The Victoria Day long weekend in Mattawa is when the rivers come back to life. Canoes get strapped to roof racks, the fishing opener is in the rear-view, the cottages along the Ottawa and Mattawa open up, hikers head out onto the ridges and trails through Antoine Township, and Highway 17 fills with traffic moving in both directions. It's a great weekend in town. It's also a weekend that pulls a fairly predictable set of questions across our pharmacy counter, so here's our opening-weekend checklist.
Refresh the camp and boat first aid kit
Kits that lived all winter in the boathouse, the cottage cupboard, or the back of the truck rarely come out in great shape. Things expire. The basics worth checking: assorted bandages, antiseptic wipes, gauze, tweezers (regular plus fine-tipped for ticks), a cold pack, hydrocortisone cream, a non-drowsy antihistamine, ibuprofen and acetaminophen, sunscreen, and bug spray. Drop in and we'll go through what's missing — especially if anyone in your family has allergies, asthma, diabetes, or a heart condition.
The river throws back more sun than you think
Sun off the water is the busiest cause of long-weekend sunburn we see all year — the air is still cool so people don't apply. Broad-spectrum SPF 30+, a hat, and UV sunglasses should travel with the cooler. If you take a medication that causes photosensitivity (some antibiotics like doxycycline, several blood-pressure pills, certain acne and heart-rhythm drugs, even some common antidepressants), the burn risk is much higher than usual. We can check your profile in two minutes and tell you if anything you take is on that list.
Paddling and cold water are still a serious pair in May
The Mattawa and Ottawa rivers are still very cold in mid-May. Cold-water immersion is the real risk if a canoe or kayak goes over — not how strong a swimmer you are. Wear the life jacket, even if it's a short paddle. If anyone in the family takes a beta-blocker or has a heart condition, the shock of cold-water immersion can be more dangerous than usual — worth talking through before the trip. We also get the same fish-hook questions every year: if the barb is past the skin, don't pull it back out the way it went in; come see us or head to urgent care. And if your last tetanus shot is more than ten years old and you cut yourself on a hook, rusty fitting, or shoreline debris, we can give you a Td or Tdap booster without an appointment.
Blackflies are out, ticks are out, and DEET still wins
Blackfly season is on. Hairlines, ears, ankles, the back of the neck — those are the targets. The repellents that hold up are DEET (10–30% for most adults; lower for kids) and icaridin (picaridin). Natural alternatives smell better but their protection windows are short. Ticks are also active anywhere daytime temperatures hold above ~4°C, which by now means everywhere around Mattawa. After a day on the trails or along the shoreline, do a body check — behind knees, in armpits, around the waistband, on the scalp. If you find one attached, fine-tipped tweezers as close to the skin as possible, steady pull straight up. Bring it in and we can help figure out next steps.
Watch the trails — especially if you take a balance med
The ridges around Mattawa, the trails through Samuel de Champlain Park, and the access points along the rivers are all worth getting to in May, but the footing isn't always reliable — soft mud, washouts, exposed roots after a winter of frost heave. If you or someone you love is at higher fall risk, take a beat to think about real grip on footwear, walking poles, and whether any prescription on the daily list affects balance. Some blood-pressure pills, sedatives, sleep aids, and antidepressants do. We do balance-med reviews routinely.
One last thing
If something comes up over the weekend — a bite that looks angry, a rash you can't place, a question about whether you should still take a med after a fall — in Ontario your pharmacist can assess and prescribe for a long list of minor ailments without a separate appointment. That includes allergic rhinitis, hives, pink eye, UTIs, insect bites, poison ivy, and several others. Call us at 705-744-5981, drop in, or message us through the contact page. We'd rather you ask.