outdoorADVENTURES - Every stroke of the paddle tells a tale

Every stroke of the paddle tells a tale

SEPTEMBER 2006 — VOLUME 4 ISSUE 9

While most people associate a trip to Sun Peaks with skiing, golfing and mountain biking, or maybe shopping and dining, not many would think a lesson in Canadian history would be part of the mix.

In fact, gliding across a pristine lake in a 10-man canoe hearing the tales and legends of the great voyageurs who founded this country is a perfect fit—the stories of these men and women are the stories of this continent’s first true adventurers.

Based in Sun Peaks for the past seven years, the NorthWest Voyageur Company has educated thousands of travellers about the lives and times of the intrepid souls whose names now grace the region’s lakes and mountains. Faced with untamed wilderness, unknown natives and thousands of kilometres of raging rivers, these pioneers paddled and portaged their way west from Hudson Bay to explore the often harsh country that is now Western Canada.

For many people this is classic Canadian history learned in school, but for travellers from around the world it’s a lesson about sheer survival that comes to life during a canoe tour with the NorthWest Voyageur Company.

Fuelled by the knowledge and passion of company owner Kevin Tessier and his guides, this unique tour takes guests far from the daily rigors of life and the day-to-day hustle and bustle of even the most relaxing vacation, and sits them down in a turn-of-the-century voyageur canoe.

While navigating the shores of McGillivray Lake near Sun Peaks, guides dressed in period costume tell fascinating tales about a time long past in Canada—Tessier observes that by today’s standards the feats and stories of these early pioneers are nearly unbelievable.

“What these people did is almost super human,” remarks Tessier. “Humans today, even Olympic athletes, wouldn’t be able to endure the pace of their lives.”

With eagles and osprey overhead, and deer feeding in the reeds, the NorthWest Voyageur tour truly takes you back to a time when a short paddle in a canoe was 500 km, each 20-foot canoe carried 10 men and 2,000 pounds of supplies upstream into unknown territory, and the objective was to cross Canada before the snow flew.

“This is about enlightening people to just what it took to carve out a nation. Canada is a wild land from coast to coast. It’s incredible what these people went through to create a nation,” says Tessier.

The tranquility of the present-day lake contrasts with the vivid tales the guides tell of life as a trader and voyageur. And a glimpse of 18th century history is enough to place most visitors firmly in their own time—few people today would have what it takes to trade even the busiest lives of our era for a voyageur lifestyle. An opportunity to dip into that past and then return to 21st century reality is a vacation extra that shouldn’t be missed. Contact the NorthWest Voyageur Company through Sun Peaks Resort Guest Services at 250-578-5542.

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