Pelicans on the Churchill River.
Traveling through some of the most incredible areas in Canada’s wilderness, St. John’s canoe brigades would have seen some amazing sites. The photo on the left is just one of them.
What are you’re memories of sites seen on the canoe trips? Send us your story. Click on the picture to see an enlarged view.
April 14, 2014 at 11:00 am
I wish I could post pictures.
One of my stand out memories is on Cree Lake. We had just come down the Brustad River, a semi-stagnant snake of a river winding through infinite swampland. We paddled across the bay to an esker on the south side.
We climbed up the esker, some 70 feet above the lake. Tough climb but the top was open forest, and a bit of breeze, and it wasn’t knee deep in the swamp.
After supper, I was sitting on a log facing away from the fire, looking out over the lake. The sun was down, but the western sky was still aglow. The lake was glassy smooth, save for one bird. Loon or pelican.
It had been a hard day. My shoulders ached from the constant power turns. (Snaky = 1 right angle turn per 10 canoe lengths on average.)
I was at peace with the world.
April 14, 2014 at 11:05 am
Grande Marais Portage on the Churchill River. It was hot. The air smoky, the sunlight tinged with yellow.
We took the canoes over but the bottom end was yucky, so we had lunch at the top end of the portage. After lunch we settled for a nap.
I felt something land on my face. Sat up. Ashes. I woke Colin Belton, the BL.
“I think we better get going”
The sun was now just barely visible, a sullen copper colour.
We got. I stayed to be last man, checking for things that can get left when you are in a hurry.
As we pulled out, someone yelled. Some of the ashes were still burning.
Two hours after we left, the portage burned.
April 15, 2014 at 7:05 pm
Similar to Sherwood….a picture is worth a thousand words and two come to mind…the picture published in the Ottawa Journal and the ( i presume) back cover to one of the annual reports. The first is a picture of two canoes on the Ottawa River and the other is arriving at Britannia Beach. Both are within sight of the Parliament buildings in Ottawa. This was the end point for the Grade 10 James Bay ( Moose Factory/Moosonee) trip designed and delivered by the Grade 10 class of 1968. I think this may be the only time St john’s canoes arrived within sight of Canada’s parliament buildings although I would not want to diminish the honour of the Lake Timiskaming brigade if that was also their destination. Shield country, prairie rivers and arctic watersheds have in and of themselves their own appeal…..but arriving in Ottawa especially with a federal election looming during the Trudeau mania period had its own beauty and one not quickly forgotten….being given a tour of the Parliament buildings by a crew members father, Terry Nugent MP for Strathcona, and seeing the Library building in all its beauty was a separate but just as gorgeous memory!
April 23, 2014 at 3:26 pm
Another Colin Belton trip. The route was the Scimitar. We were on the Raindeer River, in one of the wider sections where it is better than a mile wide.
CB called over to me. “First camp you see, and don’t be fussy.”
It was a good two hours early. I turned to look, “Why…” And I saw what he had seen, and what I, with my nose forward, and on the maps, had missed.
Coming up on or port rear quarter was a line of black cloud.
That part of the Raindeer has good camps everywhere. I landed on a rocky spit. We landed.
“Students — set your tents fast, then collect wood.”
“Bowsmen, get the canoes up”
The wind was hitting already. 15 minutes before the water was glass smooth. Already 2 foot waves were breaking against the rocks.
I quickly gathered spruce twigs from the trees, and ducked to the lee side of our spit to start a fire. It would rain, hard soon, and it’s always easier to keep a fire going in the rain than to start one. Twigs. A few finger sized chunks. The bowsmen started to help.
Wind came up more. Had to shout to be heard.
I could hear one of the canoes rocking. Thu thump. thu thump. I tapped a pair of shoulders. “go find out which canoe is rocking, and wedge it or move it so it doesn’t rock. It will chew the gunwales off it this wind stays strong for long.” They nodded and left.
Boys were bringing in wood. “Get your raingear out and ready. When this hits, it will hit all at once.
Still the wind increased. I was having doubts about this spit of rock.
The rain hit. That’s the right verb. Hit.
All those who didn’t have rain gear at hand were instantly soaked.
I heard a canoe thump again. Once. Then it sailed overhead and landed in the slack water behind the point. More impressive: It was the Samuel Herne, often referred to as the Hernia, because of its weight. The warhead ends gave purchase to the wind. Fortunately no one was in the flight path.