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News
| Getting prepared |
|
I am currently in Thunder Bay, multi-tasking between expedition planning/packing and preparing to move out of my apartment. My departure from Thunder Bay will be on April 8th or 9th. I will be making a few detours along the way and beginning the expedition at the Sainte-Anne-de-Bellevue Canal National Historic Site. It is approximately 30 mintues from Montreal. Take Highway 20 (or 720) west from Montreal. Continue on Highway 20 and exit at Sainte-Anne-de-Bellevue. I can be reached at home at 807-344-0642 until my departure. Once I am on the road and for the duration of the expedition, I will be receiving voicemail messages at 807-684-0921. |
| Printed: Wednesday, 29 March 2006 05:37 pm |
| CBC Radio interview - Friday, March 31st |
| Thunder Bay CBC radio will be interviewing me tomorrow - Friday, March 31st. I will be a guest on the Voyage North program. Tune in to 88.3 FM at 4:10pm. |
| Printed: Thursday, 30 March 2006 01:27 pm |
| Chronicle Journal Article - Monday, April 3rd |
| Sarah Elizabeth Brown wrote an article about the expedition, "School Project Comes to Life" which ran in today's paper. It is on page 3 of the paper, or you can check it out at www.chroniclejournal.com |
| Printed: Monday, 03 April 2006 08:25 pm |
| LU Radio interview - Tuesday, April 4th |
| I will be a guest on LU Radio tomorrow on the "Jen's Bent" program with Jen Metcalfe. Check it out at 102.7 FM or www.luradio.ca Tune in at 4:30pm. |
| Printed: Monday, 03 April 2006 09:09 pm |
| New Sponsor! - Echo Paddles |
|
I was contacted by Andy Convery of Echo Paddles this week. He is a friendly man who supports the purpose of the expedition and strives to make his business environmentally responsible. Echo Paddles makes their paddles out of local sustainably harvested wood. Their longterm vision is to power their workshop with solar and wind power. They also make great paddles. Andy was hoping that I would take one of them with me. I have decided on a "Quest" 59" paddle. Thanks Andy! For more information about Echo Paddles, visit their website at www.echopaddles.com |
| Printed: Monday, 03 April 2006 10:10 pm |
| Front Page of TB Source |
|
I was on the front page of the TB Source this week (A Thunder Bay local newspaper) in an article titled "Crossing Canada in a Canoe". ---------------------------------------- Local News Crossing Canada in a canoe Tb News Source Web Posted: 4/7/2006 11:30:01 AM Seth Wotten said he wasn't too worried about getting lost on his five month canoe trip, but he was a little intimidated by the mighty Lake Superior. "I am definitely afraid of capsizing on Lake Superior!" the Outdoor Recreation graduate said. "I've been on it before thank God, because otherwise it would be way worse." The giant lake will present one of many adventures as Wotten canoes across Canada to raise awareness about protecting our waterways from environmental destruction. He'll be navigating lakes and rivers from the St. Lawrence Seaway near Montreal up to The Pas, Manitoba this summer, and will continue on next summer from The Pas up to Tuktoyaktuk, N.W.T. "I want to draw attention to our water. I'm hoping to inspire governments, businesses and individuals to take action," he said. "I would like for our descendents to take a trip like this in the future and not have to worry about the quality of the water they use and drink, which is always something to consider (as a traveler) today." Wotten said he's received tremendous support from sponsors who've helped him get outfitted and friends who have offered him a place to stay to break up the long, lonely trek. He's been training with friends to get in serious physical shape, and you may have seen him portaging his bright red canoe around Port Arthur as he practices for the 14 km walking stretch at none other than Grand Portage, which he'll probably hit in Grand Portage just outside of Thunder Bay in early July. With his departure date coming up fast (April 15) the outgoing 26-year-old said the idea of being alone for weeks at a time made him a little nervous. "It's probably what scared me the most initially, but I've been doing a lot of planning and training on my own to get ready for it." Staring at the small and rather flimsy-looking canoe, one would think that loneliness would be only a small concern compared to the threat of capsizing, getting lost, getting hurt, losing your food