A Métis Summer The Métis National Council has just released a 1/2 hour video focused on a group of young voyageurs and Wagon trekkers. The video highlights seven determined youth along a 52-day, 2300km journey of re-discovery. And then, a group of Wagons exposed themselves to the trials and tribulations faced by their forefathers in an exciting 34-day adventure across the Canadian Prairies. View Video NEW: Batoche photos are on the website! Click here to have a look. NEW: Video interviews with Voyageurs and others. Click here to have a look. F R I D A Y, J U L Y  2 2: Had approximately 8km to travel to the landing site at the Batoche Historical Site The expedition actually had to the line the canoe along rapids where the Saskatchewan river narrowed to 30 or 40 feet wide Lining the rapids put the paddlers a little behind schedule for their 12 noon arrival, they arrived at about 12:45 to a cheering crowd The canoe, along with the voyageurs, were loaded onto the trailer and paraded into the Back to Batoche Celebrations It was a very emotional moment for the team as they received a standing ovation for recreating the same 2300km trek that the voyageurs followed in the fur trade days.
Tue, July 12 Amanda Strong (WMF) Amada talks about the community event at Duck Bay - the best yet!	Sun, July 10 Alison Croft (WMF) Alison talks about traveling the big waves of Manitoba.	Sun, July 10 Jeremy Brown (WMF) Jeremy talks about the reception in his grandmother's community of Camperville.	Thu, June 30 Ginny Gonneau (WMF) Ginny tells us what it's like to be participating in her second Canoe Expedition.
Tue, June 28 Honorable Paul Devillers (WMF) Paul talks about the importance of this Expedition and the signifnace for him personally.	Tue, June 28 Amanda Strong (WMF) Amanda talks about visiting this historic sites in St. Boniface and seeing where her Grandmother is from.	Tue, June 28 Chris McLeod (WMF) Chris talks about his experience on NCI FM Radio where he performed	Fri, June 24 Alison Croft (WMF) Alison tells us about her 24-hour paddle, and her international water study.
Sat, June 18 Jeremy Brown (WMF) Jeremy talks about the rigors of the portages and the beauty of their night paddle on Lake of the Woods.	Wed, June 22 Chris McLeod (WMF) Chris talks about his experience as a bystander in the capsizing of the canoe.	Mon, June 20 Angela Wassegijig (WMF) Angela recounts the canoe capsizing along rapids on the Winnipeg River.	Sun, June 19 Glen Lipinski (WMF) Glen Lipinski tells us about his role as Expedition Ground Crew Coordinator.

Progress Reports
These progress reports are supplied by the Expedition's ground crew - Thunder Bay Metis Council President Glen Lipinski - who is following the Expedition in a van, helping them to re-supply and providing any other necessary support...

T H U R S D A Y, J U L Y  2 1:

• The expedition was a bit ahead of schedule and used the day for cultural events
• They traveled to Gabriels Crossing where a pipe ceremony and feast were held in their honor
• After the ceremony and feast the voyageurs returned to their campsite near the St. Laurent fairy crossing
• That night, upon returning to camp one of our paddlers was surprised by her boyfriend, who proposed to her! Congratulations Alison Croft on your engagement!

W E D N E S D A Y, J U L Y  2 0:

• Left the Hudson's Bay Outpost historic site at about 9:00am
• The weather was fairly nice today, but the current is still very strong
• Overall, a long arduous day of paddling and lining the canoe to achieve the days 10km's
• The expedition made camp near the St. Laurent fairy crossing

T U E S D A Y, J U L Y  1 9:

• Left their camp spot which sits at about 30km from Batoche at 9:30am
• Today's destination was 11km upstream to an over 200 year old Hudson's Bay Post
• Very strong winds were present again today
• Once again, the winds / strong current combinating forced the expedition to line the canoe along the shore for a good part of the day, making progress very slow
• The voyageurs arrived at their destination at about 4:30pm and made camp at the old fort site

M O N D A Y, J U L Y  1 8:

• Paddled out of the Metis community of St. Louis at about 9:30am, their goal for the day is 10km
• The weather is much nicer for them today, there is still a mild headwind but the skies are sunny
• The strong currents of the Saskatchewan river slows the canoe's progress to just 1 to 2km/hr
• Arrived at their 10km destination at around 3:30pm and were welcomed ashore to a generous local resident's property, where they camped for the night
• The team is about 30km away by river to Batoche!

