Kayak launcher now available in Port Perry

DAN CEARNS The Standard

SCUGOG: Thanks to a donation from Ron and Nancy Compton, the Scugog community has had a kayak launcher installed at the Port Perry pier.

The kayak launcher was installed on the waterfront near Palmer Park, on Tuesday, July 4th, and a grand opening was held for the new installation, on Wednesday, July 5th.

The installation of the kayak launcher was approved by Scugog council, at a meeting in late June.

“A kayak launcher is a piece of equipment which attaches to a dock, to aid the paddler to push the kayak into the water easily, and will increase the accessibility of paddlers to use Lake Scugog for kayaking,” a staff report explained.

This initiative was spearheaded by the Scugog Kayak Clubwhich reached out to the Comptons. They received a financial contribution of $5,000 from the couple for this project. Some funds were left over and will be put towards the eventual purchase of another kayak launcher. That one would be for the Caesarea area.

“{The need for this] was driven through people [who] had given up kayaking because of their age, because it was hard to get in and harder to get out. We wanted to make it accessible for everybody in the community,” kayak club representative, Ivo Finotti told The Standard.

Mr. Finotti said, the club has about $2,000 left to raise, for the Caesarea kayak launcher.

Mr. Compton explained, he felt this project would serve the local community well.

“I think it’s a tremendous addition to Port Perry. There’s so much that goes on in this community,” he said. “This just complements [the community[, being able to allow people [who] are a little bit older and maybe not as comfortable climbing into a kayak from that height to do that.”

He added, when the idea was first pitched to himself and Nancy, “it just sounded like a really good idea.”