Explore St. Marys’ waterways with free kayak bookings starting May 24

St. Marys’ free kayak borrowing service, the Yak Shack, returns Tuesday, May 24 after the Victoria Day long weekend with a few changes. Kayaks must be pre-booked online this year. Online bookings will open one week prior to available timeslots at discoverstmarys.ca starting Monday, May 16. Due to demand, timeslots will be two instead of three hours long and Sunday bookings will be available in July and August.

Launched last summer, the Yak Shack allows the public to book single-person kayaks for use on St. Marys waterways. Paddlers can explore up to five kilometres of river routes offering views of St. Marys’ historic downtown, the Sarnia Bridge and countryside.  

To allow everyone to enjoy the program, individuals can only book one timeslot per person per week. Kayaking is recommended for children aged eight and older. Youth under the age of eighteen must be accompanied by an adult. A maximum of five kayaks are available.

After completing your online reservation, you can pick up keys, paddles and life jackets at the St. Marys Public Library (15 Church St. N.) prior to your timeslot. The Yak Shack, where the kayaks are stored, is located at Milt Dunnell Field by Lion's Park Pavilion.

The Town of St. Marys would like to thank founding partners the St. Marys Kinsmen Club, Canadian Tire, Grason International Sourcing Inc., St. Marys Home Hardware, Stratford Perth Community Foundation and the Hodges Family for making this program a reality.

For full details, visit discoverstmarys.ca/yakshack.

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For media inquiries:
Kelly Deeks-Johnson, Tourism and Economic Development Manager
519-284-2340, ext. 272 | kdeeks@town.stmarys.on.ca