Canoeing and camping are two activities in which every Canadian experiences while growing up in Canada; everyone except me of course. Finally, at the age of 22, going on 23, I experienced something completely new and exciting, something that most Canadians take for granted because these two elements are fundamental to most Canadian kids and adults. In fact, the canoe paddle is to Canadians what the baseball bat is to Americans and camping is to Canadians what cricket is to the English. Why hadn’t anyone told me this before? Where have I been all these years? Oh, right, stuck in a sweaty gym focussed on football instead of the great outdoors. Well, the times, they are a changin’, and last week I became a little bit more Canadian by surviving my first ever canoe trip on the Rupert River.
The Rupert River is located in northern Quebec and it flows into the southern tip of James Bay, entering the bay at the town of Waskaganish. From the bridge across the James Bay Highway to the mouth of the river at Waskaganish, the river traverses some 125 kilometers of Canadian wilderness. Along the way the Rupert cascades along the Great Canadian Shield creating spectacular rapids which vary from small ripples to some of the world’s largest whitewater. Everything about this river is big: the rapids, the wilderness, its beauty, its role in Canadian history, and its Cree heritage . Another big aspect of this river is the threat from Hydro Quebec to kill this incredible waterway with a combination of dams and diversions as a part of the massive James Bay Hydro Project.
Our expedition down the Rupert was part of an Esprit program called Paddling for Preservation. Paddling for Preservation is an effort to bring attention to endangered rivers and shed some light on the dangers and possible alternatives to dams. Dams kill rivers, there’s no bones about it, and to kill the Rupert would be a crime against Mother Nature.
I couldn’t imagine losing such a great playground. Although there are tough times on the trip, its definitely worth completing. Our expedition was completed in 5 days. In those five days we paddled 125 kilometers, portaged our boats and gear over 20 kilometers, dealt wth thousands of blackflies, negotiated waste-deep mud on the trails, and camped in tiny, damp, and dirty sites. Call me a sucker for punishment, but I think the experience was incredible.
Negotiating the river and the portage trails has a unique way of making you feel very small. Like I said earlier, everything about this river and landscape is big. When you venture off the portage trails and away from camps to go and see the massive rapids you want no part of in a canoe, kayak, raft, or barrel, you start to understand the power of this river, the power of nature, and your scant role in the big picture. It’s a force that demands your immediate respect.
Five days on the water is not a long time but the effects the Rupert had on me will last a lifetime. I learned about the value of river preservation. I learned how much fun canoeing and camping can be. I learned that most experienced campers will shun you if you bring a stick of deoderant, not because it contradicts the ethos of hardcore camping but, for more practical reasons, because deoderants and perfumes tend to attract bears and bugs. I also learned a little more about being Canadian. Most importantly, however, is what I learned about myself: I learned that I love rivers and my life will revolve around rivers for quite some time to come.
