For the first time ever, the World Paddling Film Festival will be coming to St. Albert.
On Tuesday at 6:30 the festival will be showcasing international paddling films while also giving residents the opportunity to meet with local clubs, retailers, and provincial paddling associations. The event is being hosted by the United Albertan Paddling Society at the Arden Theatre.
“When it first started up, it was pretty grassroots, and it was to show people what paddling was and to get them into the sport,” said Kate Neigel, vice president of the United Albertan Paddling Society. “So, we’re doing the festival as a fundraiser for our club, to help pay for more instruction training and for a fleet of kids boats, to get a children’s program up and running.
This is the first year that St. Albert has hosted the event, with the festival being held at several locations all across the world.
“It’s really great to see some of the big things we can do in white water, but it’s really important to have these videos that show aspects like safety and how important a crew is,” added Neigel. “It shows us how important it is to join a club and to do white water rafting properly and safely.”
The World Paddling Film Festival has been around since 2006, originally forming in the Ottawa Valley. Since then it has grown to be hosted in The United States, Italy, and the United Kingdom.
Lobby doors open at 6:30 with the films beginning at 7:30. You can purchase tickets to the event on the Arden Theatre website.
