About the Grand

The Grand River

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South Ontario's largest river, the Grand River is located in the heart of Southern Ontario and easily accessible for canoeing from historic locations like Cambridge Ontario.  Just an hour west of Toronto & only 90 minutes northwest of Niagara Falls.The Grand River flows 300 kilometres from it's source in the Caledon Hills, to its mouth at Port Maitland on Lake Erie.  It flows past the historic communities of Elora, Kitchener, Cambridge, Paris, Brantford, the Six Nations Native Reserve, Caledonia & Dunnville.

The Grand was designated a Heritage River for its early effect on Canada's cultural mosaic.  Mohawks, Germans, Mennonites, English, irish, Scots, Ukrainians & others all settled in the Grand River Valley in the 1700 & 1800's.  Earlier Native settlements were along the Grand River for thousands of years.  The Grand has lots of history to share, from Native Indians to early European Settlements.

A Natural Oasis in Southern Ontario

The Grand is also special in its Nature.  Together with its tributaries the Nith, Conestogo & Speed Rivers, the Grand River watershed drains 7,000 square kilometres and a 5th of it its area in still in its original natural state. The 20 kilometre stretch from Cambridge to Paris has the largest forest in Southern Ontario.  And it is Rare Carolinian Forest, a type of forest usually found much further south.  Hundreds of types of plants & animals live here.  Beaver, otters and muskrat are found in the river.  Deer, Fox, Coyote and Wild turkeys can be found in the forest. In an area that is so well preserved 80% of Canada's Endangered and threatened species can be found in the forests, meadows and wetlands along the Grand River.

Grand River Valley near Paris

The Paris to Brantford section is designated Exceptional Waters due to its good quality & it contains 80 species of fish.  Large & Small Mouth Bass, Rainbow, Trout, Brown Trout, Pike, Perch, Carp, Catfish & many other types of fish can be caught in the Grand River.  It is one of the most bio-diverse areas in Canada.

The scenery ranges from forest to meadows as you pass through valleys & plains.  Gravel beaches and towering bluffs along the river, add to the view.  It is amazing that so much of its Nature is so well preserved so close to cities like Toronto, Hamilton and London.

River Touring

The Grand River is ideal for canoeing, kayaking & rafting trips.  Most of the river has fairly gentle flows & a steady downstream current to help paddlers.  200km (150 miles) of the Grand can be paddled & there are many launch & landing points so it's easy to plan a route for any length of trip, from a short 2 hour paddle to a multi-day adventure.  There are only a few short portages in the whole length so many sections can be done without a portage.

While the Grand is mostly gentle paddling it's length & its tributaries gives it lots of diversity.  The Elora Gorge & Nith River have excellent Spring whitewater trips.  The upper Grand is a narrow, small river with close banks, twists & turns & an intimacy best experienced in the Spring. Through Waterloo & Kitchener canoeing on the Grand becomes calmer as the river winds through the cities with a thin ribbon of tree lined banks.

Thru Cambridge the Grand flows past the 'Living Levee" withe historic stone buildings built right on the river giving a European flavour.  The Grand is joined here by tributaries like the Speed River flowing from Guelph & becomes bigger with good flows even in dry summer months.  Downstream of Cambridge as the Grand River leaves the cities it enters a deep forested valley.  The bigger river in a deep forested valley with few signs of civilization gives the feeling of near wilderness on the 20 kilometre trip from Cambridge to Paris.  This is our Seneca Run, named for a Tribe of the Six Nations Natives of the Grand River.  Turkey vultures circle overhead while Red Tailed Hawks, Osprey and occasional Bald Eagles soar above the forest & river filled with game & fish.  The scenery is beautiful and the paddling is relaxed with occasional swifts in the current to make the paddling more lively. A launch in the village of Glen Morris can shorten this 20 km / 5 hour paddle to a 3 hour tour taking in the best parts on our Oneida Run, named for another of the Six Nations.

Paddling into Paris it's like you've come out of the wilderness into a town lost in time.  150 year old building with stone foundations rise out of the river.  Called one of the Prettiest Towns in Canada it's easy to see why, with large well preserved Victorian Homes lining the main street plus quaint shops, pubs & cafes in the downtown right on the river.

Leaving Paris you paddle back into the Carolinian Forest on our Cayuga Run, named for the Natives who once lived here. The 2.5 hour paddle from Paris to Brantford Conservation Area is great for a day trip or an overnight with camping available at the Conservation Area.  The Grand deepens as the Nith River & Whitemans Creek join it.  At Brant Conservation Area the river forms a 3 kilometre long lake due to Wiles Dam downstream of Brant Park.

If you continue past Brant Park through Brantford the Grand river resumes its regular flow but downstream of Brantford it forms a large oxbow where the river makes a large loop, becoming slow moving, deep and wide.  The Grand River takes on the look of a river from the deep south, lazy and lined with Black Willows.  The Oxbow is seldom travelled simply because few people know it is there.

Leaving the Oxbow the Grand River stays deep & slow, passing through meadows & farms on it's way thru the Six Nations Reservation.   Overnight camping is available at the Reserve's Chiefswood Park.  Chiefswood National Historic SIte is next door.  Chiefswood is the birthplace of Native Canadian Poet E. Pauline Johnson.   In the late 1800's Pauline Johnson was famous for our poetry & did live recitals across North America & Europe.  With her homestead on the banks of the Grand River Pauline Johnson was an avid canoeist & wrote the popular poem, Song My Paddle Sings with the Grand being part of her inspiration.

For soft is the song my paddle sings.
August is laughing across the sky,
Laughing while paddle, canoe and I

And on to Caledonia the river remains deep.  But past the Caledonia Dam the Grand becomes quicker & shallower for a distance.   The Grand River Navigation Company operated on the lower Grand in the mid 1800's, operating locks at shallower locations.  Some of the old locks are still noticeable if you know what you are looking for.

Past the village of York as you paddle towards Cayuga, the Grand River again becomes deep and slow moving.  Cayuga is now the home of Riverlorian Larry Devine.  Originally from the Grand at Cambridge, few people know the Grand River's history as well as Larry Devine.  Larry is definitely a fellow worth looking up in Cayuga.

The Lower Grand River stays deep, wide & slow all the way through Dunnville to its mouth at Port Maitland on Lake Erie, with a break for the dam at Dunnville  On the Lower Grand River kayak tours could potentially be good area for sea kayaking. But the trick is watch out for power boaters, which there are a lot of in this area.   The next watershed further west is better suited to Sea Kayaking at the Long Point Bay Biosphere on Lake Erie.

For more information lot of great articles describing the Grand River can be found in our Media and Links page.  For images on what the different sections check out our Photo Gallery which is organized by river section.