BY MICHAEL PIASETZKI

If there is one distinctive aspect of living in the West Island, it’s the fact one is never very far from open water.

Lake St. Louis, particularly on a warm willowy summer or early fall morning or afternoon, offers residents a unique and wonderful opportunity to forget their problems and literally get away from it all, and the choices are plentiful. Whether it be canoeing, kayaking, sailing, windsurfing or boating, trained personnel from area clubs are waiting to welcome and teach novices or provide those with experience a chance to put their abilities to good use.

If paddling a canoe or kayak interests you, the Pointe Claire Canoe Club offers individual and family members the chance to enjoy canoeing or kayaking on lovely Valois Bay. The club has a selection of crickets, sea kayaks, banana boats, as well as racing boats such as a slenders, K-1s and C-1s. Members can paddle during open paddling hours under the watchful eye of paddling personnel, trained in basic paddling techniques who can advise on the rudimentary paddling principles. As well, competitive programs offer young athletes the opportunity to enhance their skills and pursue their goals. One club member, Andrew Willows, competed at the 2004 Olympics in Athens, while another, Tom Hall, is an Olympic hopeful in canoeing. A dragon-boat program is also in place.

Meanwhile, if you’d prefer riding the wind on a sailboat, the first three things you’ll probably notice if you have just moved to the West Island is the lack of waiting lists for dockage space, reasonable membership fees, and more than a few clubs to choose from. Those include the Baie d’Urfé Yacht Club, Beaconsfield Yacht Club, Lord Reading Yacht Club in Beaconsfield, Pointe Claire Yacht Club, Senneville Yacht Club and Royal St. Lawrence Yacht Club in Dorval. As well, Pointe Claire’s Venture Sailing Club, situated next door to the Pointe Claire Canoe Club, prides itself as a viable alternative for sailors who simply wish to moor their boats during the summer months when they’re not out on the water. It charges only for boat storage and not membership, boats or social fees.

All clubs offer sailing camps open to non-members, particularly local residents. Regular racing programs are held evenings and weekends.

Finally, for those who prefer to be on the water yet out of the confines of a canoe, kayak or sailboat, L’Anse-à-l’Orme, at the intersection of Gouin Boulevard and l’Anse-à-l’Orme in Pierrefonds is an ideal site for windsurfing.

For phone numbers for all the sailing clubs in the West Island go to www.cldwi.com To contact the Pointe Claire Canoe club, call 514-630-1256.

Oh yes. Don’t forget to slap on sunblock before heading out on the water.