S U N D A Y, J U L Y  1 7:

• Another very tough day
• Horrible weather with rain all day and 60+km/hr winds
• The expedition gave all their strength and tried paddling till 1:00pm but could not move against the combination of stong currents and extreme winds
• They paddled as fiercely as they could but at times were still moving backwards
• The voyageurs had to pull the canoe out of the water in the afternoon and will try to fight the river's current again tomorrow

S A T U R D A Y,  J U L Y  1 6:

• A better day today, the voyageurs began on the South Saskatchewan River (just South of the forks) and are able to paddle the currents in this part of the River
• Progression is still very slow, at times not moving at all
• The voyageurs averaged about 2-3km/hr sometimes having to line the canoe along the shore km by km
• In the end, extreme all out paddling all day for very little distance, made about 15km in the day but given their circumstances, quite impressive

• The paddlers set out on the Saskatchewan river at about 8:30am
• Paddled all day till about 6:00pm but could not make very much headway due to the extreme current of the river
• In the portion of the river where they were (near Nipawin), the banks were very steep and there was no shoreline
• The team decided to pull the canoe out and try a bit further upstream, where the banks are less hazardous

T H U R S D A Y,  J U L Y  1 4:

• Today is a re-supply day in The Pas
• The voyageurs will be drying and inventorying their equipment and gear
• They will also be re-supplied with new food for the final leg of the expedition, from The Pas to Batoche on the mighty Saskatchewan River

W E D N E S D A Y,  J U L Y  1 3:

• The voyageurs have now started along the Saskatchewan river!
• They paddled to The Pas and arrived to a cheering crowd including the mayor at about 5:50pm
• A fish fry was held in their honor immediately following their arrival

T U E S D A Y,  J U L Y  1 2:

• Set out from Pigeon Island at about 6:30am
• A long day of paddling up Lake Winnipegosis
• Arrived at their destination of Denbeigh Point at 5:00pm

M O N D A Y,  J U L Y  1 1:

• Expedition crosses Lake Winnipegosis!
• The canoe had large boat escorts from the community of Duck Bay for safety over the big water
• The Voyageurs had a beautiful day with calm waters for their crossing of Lake Winnipegosis
• The expedition paddled up the East shore of the lake and camped at Pigeon Island

S U N D A Y,  J U L Y  1 0:

• Left Camperville at about 1pm
• Paddled to Duck Bay and arrived to a cheering crowd for their third day in a row at 5:30pm
• There was also a third feast held in their honor by the community of Duck Bay
• All day there was the threat of thunderstoms, dark clouds hovered all day but the storm wasted most of its fury the night before

S A T U R D A Y,  J U L Y  0 9:

• Left Winnipegosis at about 11:30am
• A short enough day of paddling
• The voyageurs reached their Camperville destination at about 5:30pm where they were greeted by the community
• The expedition had a second feast held in their honor in Camperville
• There were severe storms this night; thunder, lightning, harsh winds and hail were all present

F R I D A Y,  J U L Y  0 8:

• Left at 9:30am and had a send off with live fiddling from Meadow Portage!
• Paddled south to the actual portage and performed the same portage as voyageurs passed
• The community of Meadow Portage had a nice lunch bar-b-cue for the voyageurs
• Arrived to a large cheering crowd in Winnipegosis at 6:10!
• A feast was held in their honor in downtown Winnipegosis

T H U R S D A Y,  J U L Y  0 7:

• Left their campsite at Sandy Point at 9am
• Paddled lake Winnipegosis
• Camped at Meadow Portage at 9pm

W E D N E S D A Y,  J U L Y  0 6:

• The voyageurs had an early start, they hit the water at about 7am
• They were able to make use of their sail once again, the tailwind helped push them along
• The weather is reasonable, winds/waves weren't too bad
• Got off the water late, at about 8pm and made camp at Sandy Point on Lake Manitoba

T U E S D A Y,  J U L Y  0 5:

• A strong tailwind was a blessing for the expedition today
• The voyageurs sailed their canoe into The Narrows at speeds of up to 9-10km/hr
• They met up with the road crew at The Narrows for a re-supply
• The expedition made camp at The Bluff Harbour, just shy of their Point Asham goal for the day

M O N D A Y,  J U L Y  0 4:

• Left Lundar Beach at about 7:30am
• Paddled all day untill about 7:00pm where they met up with the road crew for a short re-supply, met 30km south of The Narrows
• The voyageurs continued to paddle untill 9:30pm and made camp 15km South of The Narrows

S U N D A Y,  J U L Y  0 3:

July 03, Tornado Sighting on Lake Manitoba!

• Another very difficult day for the paddlers
• Made it as far as Lundar Beach, a 20km day in all
• Severe thunderstorms kept them off the water for most of the day
• The harsh weather in Manitoba has been a real challenge for the voyageurs thus far
• Tornado warnings still in effect for the area, the voyageurs actually saw one on this evening!

