Haldimand County Returns to Two Row on the Grand Paddle
Haldimand County is proud to participate in the Two Row on the Grand Paddle again this year, supporting an important opportunity for relationship-building, cultural learning, and connection along the Grand River.
The Two Row on the Grand Paddle commemorates the Two Row Wampum Treaty, a more than 400-year-old agreement that represents peaceful coexistence, friendship, mutual respect, and non-interference. The annual paddle travels along the Grand River from Cambridge to Port Maitland, with several stops through Haldimand County, including Six Nations, Caledonia, Cayuga, and Dunnville.
For the second year, Haldimand County will support participation from staff and elected officials, with two County representatives joining the paddle each day from July 20 to July 24. This opportunity allows participants to experience the journey firsthand, engage in meaningful conversations and further strengthen relationships with Indigenous neighbours and community partners.
The following Council members and staff will participate in the paddle throughout the week:
Monday, July 20
- Mayor Shelley Ann Bentley
- Ward 3 Councillor Dan Lawrence
Tuesday, July 21
- Ward 4 Councillor Brad Adams
- Jaymie Nelson, Project Manager of Business Retention & Expansion
Wednesday, July 22
- Ward 2 Councillor John Metcalfe
- CAO Michael DiLullo
Thursday, July 23
- Shannon VanDalen, Manager of Planning & Development
- Krystina Wheatley, Supervisor of Development Engineering & GIS
Friday, July 24
- Ward 1 Councillor Debera McKeen
- Alycia Birdsell, Supervisor of Employee Wellness & Development
This year, Two Row on the Grand also invited Haldimand County to host several engagement sessions offered as part of the paddle programming. Designed to foster connection, reflection, and learning, these sessions bring paddlers together through shared activities and presentations. As part of Haldimand County’s session, artist Gina Wilson-McIntee will speak about her journey as an artist, her connection to the Grand River, and her work with the Paddle Art Tour Haldimand and Paddles of the Grand.
The session will also include an interactive art component, where paddlers will be invited to add their fingerprint to a wooden paddle. The paint colours selected for the paddle include purple and white to represent the Two Row Wampum Treaty, along with shades of blue to represent the ever changing water of the Grand River. Once complete, the paddle will serve as a lasting reminder of relationships, learning, and connections fostered through the experience.
Heritage Haldimand will also contribute to the paddle’s engagement programming, welcoming Two Row on the Grand paddlers on Tuesday, July 21, and providing a well-deserved snack with sustainability in mind.
New this year, Six Nations Tourism, Two Row on the Grand, and Water Cycles Expeditions are co-creating Two Row by the Grand, a separate cycling pilot that will complement the existing Two Row on the Grand paddling journey. The bicycle tour will travel the length of the Grand River, designed to bring the cyclists together with the paddlers on Two Row on the Grand, sharing camping, meals, and cultural teachings. The volunteer crew for the cycling tour will include six members of Six Nations and three students and faculty from the University of Waterloo, which is also a partner on the event.
The pilot will involve three legs. On July 12th, Mohawk artist, Greg Hill, and Dustin Garrick (co-founder of Water Cycles Expeditions) will start the tour at the source of the Grand River, near Dundalk, arriving in Cambridge on July 15th. The rest of the crew will join for four days of cycling from Cambridge to Chiefswood Park on July 19th.
Members of the crew from Six Nations include Christopher “Bubba” Courtney, Leah Salt, Cathryn Smart, and Spring Carter of Six Nations Tourism, who is serving as one of the guides for the trip. Two graduate students from the University of Waterloo, Fridah Silas and Will Rauch-Davis, will also join. For the final leg of the journey, Hill and Garrick will continue cycling through Haldimand County alongside the paddlers.
To learn more about Two Row by the Grand, visit the Six Nations Tourism website. A scholarship fund has been established to reduce financial barriers to participation for members of Six Nations and students of the University of Waterloo.
The Two Row on the Grand Paddle was first organized in 2015 by volunteers from Six Nations of the Grand River and surrounding communities
Through shared experience on the Grand River, Two Row on the Grand continues to bring people together to reflect on the relevance of the treaty today and to support reconciliation, learning, and relationship-building between communities.
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