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Fi " Scugog 's Community Newspaper of Choice" 20- PORT PERRY STAR - Tuesday, April 4, 1995 Canoe the Nonquon now the oldest canoe race in Ontario By Kelly Lown Port Perry Star Competitive and leisure canoeists embark on the longest running canoe race each year on Lake Scugog. The Canoe the Nonquon, which has become an institution in Scugog, will be running for the 27th time in just 10 short weeks from now and once again canoeists from across Ontario will move into town the first weekend of June. The race was established in 1969 by the Lake Scugog Historical Society as a means of raising funds for the local museum. A fundraiser called "Miles For petitors from the association each year. Over the years the race has seen years when more than 200 canoes were regis- tered and years when the numbers tallied off. The race went strong for about the first 33 years, then the numbers began to tail off. According to Bill Brock, one of the origi- nal organizers, as gas prices rose the numbers coming to the race decreased, as many competitors came from places as far away as Quebecto take part. It was at this time the organizers also decided the length of the course may have Millions" was going on at the time in other townships where par- ticipants walked to raise funds for chari- vy The Historical Society saw a way to incorporate its lake into their fundraiser. The first year saw 35 canoeists come to take part it what has become known as not necessarily a difficult course, but a chal- lenging one. The course itself covers 11 miles of winding river [1 oth r ace : on paddlers, and moved the unlike any been a problem, as heavy i weeded areas took their toll starting gate from Concession 8 to Concession 6, shortening the entire run about 11 miles. Last year the future of the longest running canoe race was again in jeopardy. The + committee responsible for the =. organization of the events ¥) decided the annual triathlon, ~~ which ran in conjunction with the canoe event, was too "much for them and the canoe 'race was also in question. Organizers and residents rallied to ensure the race was through lush green = marshlands and ends with a five-mile sprint along the shoreline to the water- front in Port Perry. The first years were extremely chal- lenging as numerous beaver dams pro- truded out of what were much lower water levels than today. ~ The oganizers worked hard to advertise the race in the beginning and became sanctioned with the Ontario Marathon Canoe Race Association. The racers were given a point from the association just for taking part in the local race, with addi- tional points for finishing high in the standings. The race still sees several com- resurrected. The organizers put forth an extra effort in a short amount of time and more than 100 faithful canoe- ists turned out for the event. There is no question the race has grown since its inception. The first year there was one class for all participants. and today there are classes for men, women, mixed, competitive, kids and families. The Kids Division was probably the smartest move the organizers could have made, Mr. Brock feels. Children are coming to the race at 12- years-of-age and younger and those are the ones organizers later see in the adult and mixed divisions. Many = Canoe the Nonquon parti¢cipants, who began as young com- petitors, have gone on to compete in other races and have become fairly well known in the canoeing cir- cles, something the organ- izers find very rewarding. There are other faithfuls who have turned out year after year for the event and | many out-of-town canoe | enthusiasts who like the challenge of the Nonquon. Residents of British Columbia, Quebec and from one end of Ontario to the other have taken part in the race over the years. Seventy-year-old racers, European vacationers, mayors, MPs and Ministers have all tackled the Nonquon. "It is a race unlike any other, that may be what attracts some. It is the only one with beaver dams," Mr. Brock noted. Canoe the Nonquon takes place on the first weekend of June each year, although that was not always the case. The first two years the race was held the second weekend of June, but conflicts with the Centennial celebration in 1971 forced organizers to switch weekends. The 1971 Canoe The Nonquon was such a success, organizers decided to keep the date. The June 1 date is appropriate for the race as the moderate temperatures have not yet created weed problems thdt Lake Scugog is famous for and the heat is not yet unbearable. "On average the weekend of the race is quite favorable," Mr. Brock said. The Lake Scugog Historical Soceity has been organizing the race since 1969 and Mr. Brock says it "does not require that much effort really," it is more a labor of Canoe the Nonquon is the longest running canoe race in Ontario love for the members of the society. Aside from the society, only the Port Perry Yacht Club and a group of radio operators organized by Glen Goslin of Scugog have been with the race since it | began. Organizers would like to see the.Canoe The Nonquon celebrate several more anniversaries and Mr. Brock urges resi- dents of the township to take part in the race at least once. : While competitors from all over the world have taken part in the race, there are Scugog Township citizens who do not know the areas or ever seen the marsh - land that the race ventures through. "Everyone (in Scugog) should do the Nonquon at least once in their lifetime," he said. L aw Branch Office - Port Perry 204 Casimir Street, Port Perry Phone: (905) 985-4141 Fax: (905) 985-4598 Effective April 1, 1995, the Paediatrics Unit of Oshawa General Hospital will implement a policy banning latex (rubber) balloons in all areas of the Paediatrics Unit. "Latex balloons have a potential lethal risk of be- ing inhaled by children and represent the leading cause of paediatric chok- ing deaths from children's toys," explains Sheila / Taunton Car Care Inc. / Klaassen, Director, Pa- tient Care Unit for Paedi- thruway 460 Taunton Rd. East, Oshawa 404-8231 or 404 1555 atrics at Oshawa General. o Also Available: A Wide Range Of Services For All Your Automotive Needs o Aluminized Piping Available * Phone And Ask For Details ADULTS & CHILDREN "The main problem is that children can swallow or inhale latex balloons or fragments in several ways such as chewing or suck- ing on a balloon fragment or uninflated balloon, or biting an inflated balloon which may break and be inhaled." According to the United States Consumer Safety Product Commission, la- tex balloons account for 43 per cent of childhood deaths related to toys. La- tex sticks easily to the PORT PERRY DENTAL OFFICE comagianoean ove LL ERED throat which often leads to a blockage of the airway and as a result, hampers a child's breathing. "Balloons made of my- lar (balloons that look like foil) will still be allowed in Paediatrics, but will only be allowed without the string," says Ms. Klaas- sen. "Mylar balloons do not present the same dan- gers as latex." Mylar balloons come pre-inflated and sealed and do not explode and fragment - they simply de- flate. Sse OGH bans balloons in child wards & Commercial Law, Municipal & Development Law, Wills & Estates Main Office - Whitby 618 Athol Street, Whitby Phone: (905) 666-4772 Fax: (905) 666-3233 After April 1, latex bal- loons sent to the hospital for delivery to Paediatrics will be turned away. Also latex balloons in floral ar- rangements will be re- moved prior to delivery to patient rooms. Oshawa General Hospi- tal appreciates the sup- port of the families and friends of our paediatric patients, as well as area florists and balloon sup- pliers, in helping us to maintain a safe environ- ment for our patients. p-m. culture. 8, Blackstock. Lions host VanClief The Blackstock and District Lions Club presents their annual Farmers Night Dinner, Wednesday, April 19 at the Blackstock Recreation Centre at 7 Guest speaker will be M.P. Lyle VanClief, Parlia- mentary Secretary to Dale Goodal, Minister of Agri- Tickets are available by calling 986-5599; 986-5278 or at Port Perry Feeds, Brooks Feeds, Port Perry, oy right's Feeds and Needs, Blackstock and Swain See