The Slave River Paddlefest is held every year on the August long weekend in Fort Smith, North West Territories and is happening July 30th - August 2nd this year with pre-festival activities starting July 24th and continuing through to July 29th.





Like many rivers in Canada the Slave is under great threat of being altered and damned and the goal of the Slave River Paddlefest is to bring public attention to the river's plight.

Event organizers say the Slave River is one of the world’s best whitewater paddling destinations.

Accessed from the small town of Fort Smith, Northwest Territories, the water is warm, the paddling is amazing, and the crowds are non-existent.

Not only is this section of the Slave extremely beautiful but it is also the northern-most nesting ground for American White Pelicans.

Paddlers find they often paddle past these majestic birdswhile making there way down the river.



Apparently if you like big water and beautiful rivers the Slave should definitely be on your list of paddling road trips.

Unfortunately, the Slave is also on hydro developers favourites list – ATCO and TransCanada have plans to build an 1800 Megawatt dam on the Slave River.

They are currently trying to convince local aboriginal groups that they should be allowed to begin their feasibility studies.

The small Fort Smith Paddling Club doesn’t want that to happen so they've started an annual Paddlefest as a positive protest of the dam.

The festival really is impacting the way local people view the river and many new people are coming out to the river to watch the spectator events and realizing what a beautiful place it is.

People are also starting to realize that the river has the potential to create a tourism industry here.

Organizers say don’t let their political agenda scare you away – the Slave River Paddlefest is lots of fun!

What began as a whitewater kayak festival has expanded to include canoes, rafts, sea kayaks and voyageur canoes.



There are river trips, and fun competitions for beginner through advanced paddlers, and events for kids and teens as well.

The river is a drop pool river – in between the four main ledges, there are sections of flatwater.

This means that our river has paddling opportunities for everyone, from beginner routes on flatwater to extreme grade V and VI routes.

It’s a bit of a drive, but hey, we’re accessible by road, so if you’re planning a paddling road trip, put the Slave River Paddlefest on your agenda.

For more information about the Slave River Paddlefest or to register, please see the Fort Smith Paddling Club website or to find out about more whitewater events check out the Rapid Events Blogs and Features.

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