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Route Description
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The route taken by the Voyage to the Bay expedition will span the provinces of Alberta, Saskatchewan and Manitoba. Landscapes that will float past the canoes will vary from the Rocky Mountains to Boreal Forest and Tundra to the tidal zone of the Hudson Bay. Over a period of three months the group will travel approximately 2900 kilometers, passing through historic river towns of the fur trade, over large lakes, through rapids and down winding streams and rivers. The trip will begin in Jasper National Park where the Athabasca River flows from its source in the glaciers and valleys high above. They will pass near the location of Henry House, the first permanent European settlement in the Rocky Mountains. Henry House was established in 1810 by a companion of the explorer David Thompson. A few years later, Jasper House was located nearby by the North West Company as a fur trading post.The expedition will follow the historic fur trade route down the Athabasca River for 700km to its confluence with the La Biche River. Here they will paddle upstream to Lac La Biche where they will leave the Mackenzie River drainage system by portaging over the La Biche Portage onto the Beaver River. From its headwaters at Beaver Lake they will follow the Beaver River for 491km to Lac Ile à la Crosse and confluence with the Churchill River. The Churchill, with its associated history will be their constant companion until they reach Churchill, Manitoba at the conclusion of their journey.
As the seasons progress from spring into summer the
expedition members will witness the transforming of a lan
 dscape
in several dimensions. They will experience the change caused by
geography and a northward direction of travel. And the abundance of
life that develops over the short summer months. Along with the
fresh growth, young animals, and clouds of mosquitoes and black flies
there will also appear a smorgasboard of wild foods. This will add
yet another dimension of experience as they harvest some of these gifts of
Nature to supplement their diet.From the mountains of western Canada, through thousands of kilometers
of Boreal Forest and finally emerging into the Tundra of the North. The
expedition
For More Information Contact: 5029 57th Street Lacombe, AB T4L 1K8 403.782.1642 |
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group
is committed to sharing their story and the beauty of the Canadian Wilderness.
Through the stories of the people and places they meet, each member is committed
to bringing the people and communities along the route together and sharing the
beauty, importance and fragility of our landscapes with others.
