The Americas

A group of kayakers broke their own previous record last Sunday by squeezing 138 kayaks and canoes into a single lift lock in Peterborough, Canada.

Kayakers break local record at Peterborough lift lock in Ontario, Canada

Kayakers break local record at Peterborough lift lock in Ontario, Canada. Image by Trent-Severn Waterway

The event was organized by Parks Canada, the Canadian Canoe Museum, and the Land Canadian Adventures in a effort to raise awareness of National Canoe Day. The record breaking event, nicknamed Lock ‘n Paddle, saw 138 canoes and kayaks being lifted simultaneously 65 feet into the air to continue their journey along the Trent Severn Waterway, a canal that connects Lake Ontario to Port Severn.

 

 

The previous record for most kayaks and canoes in a single lift lock was 101, set back in 2003. The lock, which is located in the city of Peterborough in Central Ontario, is the largest hydraulic life lock in the world, making it the ideal location for the record to be set.

 

 

Videos from the event were being widely shared over the weekend, with one video showing participants conducting singalongs in their kayaks while another speed motion clip showed the 138 kayakers being lifted into the air inside the lift lock.

 

 

The day was a historic one for the people of Ontario as not only did they set a new local record but it was also announced that $270 million will be invested into the Trent-Severn Waterway to help restore and improve the National Historic Site. The waterway is one of Canada’s most visited sites, attracting over one million visitors each year.

 

This move by the government of Ontario to protect the country’s waterways comes after news last year that Ontario was to become the first province in Canada to introduce new protections for Orca Whales.