The "Pumphouse" (now known as "The Tailrace") is located at LeBreton Flats in downtown Ottawa. Probably the best kept secret in the city. Well, at least from a paddler's perspective.

The Tailrace is a drainage ditch exiting the turbines of the Fleet Street pumping station flowing back into the Ottawa River.

This venue is a slalom training course, one of the two Canadian whitewater slalom training "centres of excellence". It has been the site of numerous races of all competitive levels.

While this ongoing development project has been contributed to by the efforts of many many local paddlers and two levels of local government, the driving force behind the initiative is Doug Corkery. Without the years of Doug's relentless efforts, this site would have remained nothing more than a drainage ditch.

The Pumphouse facility provides a class 2 whitewater site within the city, as well as a moving water beginners area below, where the outflow meets the Ottawa River at Victoria Island. Use of this area is via an agreement with the City of Ottawa, requiring users to be Ottawa River Runners members and abide by specific rules. The site upgrade included removal of contaminated soil (legacy of its industrial past), stablization of earthen banks and finally landscaping to blend into the LeBreton Flats renewal. This occured over the span of 2004 - 2008. It now provides spectators a good view of activities from a lookout and from a fenced path alongside the whitewater.

Information can be found on the ORR homepage: http://www.ottawariverrunners.com/index.php

The panorama is made up of three images.