Paddling to Petrie

Clergy and members of St. Helen’s Anglican Church will paddle from Kingston, Ont. to Petrie Island from Aug. 18 to 27, camping along the way at various locks and taking time to highlight each of the over 100 parishes along the historic corridor.

The Rev. Canon Peter Lackey, who will also act as trip leader, explains the origins of the initiative came from his love of the outdoors and a desire to build even stronger connections amongst members of the church community.

“I like canoeing,” he recounts with a laugh. “It’s an excuse for social time to get to know each other a little bit better.”

Having done a similar journey in 1995 to celebrate the Diocese of Ottawa’s 100th anniversary – what Lackey calls a “very good trip” – the idea seemed right for St. Helen’s anniversary, he continues.

Approximately two dozen people – ranging from beginners to seasoned veterans – will take part in the 220-kilometre, 10-day trek, Lackey explains, with some joining for specific legs and others paddling the entire journey.

“Some days will be longer than others, but it’s pretty evenly chopped up,” he says, estimating their time on the water each day to about three to four hours of fairly relaxed canoeing. “It’s all flat water because it’s the canal … it’s very gentle.”

Brian Glenn, an Orléans resident and St. Helen’s parishioner who’s been with the church since its inception, has also been “doing canoeing since I was a Scout,” as well as helping with various trips for St. Helen’s and diocese youth.

“My wife and I wanted to get back into canoeing again,” he explains of his motivation to join the group next week. “It seemed like a good challenge.”

Though unable to make the full run, he’ll be joining other St. Helen’s parishioners at the locks just outside Smiths Falls, where the rest of the group “will be veterans by the time we get there,” Glenn laughs.

As for ongoing preparations, he jokes the main question on his mind is “how many rain suits do you pack?”, but says he’s looking forward to the social aspect of the paddling trip most.

“It’s a great family, the church group,” Glenn explains, though with some less-than-familiar faces still in the crowd. “I hope to get to know more people.”

Even though St. Helen’s is “still a very young parish” at 20 years old, the anniversary is a major benchmark, Lackey continues, recounting how the church was spawned from the amalgamation of the former St. David’s and St. Hilda’s parishes.

They merged two decades ago, he explains, with St. Helen’s building its church in 1993. But then “buying the house you could afford” now means the parish has outgrown its facility, Lackey says, and are beginning work to expand along with celebrating its 20 years in existence.

“We really can’t do the ministry we’re called to do (in the current space),” he adds, with the parish already undertaking preliminary design work and looking at financing to build a bigger space. “We’re getting that expansion up and running now. Hopefully within five years we’ll pretty much double our size.”

For Lackey, who has been at St. Helen’s – along with wife Susan Churchill-Lackey – for the past eight years, the biggest changes in the parish’s development so far have come in the wake of its creation.

“Coming together to form St. Helen’s was quite something, because Anglicans don’t merge quite often … it comes with growing pains,” he recounts. “But we have a lot more strength together.”