A large crowd had gathered on the Morrisburg waterfront to see an interesting collection of cobbled-together watercraft attempt to make their way down the St. Lawrence River. It isn’t always the prettiest vessel that wins the race, but if you’ve got the right crew, and the right amount of determination, and eagerness to win, you’re going to be difficult to beat. Tinkess Photo

MORRISBURG – It is a sad fact of life that when something begins, it ultimately must come to an end, so when Sunday afternoon of Tubie Weekend comes around, the end, my friends, is near.

But not before the main event, the Tubie Race takes place!

A large crowd had gathered on the Morrisburg waterfront to see an interesting collection of cobbled-together watercraft attempt to make their way from Arlor Haven campground in Mariatown to the Morrisburg beach.

It was a beautiful day for the race, warm, but not hot, and there was a bit of a breeze, at least until just before the 1:00 p.m. start time, when things got downright gusty and choppy. If you could get out into the marked channel, the wind at your back could make for a fast race, but getting there was at times the issue, and most of the vessels could be seen travelling sideways for at least part of the race.

Fortunately, a crew with strong arms could manage to overcome that obstacle, and as the participants passed the boat launch, it was pretty much a two-three vessel race, and as the first vessel slid up onto the beach, Team Lee had managed to finish in first place.

Seven teams in total managed to finish the race, with an eighth, unfortunately suffering a punctured inner tube, which scuttled their attempt.

Once out of the water and on the beach, there was a lot of handshakes and high fives both between team mates and between teams. Tubie Weekend is all about home and camaraderie, and that was obvious, but you can be sure that thoughts were already running through many minds about how, next year, the finish could be different. Would be different.

Lois Casselman, chair of the organizing committee was busy with her husband Kevin helping to prepare some of the rented lighting equipment for removal, but took a moment to reflect on Tubie Fest 2025.

“It was a very successful weekend. Great weather, great weather,” said Casselman. “It runs around the weather, but really it is community. We had great support. Yeah, it’s been a good weekend. Great weekend.”

If you had to sum it up, what does Tubie Weekend do for the community? “It brings people into the community. It’s what it’s about, really,” said Casselman. “And it’s a homecoming. People come home from college, universities, some for 30-40, years… You know, friends come, like last night at the dance. You know, some people, you only see each other, maybe once a year. It’s Tubie weekend. I have a nephew who flies home from Florida just for two weeks every year. Every year he books his holidays around Tubie Weekend.”

It is an amazing event, with something for just about everyone, and most of it is free. There are drinks and dancing and entertainment for the adults, the dockside for food, bouncy rides for the kids, but even more important a feeling that if you return, no matter how long you’ve been away, that you’ve come home.

And that, maybe is the other side of the coin. When Sunday comes around, you know that Tubie Weekend is just about over, but as it wraps up, you can count on next year, doing it all again.