Edmonton Canoe

I took the full-​day Devon to Edmonton canoe trip down the North Saskatchewan River through Edmonton Canoe. It is a great way to spend a Saturday or Sunday, a very unique and fun date idea. It is $ 100 for 2 people which includes a shuttle to Devon and equipment rental.
You meet at 9am at Emily Murphy Park, whereby you get a brief info session about what to expect with the paddle, things to look out for, good places you can stop for lunch, etc. Then you’re shuttled to Devon (45 minute drive). When you get off, there is a set of outhouses you can use, and the canoes are already loaded at the docks for you.
Rentals include the canoe (they also have limited kayaks available too), lifejackets, paddles, a small dry bag for your electronics, a small container to bail out water, and a safety whistle.
The trip is not guided, and it includes the rental for as long as you need to complete the paddle. If we wanted to take our sweet time, we could have it out until night time (even though most people take 5 – 6 hours at a leisurely but constant paddle). We wanted to take our sweet time, fell behind the main group quickly, and it wasn’t a problem that we weren’t together (unlike the previous review suggested).
The paddle is pretty easy and gentle. There is no way to take a wrong turn, and they give a map (albeit an outdated one) so you can track where you are going. It is geared for beginners, but they don’t give any formal instruction. The main coordinator was available for any questions, including paddling technique, though. You paddle back to Emily Murphy where you get off and your car is waiting for you!
Remember to bring: Food and water/​drinks (there is a golf course on the way that sells drinks in the clubhouse where you can also use a real toilet), sunglasses/​hat/​sunscreen, layers of clothing, OH, and toilet paper, hand sanitizer and a garbage bag in case you need to pop a squat (we almost forgot!). Remember to take all your garbage with you — leave no trace.
Happy paddling!

I had a blast on the half day trip with Edmonton Canoe! What a great way to spend a hot day in the city!
We were picked up at Caplino park at 2pm and taken to Emily Murphy Park where we launched off in the canoe. We were given everything we needed for the trip including canoe (duh), paddles (duh again), PDFs and even a little water tight storage container for our cell phones.
We booked the sunday half day trip (total of $ 80) and it took us about 1.5 to do our entire canoe. The full day is about 5 hours and its $ 100 but you have to be ready to rock at 9am.
My only complaint was that we went with a large group so we felt we had to keep up with the group even though there were a few times we wanted to float, or stop on the shore and hang out — it would have been nice to be able to go at our own pace