S A T U R D A Y,  J U L Y  0 2:

• Left St-Ambrose at about 7:00am
• Met up with the road crew in Oak Point at 2:00pm for a small 20 minute re-supply
• Great weather during the day on Lake Manitoba, a bit of a tailwind helped their efforts
• Paddled to Hatchery Island where they camped for the night
• Thurnderstorms started up again at night, they are once again caught in the rain
• There is a tornado watch in Manitoba at the moment; the voyageurs are well prepared and have weathered many stoms along their expedition thus far

F R I D A Y,  J U L Y  0 1:

• Left Portage La Prairie at about 8:30am
• Paddled the Assiniboine
• The voyageurs arrive at Lake Manitoba at about 4:00pm!
• Decent day of paddling, the weather was much nicer today.

T H U R S D A Y,  J U N E  3 0:

• There were fierce windstorms and thurnderstorms in the area.
• The canoe was grounded due to 70+ km/hr winds.
• The voyageurs were soaked by the rain.
• Camped in Portage La Prairie

W E D N E S D A Y,  J U N E  2 9:

• Left St-Xavier and paddled to St-Eustache
• A great feast and entertainment was provided for the voyageurs by the local Manitoba Metis Federation!
• Voyageurs paddled along the Assiniboine River

T U E S D A Y,  J U N E  2 8:

• Started along the Assiniboine River
• A long day of paddling, very slow moving fighting the river's current
• Paddled 22km to St-Xavier
• Got off the water and made camp at about 5pm

M O N D A Y,  J U N E  2 7:

• Re-Supply in Winnipeg
• Voyageurs visited St-Boniface museum and Louis Riel's Resting place

June 26, 2005 Winnipeg arrival Photo Gallery

S U N D A Y,  J U N E  2 6:

• Arrived in Winnipeg on schedule, pulled ashore at about 12:15 at the Forks
• The expedition was met by a cheering crowd in winnipeg!
• A bar-b-cue was held at the Manitoba Metis Federation office in Winnipeg after the arrival accompanied by wonderful musical entertainment
• The team is preparing for a re-supply tomorrow where they will dry out their inventory of gear and purchase food for the days to come

S A T U R D A Y,  J U N E  2 5:

• Decent day of paddling, the current was still rigourous but the winds had died down
• Paddled 18km from the Fort to the Royal Manitoba Yacht Club, where they made camp at about 3pm
• The Royal Manitoba Yacht Club were gracious enough to allow our expedition to camp on their property, we thank you very much!
• The team is preparing to leave at 7:30am tomorrow for their arrival in Winnipeg
• Saturday June 25th: another of our voyageurs is celebrather her 21st birthday in the canoe. Happy Birthday Amanda Strong!

F R I D A Y,  J U N E  2 4:

• One of the toughest days the paddlers have faced thus far
• The voyageurs faced the stronger than expected currents of the Red River combined with a gusting 60+km/h headwind
• At some points it felt as if the canoe wasn't moving at all, the team was still able to paddle 25km in such harsh conditions
• Made camp at Lower Fort Garry at around 5pm and were greeted by a crowd awaiting their arrival
• Friday June 24th: one of our voyageurs is celebrating her 21st birthday in the canoe. Happy Birthday Ginny Gonneau!

T H U R S D A Y,  J U N E  2 3:

• Left their campsite near Grand Beach at about 7am
• Reached the Northern mouth of the Red River!
• The current of the Red River is getting stronger as they draw nearer to Winnipeg
• Arrived and made camp at Breezy Point at about 4:30pm

W E D N E S D A Y,  J U N E  2 2:

• Left Pointe Du Bois
• Shuttled over 4 dams on the Winnipeg River
• Forced to shore by high winds
• Had to make camp at 4:30 pm about 6km North of their objective: Grand Beach

T U E S D A Y, J U N E  2 1:

• Left White Dog Dam at about 7am
• Paddled all day along the Winnipeg River
• Pulled the canoe into Pointe Du Bois at about 8 pm
• Paddled about 70 to 75 km today!

M O N D A Y, J U N E  2 0:

• Brief update given: Canoe Capsized around Minaki area - All Crew Members are safe
• Had to locate equipment that was swept downstream and currently 90-95% has been located
• Group is evaluating the status of their equipment and if it is all right they will hit the water again this afternoon.
• All gear and equipment was retrieved from the upset of the canoe while "lining" at the rapids below the White Dog Dam on the Winnipeg River north of Kenora, Ontario, yesterday.
• Crew set off at 7:00 a.m. today expecting to paddle about 60 kms, through White Shell Park and crossing the Manitoba border to reach their destination at Point Du Bois around 7:00 p.m. this evening.
• Expedition sets off early tomorrow and is scheduled to be at Lac du Bonnet at 8:00 a.m. en route to their destination at the mouth of the Winnipeg River on Lake Winnipeg tomorrow evening around 7:00 p.m.

