Welcome to the Fort Smith Paddling Club
Whether you’re looking to conquer the legendary whitewater of the Slave River or enjoy a serene sunset drift, you’ve found your community. Based in the heart of the Subarctic in the picturesque town of Fort Smith, the Fort Smith Paddling Club (FSPC) is a passionate group of enthusiasts dedicated to celebrating the incredible waterways of the Northwest Territories.
Who We Are
We are a non-profit organization fueled by a love for the outdoors and a deep respect for the river. From world-class kayakers to families picking up a paddle for the first time, our members represent a diverse range of ages and skill levels. Our mission is simple: to promote safe, accessible, and inclusive paddling experiences for everyone.
What We Do
The Slave River is our playground and our classroom. We work passionately to foster a vibrant paddling culture through:
- Diverse Programming: From casual and introductory canoe kayak sessions to advanced whitewater playboating and paddle-oriented certifications.
- The Slave River Paddlefest: Our flagship annual event that brings together paddlers from across the globe for a weekend of competition and community.
- Gear Rentals: Making the sport accessible by providing high-quality kayaks, canoes, and safety gear to our members.
- Youth Engagement: Helping the next generation of Northerners build confidence and connection to the land through water sports.
Why We Paddle
In Fort Smith, the river isn’t just a landmark—it’s a way of life. We believe that paddling offers a unique perspective on the beauty of the North, fostering physical health, mental clarity, and a lifelong bond with the environment.
Ready to get wet? Whether you want to join our weekly social paddles or volunteer at our next event, we’d love to have you on board. Come find your flow with the Fort Smith Paddling Club!
Our Governance
The FSPC is a registered non-profit society guided by a dedicated group of volunteers and paddling enthusiasts who share a common goal: keeping our community on the water and ensuring the Slave River remains a world-class paddling destination that can be enjoyed by paddlers of all stripes.
The club operates on the pillars of community and safety:
- Community: Creating a welcoming space where beginners feel as empowered as experts. And offering a diversity of high-quality programs to grow the paddlesports community.
- Safety: Ensuring that every club member has the training and resources to navigate our waters responsibly.
What We Do Behind the Scenes
While you’ll often find our board members catching eddies or teaching rolling clinics, their work extends far beyond the riverbanks. The board is responsible for:
- Grant & Resource Management: Securing funding to maintain our fleet, clubhouse, and programs.
- Event Planning: Organizing the logistics for the Slave River Paddlefest and summer youth camps.
- Advocacy: Working with local and territorial partners to promote outdoor recreation and water safety.
- Strategic Vision: Planning for the future growth of the club to ensure paddling remains a staple of Fort Smith life for generations to come.
We are always looking for fresh perspectives. If you are interested in volunteering or joining our board to see how you can contribute, please reach out!
Meet FSPC’s 2026 Board of Directors
President – Raphael Jeansonne-Gelinas
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Vice President – John Blyth
John Blyth is a northern-based field practitioner, researcher, and educator with extensive experience working across Arctic and sub-Arctic environments.
John has led and supported expeditions and training programs throughout the Arctic and Antarctic, working as a whitewater kayaker, sea kayak guide, zodiac driver, and expedition leader. He is passionate about teaching and mentorship, and is known for helping others develop both technical skills and a deeper connection to wild places. His work often bridges science, education, and lived experience, with a focus on empowering people to better understand and care for the environments they move through.
Treasurer – Kevin Smith
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Secretary – Miles Barry
Miles discovered his passion for whitewater kayaking in 2017 shortly after moving to Fort Smith as an Aurora College student. The following year, he quickly purchased the first used kayak he could get his hands on (having later been described by a friend as the worst kayak they had ever paddled) and began his kayaking journey by learning the hard way. As it turns out, learning the hard way has come in handy, as Miles has been volunteering as a coach and board member since 2021, using his hard-learned experience to help send off new kayakers the easy way. In recent years, Miles has been travelling to BC, Alberta, and Ecuador to sate his paddling addiction, bringing back knowledge and experience to deploy in growing the local paddling community in Fort Smith.
Miles is a level 3 whitewater kayak instructor/leader and takes pride in having coached several batches of paddlers from their first-ever kayaking experience to becoming members of FSPC’s intermediate kayakers group. You can bet on running into him on the river or at regular club events. If you’re looking for information, instruction, or a guide on the Slave River, reach out to Miles on Facebook, and he would be happy to lend a paddle.
Director – Antoine Berthiaume
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Director – Alex James
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Director – Mary Anne Schoenhardt
Mary Anne grew up canoeing in northern Ontario and has taught canoeing and camping skills at various summer camps.
Since moving to Fort Smith, she has loved continuing to spend time on the water, building her kayaking skills, and the community that this provides.