Scott Fawcett and Lana Cole, Owners of Ottawa Valley Air Paddle | Photo Credit: Lana Cole
The Valley is no stranger when it comes to water. With rivers, streams and lakes peppering the area, watersports of any kind is a summer pastime.
Scott Fawcett and Lana Cole co-own Ottawa Valley Air Paddle (OVAP) based right here in Arnprior. OVAP started in 2018 as an inflatable paddleboard rental company out of their apartment in Ottawa. Then upon moving to Arnprior, they were able to open a brick and mortar store in 2024 and expand into winter sports.
Now, based in Arnprior, Cole says they fill orders coming in from across the country stretching from the western shores of British Columbia to the eastern shores of the Maritimes and further.
OVAP has a large inventory for any kind of outdoor fun year round. For the summer, they offer multiple kinds of watercraft, kayaks, paddleboards, inflatable docks and more. Then for the winter months, they have skiing gear, snowboards, a boot fitting service and even season-long ski and snowboard rentals.
Fawcett and Cole tell us that since opening, they’ve received nothing but support from the Arnprior community.
OVAP is one of the only retailers in Canada offering kayaks of this kind. Their main focus is a foldable, easy-to-transport kayak or paddleboard in the summer months and in the winter, being the Ottawa and the Valley’s only snowboard equipment destination. And to make the experience more unique, they offer a custom boot fitting service in store to make sure your time on the slopes is an enjoyable one.
Then, in the summer, OVAP has a demonstration centre at McLean Park Beach where you can test your kayak before you buy.
Fawcett also points out that having a small, local business right in town allows you to have customer service face-to-face.
Ottawa Valley Air Paddle is located 67 Madawaska Street, downtown Arnprior. You can check out their inventory at ovap.ca.
Our Small Business Week coverage is sponsored by ontrac Employment Resource Services. Work. Train. Hire. Grow, with ontrac. They’re located at 16 Edward St. S. in Arnprior.
(Written by: Bob Kubbinga)