S U N D A Y, J U N E  1 9 :

• COMING SOON

S A T U R D A Y, J U N E  1 8:

• COMING SOON

F R I D A Y, J U N E  1 7:

• Voyageurs are scheduled to depart Anicinabe Park at 10:30am to paddle into Kenora's Harbourfront where dignitaries will be meeting them!

T H U R S D A Y, J U N E  1 6:

• Awoke at around 10:00am on a tiny island that barely fit their tents.
• Hit the water around 10:30am and had a beautiful day of paddling
• The sun has been shining for two days and the group is now battling sunburns!
• Landed at Anicinabe Park at around 5:30pm

W E D N E S D A Y, J U N E  1 5:

• Departed from the little island where they camped at 6:00am
• Managed to cross the stretch of water as the wind has died down a little bit, but not much
• At 9:30am (Central Time) they were on Bigsby Island taking a rest and are headed to Kenora
• As of 8:30pm voyageurs were at French Portage Narrows having a rest and were planning on paddling into the night as the winds had died down and they want to make up lost time.
• Group took a two hour break to have supper then they continued on to paddle until 4:00am. They were creative and managed to make "beds" in the middle of the canoe so that 3 people could sleep while the others paddled.
• Completed their longest paddle yet as they completed 115km in the day!

T U E S D A Y, J U N E  1 4:

• Early start for the group at 5:30am
• Only traveled about 15km as the wind and rain picked up and they had to seek shelter on an island
• Took advantage of the break and slept!

M O N D A Y, J U N E  1 3:

• 8:30am departure from Manitou Rapids First Nation
  Day started off well however began raining again in the afternoon
• MNO Citizen - Ron O'Connor greeted voyageurs at his home at 4:30pm at the mouth of the Rainy River where it dumps into Lake of the Woods
• Voyageurs were provided with a warm cabin and a hot meal.

S U N D A Y, J U N E  1 2:

• Departed from the Boat Launch in Fort Frances at 7:30am
• Paddled Down Rainy River
• Arrived at Manitou Rapids First Nation at 6:30pm
• Manitou Mounds - a burial ground - was kept open to tour the voyageurs around
• Great hospitality and a warm meal provided by Manitou Rapids First Nations citizens
• Voyageurs slept in the elders lodge!

Saturday, June 11:

• Re-supply day in Fort Frances
• Did laundry and re-packing - took time to dry equipment as it has been so rainy
• Stayed in Fort Frances

Friday, June 10:

• Regular day, lots of paddling
• Expedition was stuck for a few hours again due to harsh winds
• Still on schedule, arrived in Fort Frances at 3:45pm and was greeted by a pontoon boat with Metis dignitaries and citizens while a cheering crowd was waiting on the shore
• Sunset Country Metis Council held a community feast and dance
• Camped on Sand Point Island

Thursday, June 09:

• Expedition had a good day, but were stuck on an island in the border waters for a few hours due to harsh winds
• Camped just east of Brewell island
• On their way to Sand Point

Wednesday, June 08:

• Arrived in La la Croix around 1:15pm
• Very nice greeting when they arrived, nearly the whole community was there
• Community put the voyageurs up in the Community Centre
• The community helped Expedition members pull their canoe in and perform minor repairs
• Expedition left on the Namekin River on their way to Lake Namekin
• Back on schedule

Tuesday, June 07:

• Still about a half day behind
• 20ish km’s from Lac la Croix First Nation
• Scheduled to resupply tomorrow
• Camped at Curtain Falls

Sunday, June 05:

• Started off the day with long portages
• Caught up a bit of time again
• Camped at Basswood Lake

Saturday, June 04:

• Long day as well, more portages
• Paddled later into the evening to get back on schedule, until 8 or 9 o’clock at night
• Set up camp in the rain at Birch Lake

Friday, June 03:

• Tough day, 5 rough portages
• Fell a little behind schedule due to portages
• Only paddled 20km or so this day
• Camped at Maraboeuf Lake, about a half day behind

Thursday, June 02:

• Departed from Arrow Lake Dam
• Expedition off the water at 7:30pm on Thursday, to make up time, they usually get off the water at 5-6pm
• Expedition had 3 portages on Thursday, they were quite difficult
• Expedition day went well overall as it is only the 2nd day of paddling.
• Expedition camped at Gun Flint Lake

For General Information:
Al Lefebvre
Metis Canoe Expedition Information Officer
500 Old St. Patrick - Unit D
Ottawa, ON K1N 9G4
Fx: 613-722-4225
alainl@metisnation.org

For Media Information:
Katelin Peltier
Communications Officer
500 Old St. Patrick - Unit D
Ottawa, ON K1N 9G4
Tel: (613) 798-1488
katelinp@metisnation.org