This canoe club in Orléans raised $90K to stay afloat, but concerns remain

It was all smiles as members of the Petrie Island Canoe Club took to the water yesterday. It may have been their last paddle of the season, but it was also a victory lap. Just a month ago, the club needed $78,000 by November 1st to stay afloat. For some members, like Nuwala Clark, losing the club she's been with for six years seemed unimaginable. It's really hard for me to be able to imagine a world in which Petrie's not there. In which you can't just go out first thing in the morning, be the first person on the water, just break that mirror. It scared me a lot, but I was also optimistic because I knew what our club offered to our community. Construction costs on the club's much-needed boathouse more than doubled during the COVID-19 pandemic, decimating their finances. By Sunday morning, more than 500 donors had contributed upwards of $90,000 to keep them operational for another year. Sarah Kennedy is the club's founder and head coach. She says they're working on a long-term plan to be sustainable. We're going to try and find a solution that's fair and that works for the club, so the club can be strong going into our future. We don't want to enter a new chapter already being burdened by debt. Kennedy says the club is in discussions with the City of Ottawa regarding its finances, including the potential sale of Petrie's Boathouse. City staff confirmed to CBC the discussions are ongoing, but no decisions have been made. Liam Baker, CBC News, Ottawa.