Location and Paddle Details:

Location:

Sixteen Mile Creek, Oakville Ontario

Parking:

Paid or free parking available close to the launch (no trailer access). Rates depend on the day, time and time of year. Check the City of Oakville website and meters.

Launch:

Busby Park (under Randall/Rebecca St bridge). 43°26’36.8″N 79°40’22.6″W. Walk-in ramp only. Warning: usually muddy.

Weather:

The water temperature around 9C.  This is a pretty protected spot making it great even on windier days. Easy paddle for Halloween; sunny/cloudy 7 C with winds up to 17km/hr from the south (blowing perpendicular to the creek) but too windy for Lake Ontario.

Route:

East towards the mouth of the creek and back up the creek for a total of 5km until it gets too shallow. The leisure paddle took around 2 hours. You can head out into Lake Ontario but conditions need to be pretty calm for it to be enjoyable.

Tips:

• This is a well-protected area and an easy paddle.
• The creek isn’t too shallow although there are a few logs to watch out for.
• In the summer there is more boat traffic with the Oakville Yacht club and other organizations and private docks. All of the sailboats and the majority of the boats and private docks were pulled out of the water on October 31st. Typically this happens between the start to the end of October.
• Additional boat launch on the other side of the creek between Shipyard Park and Tannery Park off Francis St. This launch is accessible for boat trailers but limited parking nearby. Paid parking for boat trailers and free parking at Tannery Park.

 Overall:

• Great spot. Fully recommended.
• Sheltered from the wind
• Underwater logs that your fin can be snagged but minimal
• Great spot for beginners but keep in mind boat traffic will be heavier in the summertime
• A fun mix of nature, people watching on docks and boats and real estate viewing.
• Lots of parking close to the boat launch but will be paid parking in the busy season

Public Launch Ramp at Busby Park under Randall/Rebecca St Bridge

Costumes, Halloween and Paddle fun:

I love costumes and theme parties. Currently working on my 4th tickle trunk of costumes! They start to add up over the years!

I figured with COVID and paddle boarding being a great social distance activity this would be a perfect way to scratch my event organizing itch (although I did have to tame the planning down a tad), dress up, get out on my board and potentially meet new people!

Plus who wants to cancel Halloween, especially one that lands on a Saturday, with a full moon!

I was pleasantly surprised that a few groups and people picked up the event and were just as keen to have a fun paddle dress-up adventure!

There is a community group in Toronto called Buddy SUPing that formed this past summer and had already been out paddling dressed up a few weeks early. It’s a community of about 500 like-minded folks always connecting on the Facebook group to go out and paddle with other people.

A handful of people from Buddy SUPing along with other paddling groups and friends I knew outside of paddling came to celebrate Halloween on the water.