Water Sports in St. Albert?: Absolutely

Can St. Albert entertain water sports that aren’t confined to a paddling pool or a public pool? Well, it takes some ingenuity and perseverance, but it can be done. Here are a few options if you feel the need to be near a large body of water that only Alberta can provide.

FOR THE KIDS
Kids don’t need the ocean to soak up the enjoyment that only water can provide. Woodlands Play Park is divided into three individual sections catering to different age groups. The kids can choose from over 20 spray park features, such as the Super Splash Bucket that dumps 50 gallons of water and the medieval-themed spray park.
When: Open from Victoria Day to Labour Day; water features turn on at 10 am to 8 pm, weather permitting.
Where: 165 Sturgeon Road, St. Albert

SPORTS WITH PADDLES
The St. Albert Canoe and Kayak Club (SACKC) is a not-for-profit club established in 1989. This club offers courses for beginner and experienced canoeists, kayakers and paddle boarders, competitive sprint racers, as well as “Paddle Ability” for those with a physical or mental disability. SACKC has plenty of summer camps for kids, private lessons and drop-in paddle boarding lessons during the summer. All instructors are National Coaching Certificate Program (NCCP) qualified and certified in first aid.
When: Throughout the summer
For more info: www.sackc.com

WIND IN MY SAILS
Sailing? In Alberta? You betcha. There are two schools here in the St. Albert area. The first is Go Sailing, Edmonton. It’s located 40 minutes west of Edmonton at Lac St. Anne and offers a variety of courses from learning the basics, advanced sail trimming to coastal navigation certification.
When: contact school for times
For more info: gosailing.info
The second sailing school in the area is affiliated with the Edmonton Yacht Club. Yes! Edmonton has a yacht club. This school is the Northern Alberta Sailing College, and all the instruction takes place on the west side of Lake Wabamun. The school offers lessons for  beginners and the experienced. All lessons follow the CANSail curriculum.
When: contact school for times
For more info: www.northernalbertasailingcollege.com

UNDER THE SEA
In St. Albert, Flamingo Divers teach scuba diving through the PADI scuba diving instruction. The emphasis for this school is on teaching you how to dive properly and safely (not on selling you equipment). They use the instructors’ combined years of experience to teach their students based on “worst case scenarios” and how to get out of them. They offer open-water certification, advanced diving and more specialized courses, such as search and rescue, and altitude diving.
When: all-year, but open water dives done during the summer
For more info: www.flamingodivers.ca

Did You Know?