1000 Islands Poker Run returns in full gear along the St. Lawrence River

Boats travel along the St. Lawrence River for the 1000 Islands Kingston Poker Run. (Kimberley Johnson/CTV News Ottawa)

BROCKVILLE, ONT. -

The 1000 Islands Kingston Poker Run made waves on Saturday along the St. Lawrence River.

In the annual competition, boaters go from city to city along the waterfront at high speeds to win prizes. 

The annual competition has been going on for 32 years, 55 performance boats reach speeds well over 100 km/h. 

The boats begin the competition in Kingston, then race to Prescott, and back again over the course of the day.

They break for lunch in Brockville, where residents can get a chance to see the vessels up close. 

After the event was cancelled last year, due to COVID-19 restrictions, residents like Nicholas Dushane say they are happy to see it return in full gear. 

"I love this day more than my birthday really," he says. "The sound of them excites me, the size of them."

For those like 6-year-old Kameron McLean, it’s a new thrill. 

"I like all the boats and the noise and all the cool patterns," says McLean.

For mom Kristina McLean, who remembers attending when she was a child, it’s a chance to make family memories. 

"Event’s like this are a sense of community really," she says. "We’ve all been so separated for the last year, so it’s wonderful to be down here, and just give my son an opportunity to connect with others."

Downtown businesses in Brockville rely heavily on events like this. Pre-COVID the event would inject millions into areas along the Thousand Islands each year.

Even though this remains a far smaller crowd than in the past, restaurants in the city tell us their happy to see their tables filled once again. 

Les Winters, who owns Fat Les’s Chip Stand, which sits on Blockhouse Islands, says he, "can’t complain."

"Finally, seems like we’re getting back to normal. This has been a great day," he says. "It’s been a hectic week just getting ready for this day because we’re finally seeing an actual event."

Gananoque is set to host the next poker run on Aug. 28, which was able to go ahead last year with a scaled-back event. 

The Poker Runs of America hosts the 1000 Islands Kingston Poker Run.