Rivers Week Update

Beaver Canoe Club Rivers Week 2026

Join dozens of other paddlers for the BCC’s biggest annual event!

Dates: June 19th – June 28th. The event has a very flexible format – you can come for 2 days or come for the whole week!

Who should come: This event is for club members that have completed Basic Paddlers (RCABC tandem Lakewater level 1 certificate or Paddle Canada equivalent) and Intro to Moving Water training day. Attendance at the club’s Mamquam beginner whitewater weekend, and/or a tandem whitewater level 1 RCABC or Paddle Canada certificate are also strongly recommended. You must have a canoe that is properly outfitted for whitewater. 

The plan: 

Loosely – members gather at the campsites, socialise and paddle!! Typically, at each location, you’ll have a choice of where to paddle, from fun Grade I and II rivers to challenging Grade III. 

The event starts in the Similkameen Valley with camping at the Picard Creek Rec site close to Hedley. The plan is flexible, because water levels in the rivers are hard to predict in advance. In particular, the date we move away from the Similkameen area after the first weekend, and our destination, will depend on water levels. The snowpack is very low again this year, as it has been for the last 3 years, but the weather in May and June can still influence the snowpack and river flows significantly. The rivers week plan will be posted on the website, and will be updated regularly, even during the week itself.

  1. June 19-22 (approx.): we will camp at Picard Creek Rec site starting on Friday June 19th. We will be paddling sections of the Similkameen River, possibly other local rivers too if water levels permit. 
  2. Remainder of the week camping options include
  • Granite City rec site north of Princeton (for the Tulameen river)
  • Nkwala Rec site– outside Merritt (for the Nicola River)
  • Cherryville Rec site outside of Lumby (for the upper Shuswap River). This is our best option if the Similkameen, Tulameen and Nicola rivers are too low. It’s a lovely campsite and river, but in a typical year the Shuswap is too high in late June. Note that we are aware this site has been redesignated as day use, but have special permission to camp here for our event, if needed.

Camping

Camping in Rec sites is first come first served, and these sites have minimal facilities (outhouse, firepits and picnic tables) and no electricity. There is usually a small fee, but water is not available onsite.

Social

River’s Week Ultimate Happy Hour June 20th Picard Creek, after paddling

Bring something yummy to share – something unusual, your favourite appie [or dessert]. You won’t need to plan a dinner afterwards…!!

Updates

Please watch for more updates on the website and by email. If you are planning to drop into the week’s activities it’s very important to contact organisers ahead of time to indicate interest and to stay in the loop, since water levels are predicted to be low and the plan will need to stay flexible. Paddling plans are usually finalised the night before. In the meantime, you can email Dave Westell (westell@shaw.ca) or Phil Rankin (prankin@telus.net) if you have questions.