To:
The members of the Ottawa River
Runners (ORR)
The
Ottawa paddling community and the
ORR have struggled for a number of
years to remain viable and
optimistic while the City of Ottawa
shut down for repair and
rejuvenation our world-class
paddling facility. All of you are
familiar with the great effort it
took to save and enhance this
paddling jewel in the nation's
capital. I am now extremely pleased
to announce that the 'Pumphouse'
will once again be open for paddling
in spring 2008. This is only one
month away!
As
an ORR member, the 'Pumphouse' is
your facility. ORR leadership made
access to the new site in 2008 a
reality. This highly successful
outcome required countless hours of
volunteer time and a significant
expenditure of money. Now the ORR
needs your help. Here's how to
contribute:
1.
Join the ORR. Strongly encourage all
other paddlers you know to do so
as well. ORR needs the direct
support of paddlers to protect our
access to the 'Pumphouse', to keep
it properly maintained and to offer
programs and facilities that
encourage participation in the sport
of white water paddling. The annual
ORR membership fee permits unlimited
use of the 'Pumphouse' at no
additional cost and, most
importantly, payment of the annual
fee directly supports ORR's advocacy
work to expand white water paddling
opportunities in Ottawa and across
Canada.
2.
Get your ORR Members sticker and
show it with pride. You made the
'Pumphouse' a reality.
3.
Respect the modest scheduling
restrictions that will be imposed at
the 'Pumphouse' to allow the maximum
number of ORR members to paddle and
train there at convenient times.
4.
Encourage non-members who may wish
to paddle at the 'Pumphouse' from
time to time to either (i) join the
ORR or (ii) pay the $5.00 day
use fee which will be collected at
the site. The day use fees collected
will go directly towards the cost of
maintaining the 'Pumphouse'. This is
in everyone's interest. Commercial
users of
the site, whether involving
ORR members or not, will
be encouraged to negotiate with the
ORR the days and times they may use
the site
and
what share of their revenues
generated
will be paid to ORR.
ORR
needs
to recover
what it paid to gain access to the
'Pumphouse' and
must
build
a strong
financial base to ensure this
incredible facility
thrives
and grows. Our next
initiative
is to build a club house.
Thanks, Doug Corkery, ORR President
