Seeing Cootes from a new perspective
This article was originally published in McMaster University’s Alumni Blog in 2012.
I have always wanted to go on a voyage. I dream of taking a yacht out to the vast ocean, in the middle of the sea, to admire nature’s beauty.
I did exactly just that last Sunday, with some minor tweaks. I was in a canoe, not a yacht, on Cootes Paradise.
The Mac10 Can You Canoe in Cootes? event was an afternoon with nature. McMaster alumni spent the day paddling in the largest wetland at the west end of Lake Ontario. Each canoeist took it to their own pace as they made their way around the wetland, stopping occasionally to admire the stunning scenery.
New to canoeing, I was trying very hard to paddle straight on the canoe with my partner, who was leading the strokes from behind. It took a while for us to get far from the shore as we stopped frequently to readjust our canoe. It required perseverance, patience, and lots of paddling.
But once we reached further at the centre of the wetland, I forgot my aching arms.
Soaking in the sun (and sweat), I stared at the beautiful landscape mapped out in front of my eyes and let it wash over me. It was mesmerizing. No wonder they call it Cootes Paradise.
Being out in the water was a new experience altogether. I was able to see Cootes in a new light. Instead of looking out from the trails, with the ground under my feet, I was on the lake, having to remind myself not to stand up in the canoe. Half of me was terrified that I would fall out of the canoe. The other half commanded me to keep paddling against the tide. It was hard to do that without getting lost in admiration of nature's beauty.
A 1987 McMaster alumna and I briefly spoke at the event. She mentioned how impressed she was with Cootes and that she had not been back since she graduated.
As for me, I am just glad I had the chance to look at another Hamilton gem from a different vantage point. Not as a jogger looking from afar, but as a rookie paddler smacked right in the middle of the wetland.