Free Kayak and Canoe Rentals from Middleton Recreation

If you are looking for a fun FREE family outing, then head to Middleton to take advantage of their FREE kayak and canoe rentals!

On all summer until September 30th, there’s still plenty of time to take advantage of this great opportunity!

The boys have always wanted to try kayaking, after getting a taste of it at their friend’s cottage. I wasn’t sure if they would be able to sign up for a kayak tour, or if they would even like it that much, so when I heard about the free rentals, I knew this would be the perfect way to get their feet, or paddles wet!

How it Works

Middleton Recreation will be offering free canoe and kayak rentals from Riverside Park until Sept. 29. Call 902-825-8143 to reserve a canoe or kayak and safety gear.

There are 6 single kayaks available and 4 canoes. There must be at least one person 16+ to sign the waivers and be with the group.

Phone 902-825-8143.

Let them know how many boats you would like to rent, at what time, and on what day.

Meet the recreation staff at Riverside Park in Middleton. They will give you all the equipment and life jackets, give you a few training tips, and send you off down the river!

They have some XL life jackets that fit our 8 year old, but if you have smaller children, you might want to bring your own, or borrow them for free from the Red Cross.

Our Experience

To be honest, when we first started down the river, we had a bit of trouble. Boats flipped, and there was A LOT of complaining.

The kids had never really boated before, so they didn’t know what they were doing. Fighting the current, going up river was tough, too.

Luckily, the water was only about 18 inches deep in many spots, making it easy to stop and wait for each other to catch up.

Once we got going a bit, I was able to teach the kids a few basic strokes, based on my limited canoe training from Girl Guides. This helped a lot.

I was glad the kids had to work hard at it. Everything comes so easy to them, that they rarely have to work hard for anything. It was a great lesson in not giving up.

By the end of our hour-long journey, the boys were rock stars! They could manoeuvre around logs, turn directions, steer.