It was a great turnout Sunday for the fifth annual Witches Paddle put on by The Trail Shop and St. Mary’s Boat Club in Halifax. “Really just asking people to come together for a quick morning paddle, and people can dress up as witches if they wish. It is a really fun morning of getting together,” says Justin Chenier, The Trail Shop store manager. Around 70 people attended the event and 50 of them dressed up as witches. Participants could take out canoes, kayaks or paddle boards, all free of rental costs. The annual event is family friendly and runs on a drop-in basis. “I heard there are some folks inflating a rowboat this morning. We are open to all kinds of watercraft and something for people to come together and get outside,” adds Chenier. Chenier says that the motto of The Trail Shop is getting people outside, so putting on events like this allows them to share outdoor activities with the community. Each year there is more interest in the event. “People always enjoy it. It’s nothing too strenuous or anything like that, it’s really just a fun activity to do in the morning for Halloween spirit. So, there is always a positive reaction,” says Chenier. This year, the event was held a bit earlier than last year. The typical route starts at St. Mary’s Boat Club and goes to the Dingle and back, but this year they went the other direction due to the wind. The route was still the usual distance of one kilometre. For Christine Burke and Lynn O’Connor this isn’t their first witches paddle, they do it each year. They go all out with costumes: wings, hats and even matching lipstick colours. “Exercise. We want to get out and have some fun. It’s such a great activity,” says Burke. “Every year there seems to be more and more people coming and it’s great to be out on the water this time of year and it’s just a cool vibe to see all the witches and warlocks out on the water,” says O’Connor. O’Connor adds that it’s their chance to partake in Halloween activities. Others like Wendy Vrooman travelled from Timberlea, N.S., to check this paddle off her bucket list. It’s something she and her girlfriends planned to do together. “This year for me has been kind of a celebration of women and feeling a little witchy. So, I’m here with a couple of girlfriends that I cycle with. We just did the 100-kilometre cycle for cancer not too long ago,” says Vrooman. “Also, it’s a celebration of the changing of seasons. Northern countries in Europe, I think, do a great job of that and I think really embracing, it’s getting colder which we don’t necessarily love, but the leaves are beautiful and I think it’s a great opportunity for women and community and kids to have a fun day on the water.” Lisa Schnare accompanied Vrooman out on the water; the two of them each on paddle boards. They originally didn’t know if the event was happening since it was posted later than they expected. With it being a bucket list item for their group, they even prepared to make the drive to Pictou for their witch paddle “When we saw this post go up on Facebook, we were super excited to be here today and really glad we have good weather for this,” says Schnare. Schare says once they got out on the water, they realized paddle boarding with the wind might be a bit risky, but they were ready for any outcome, even if it meant falling in the water. “We have our paddle boards, and we will be with the group and looking to have some fun. We’re hoping we don’t fall in, but if we do, we have planned for that too,” says Schnare. The plan is for the event to return for a sixth year next October, and they hope for an even bigger turnout next year. For more Nova Scotia news, visit our dedicated provincial page
