Elizabeth Jolicoeur[email protected]Local Journalism Initiative ReporterPaddles will hit the water on Nicola Lake this month as youth come together for three daysof canoeing, camping, culture and community. The annual Nicola Canoe Pull will run from Aug. 18 to 20 at the Old Sailing Club site nearQuilchena. Organized by the Merritt First Nations Policing Section of the RCMP, the canoe pull gives youth a chance to get outside, take part in cultural traditions and build new connections along the way. It will begin with welcome remarks, prayer anddrumming before skippers go over canoe safety with the youth. The canoe pull is being planned in partnership with Teck Highland Valley Copper, withsupport from local First Nations, health and family services, Capstone Infrastructure andSchool District 58.