For 20 years, the Rideau Roundtable, a Smiths Falls not-for-profit, has tirelessly promoted the Rideau and Cataraqui waterways' environmental, cultural, and historical health, connecting Canadians with a pivotal part of their heritage.

Its annual Rideau Paddlefest has been running for nine years and attracts visitors from far and wide to watch voyageur canoe races. These large canoes, once used by fur traders, symbolize the waterways' rich history. The event also features ecological tours, live performances, and exhibitions, making it a vibrant celebration of the community and its natural surroundings.

This year, Paddlefest organizers worked to strengthen the festival’s connection with the Smith Falls downtown core, in collaboration with the Chamber of Commerce, the Downtown Business Association and the town.

“(We) wanted to reconnect the event to the heartbeat of the city,” says Richard Doherty, a retired urban and environmental and economic development planner and member of the Rideau Roundtable board.

Paddlefest showcases the Rideau Roundtable’s mission to raise awareness about the historic waterway while bolstering the local economy through tourism.

To support these efforts, the Rideau Roundtable received support from My Main Street as part of the Community Activator initiative. The program supports community projects in southern Ontario designed to draw visitors and increase local vibrancy. My Main Street is delivered by the Canadian Urban Institute (CUI), and supported by a Government of Canada investment through the Federal Economic Development Agency for Southern Ontario (FedDev Ontario).

“The support gave us the capacity to provide tours,” says Peter Au, president of the organization. These tours have extended to other communities, broadening the organization’s impact.

For example, the Fall Colour Tour invites tourism sector partners to experience the waterways’ beauty firsthand. “The Fall Colour Tour enables us to invite partners and people in the tourism sector to experience firsthand what this is all about,” says Au.

The support also went towards improving the organization’s social media presence, website, and outreach, raising the profile of its programming and drawing both visitors and locals to the area.

While this year’s events have had good uptake, the Rideau Roundtable members feel confident they can do better and connect more Canadians – especially new Canadians – with this piece of our country’s heritage.

“We’d really like to see enough communities get involved so Paddlefest can be held up and down the whole waterway,” says Au. “[That’s] one of my dreams.”