger. Its the equivalent of running a person off the road on a highway in a car.
2. You do need to report the incident in order for them to act on it.
3. You need to provide a description of the people (the person driving the boat is the most important since only he can be charged). The time, place, and what happened. In other words, as much detail as you can provide.
4. Having a description of the cottage or locale is also valuable, since cottages are not rented to minors, and these kids belong to someone.
5. The officer did state that if I had a cell phone (and it worked) I could call 1-888-310-1122 and the call would be dispatched to the fronk desk. He said he couldnt promise any immediate response, and of course, the best action is to get off the lake.
5. A camera cell phone is a good way to get a description of the boater (do cell phone cameras work out there?).

Bottom line, if you do nothing, nothing will be done, but reporting at least puts the onus on the police . They are out there patrolling lakes with motor boat access, and if they know there has been a previous incident, they may patrol this lake more frequently.

thanks for the advice anuperson, ill be out on loon call lake sunday with my camera, and cell phone, if this happens do as o.p.p say, ill let you know monday

Thank you Jason, I will look forward to your report. I travel solo with a couple dogs. I did tell the cop my dogs are more than capable of defending me, but honestly, who goes paddling with the idea they must fend for their life. Its supposed to be relaxing. And that is really my last resort. Plus, who wants to be dumped in the lake with a high speed boat propeller whizzing by your head.

Ironically, when ever I tell people I go out paddling solo in the bush, the first question they ask is " are you afraid of bears". I tell them no, I have yet to be threatened by any animal and actually hope to have animal encounters to photograph, but I have had a few (less serious than this) but unpleasant encounters with young men. I'm tired of it.

The Loon Call Lake Cottage Association was appalled with what happened to you and your family. This type of behaviour and intimidation is danageous and cannot be tolerated. Your article has been sent to all our membership, we have been in touch with the Park Management and have requested any information be forwarded to the OPP. The Loon Call Lake Cottage Association promotes safe water practices, is environmentally conscious, was actively involved in the creation of the Kawartha Highlands Signature Provincial Park and has a good working relationship with the Park Management. Everyone has a right to be safe and enjoy our provincial parks. We encourage people to report these types of incidents on any lake or waterway to the OPP. Again, we are very sorry your experience on Loon Call Lake was such a bad one.....

Neil Guyatt
Past President
LCLCA

on sunday we had a great day on loon call lake, the people were very friendly, met alot nice cottagers, the boaters were respectful. We had a great time at the far end of lake swimming from a large rock, water clean warm, spent 6 hrs on the lake, the landing for car parking was clean. We had our camera and phone ready, prepared just in case, my wife nervous didn;t want go, after reading about the problem ,, we had planned this day trip along time, im glad we did go, a great day, hopefully it was an isolated incident, thanks to neil guyatt informing members, thanks to anuperson, giving good advice what to do and as well kevin for the heads up, happy canoing were off long lake next weekend

I'm so glad you had a good paddle on Loon Call Lake. Obviously, the blog was going against the silly boys in the boat and not Loon Call Lake itself. The Cottage Association for Loon Call Lake has an incredible track record of taking care of the neighbouring environment and the lake is lucky to have them as stewards.

After a number of emails and phone calls from some contacts I know up there, it seems these boys are already well known for other similar acts of stupidity and the powers that be are now looking into action against them - so paddle freely on lovely Loon Call Lake (and thank the Cottage Association members while you're up there). Just don't camp there. It's only a day use part of the Kawartha Highlands park and no camping is allowed.

Kevin Callan

The Real story -
I do not doubt that Mr. Calan was concerned about tipping due to boat wakes but that nothing was intentional.
First - These boys were never trying to swamp the canoeists as they were circling the island as they had just snuck off of it, stranding one of them on it, and laughing at his misfortune. Mr Calan’s first instinct was correct, they had not noticed him. The one finger salute was given by Mr Calan to the boys, not the other way around as he suggests. Once the boys realized what had happened, seeing that Mr Calan and family were safe there was not much the boys could do so they left – End of Story.

The following also didn’t happen
No moon was attempted
No calls from shore to “Go get them again.”
No repeated attempts to swamp his boat.
No calls to “get off our F--king lake.

This is a story of someone who had a close call in their canoe and wants to feel better about trying to blame someone. Perhaps the boys should have been more diligent to keep a look out for others while circling the island and hopefully this incident will reinforce that. Its also laughable that he had the misfortune of going to another cottage to ask questions of boys who had nothing to do with the incident and suggesting that they in turn attempted to swamp him and verbally abuse him. Its unfortunate that he has had a bad experience but blowing the incident out of proportion
is worse. It seems to me that Mr. Calan should apologize for embellishing his story
with lies in order to make his blog entry more interesting.
It appears to me that M. Calan enjoys his creative writing experience, but he should advise that his story is as much fiction as it is truth.
One thing that this reaffirms is “do not believe everything you read”.

Yes, don't believe everything you read. Also, don't believe everything someone tells you. I'm assuming who wrote this is not one of the three boys in the boat. I'm assuming the writer heard the boy's version and decided to write it on this blog (if you state an opinion, it's best to make claim of it, especially if others who are concerned of what happened that day are lookiing to identify you for other mischief on the same lake). But forget all this conflict for once. Fact is fact. Let's simplify this - a family was harassed for no reason what-so-ever by three immature children who should not have been allowed to drive around in a boat that day. They harrassed an innocent family trying to have an afternoon of enjoyment with nature and that family - doing the repsonsible thing- were bothered the entire time by these boys and tghe family had to leave the lake before possible injury occurred to them (including a 4 year-old child) . That's it. Nothing else to add - except when it happens again to someone else, and another innocent family gets injured this time - I'll feel a little better that I at least told people (on a blog and through other proper channels) about what happened to us. Trust me or not what happened that day (I really don't care) but all these things I said, did happen. That's why I wrote it.

Kevin Callan

I am pleased the people responsible for this reckless and dangerous act are being investigated and hope they are charged to the full extent of the law. Like everyone, I was a kid once too (!) and did many stupid things which I deserved punishment for - but NEVER did I intentionally put the lives of a family (with a small child no less) in danger with such callous disregard for their safety. The fact that these boys are known to the community as trouble makers does not surprise me.

Now as far as deciphering the facts, who would you choose: Kevin Callan (a household name in Ontario for canoeing for the past 25 years, a well known and respected canoe person, writer of books, blogs, canoe how-to's etc etc) or the version put forth by some anonymous poster who conveniently refuses to identify him/her self.