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Aylmer local kayaks to work in Ottawa

Alana Repstock

Aylmer local, Keisha Lewis, chooses a path less travelled for her commute to work in Ottawa. She kayaks. The voyage is a straight shot across the Ottawa River and takes approximately 35 minutes—"about half the time it would take to drive with the current traffic situation," Lewis said. 

Kayaking to work makes for a more peaceful and healthy commute option as compared to driving, and it spares Lewis from the increasingly backlogged traffic on the Champlain Bridge, currently exacerbated by the “rehabilitation” of the bridge, now in “phase two” that has reduced the number of lanes to two – one in each direction – and is projected to finish in November 2023, as is stated on the National Capital Commission’s website.

In spite of its upsides, kayaking does have downsides. Kayaking is weather dependent, the season is short, and even then, heavy rain and strong winds throw a cog in its figurative wheels. Furthermore, it should not be attempted by those who are not practised in kayaking and its safety procedures. The other issue is finding a place to park one’s kayak. Luckily for Lewis, she works at the Ottawa River Canoe Club and docks her kayak there.

Finding solutions to traffic is top of mind for many Aylmerites whose commutes to and from work in Ottawa have been ground to a frustrating crawl. Alternative means of transportation do exist, such as biking, kayaking, bussing, and carpooling. Nevertheless, it still begs the question of what infrastructure solutions can be implemented to deal with the issue at scale.

The Bulletin filmed Keisha Lewis launching off from Queen’s Park and paddling toward her destination across the river. You can watch it on our Facebook page here: https://fb.watch/kLgXtLPrGb/  

Photo caption: Keisha Lewis launching off in her kayak from Queen’s Park.

Photo credit: Alana Repstock