Canoeing the Petawawa River à la Sub(urban) Tourist

31 Jul Canoeing the Petawawa River à la Sub(urban) Tourist

The following article was written by sometime paddler and new Badger friend, Margaret Antkowski of The (Sub)Urban Tourist. It is entitled: CANOEING THE PETAWAWA RIVER, EARLY IN THE MORNING… where Margaret delights us with her beautiful photos and short journal of her paddling adventure one morning on the Petawawa with her man, Frank. Margaret has graciously allowed us to publish the following article, and thankfully accepted our invitation to be one of the first guest bloggers on Badger’s Blog, as well as guest photographer!


Guest Badger Blogger, Margaret Antkowski,
The (Sub)Urban Tourist (Mississauga, Canada)

Margaret Antkowski, the founder of the popular and very creative The (Sub)urban Tourist blog, is a Toronto-based PR professional by day and outdoor explorer on the weekend. She has been described as a Renaissance woman with many interests. A few that stand out are a love of good food and dining, travel, history, the outdoors and Latin dance. When not getting hot on the dancefloor with salsa dancing or communing with nature, Margaret is learning to take pretty pictures with her DSLR. She lives with her family and dog in Mississauga, Ontario.

“Petawawa River early in the morning – mist”

There’s always somebody who has to be steering the ship, and in some cases, the canoe. 


I’m not much of a paddler, but I do enjoy getting out on a lake or river in a canoe, particularly in the early morning or late evening. 

“Frank in the morning sunlight”

Last year I had the opportunity to enjoy an early morning sunrise on the Petawawa River, where my boyfriend’s family has a cottage.  We rose early thinking that we would perhaps go for a walk, with my camera in hand. Instead we were politely but firmly told by Frank’s cousin-in-law that the best sights were seen from the river itself. 

The sun was just rising, and there was a slight mist coming off the river. The air was almost still, giving the water just a small ripple. With my camera slung over my neck, and paddle in hand, my boyfriend Frank and I started out, exploring the river.  


After a little while, I eager to take photos and had to stop paddling. Frank took over, keeping us moving along the length of the river. The one thing I quickly learned is that it’s not easy to take photos while a canoe is in motion. Even a slight bob in the water can affect the steadiness of your hand when trying to snap a photo in low light.

“Reflections Petawawa River”

“Still Waters”

Although it was a challenge, I did manage to get great photos of the sun rising over the Petawawa River, all thanks to the man steering the canoe – Frank. 

Thank you, Margaret, for being a guest writer for Badger’s Blog!