supply, bears! But Wotten just laughed and said he was ready for any adventure, even if his parents thought he was a little crazy. As an Outdoor Rec student, he had spent a lot of time carefully planning out the route and learning how to best tackle such an expedition. He's confident in his navigational skills, and has a food system set up at different stop stations along the way. The plan is to send packages ahead to pick up in places like Matawa, North Bay and Sault Ste. Marie. "And I've been canoeing since I was six," he said. Wotten has paid for his trip almost entirely out of his own pocket, about $7,000 at this point. But he is looking for donations of money or supplies as his trek goes on. Help him out or check out his progress at www.wffg.ca. There you can also learn more about what you can do to protect Canada's waterways. |
| Printed: Friday, 14 April 2006 09:13 am |
| Leaving Tomorrow |
|
I will be launching on my adventure tomorrow, Saturday, April 15th, at the `Sainte-Anne-de-Bellevue Canal National Historic Site of Canada` (just west of Montreal). I will be holding an outdoor press conference there between 9am and 11am. I am also hoping to say goodbye to friends and family members. The canal is approximately 30 mintues from Montreal. Take Highway 20 west from Montreal, or East from Ontario. Exit at Sainte-Anne-de-Bellevue. I should be in the vicinity of the National Historic Site building at 170 Sainte-Anne Street at that time. Look for a young man with a red canoe and a green backpack. Goodbye everyone. |
| Printed: Friday, 14 April 2006 10:21 pm |
| Saturday, April 22nd - Arrived in Montebello yesterday |
| I arrived in Montebello yesterday, slightly behind schedule. I am staying with Andy Convery of Echo Paddles. I will probably continue to be a couple of days behind schedule. |
| Printed: Saturday, 22 April 2006 01:02 pm |
| Arrived in Ottawa |
| I arrived in Ottawa on April 28th, just in time for my birthday. I am hoping to leave this afternoon. |
| Printed: Sunday, 30 April 2006 11:26 am |
| Media coverage update |
|
It has been a while since I have posted anything in the news section. Most of my updates have been in the journals section. I will be making an effort to post more regularly in this section from now on. The Montreal Gazette may have ran an article on me at the time of my depature, but I never received confirmation of this. A few days after my departure, the Simcoe Reformer ran a front page article about me. Since then I was on the cover of the Renfrew paper (Deep River) and the North Bay Nugget (North Bay). I was also on the North Bay television news. I may have also been on the Weather Network, but I have not yet received confirmation that the footage was aired. |
| Printed: Monday, 29 May 2006 10:14 pm |
| Leaving Little Current Tomorrow |
| I met up with Jay Morrison, another cross continental paddler in Killarney. We paddled to Little Current yesterday (May 28th) and are currently staying with Chris Taggart, a former cross continental paddler who runs the North Water Adventure Company. I am taking the day off and plan to leave tomorrow. |
| Printed: Monday, 29 May 2006 10:16 pm |
| I'm in Michipicoten (near Wawa) |
| I arrived safely in Michipicoten (near Wawa) yesterday. I am staying at Naturally Superior Adventures http://www.naturallysuperior.com/ |
| Printed: Sunday, 18 June 2006 01:08 pm |
| Helping with a watershed conference, Taking a few weeks off |
|
I was recently contacted by the Ladies of the Lake, a group that is working to better the Lake Simcoe watershed. They are hosting the Lake Simcoe Watershed Conference on July 15th and 16th, during which participants will be developing a community action plan for the watershed. They have requested my presence as a speaker and moderator. Although it is tempting to continue paddling, I have decided that this event is too important to miss. I will be putting the expedition on hold for a weeks. I will be spending time in Thunder Bay prior to the conference to prepare myself and after the conference to sort out my food pickup arrangements for the rest of the season. I arrived in Silver Islet yesterday. This community is a long open water crossing away from Thunder Bay at the tip of the Sibley Peninsula. High winds were forecasted for the next few days, so I was worried that I might be held up and not have enough time to prepare for the conference. I was offered a ride to Thunder Bay by the owners of the Silver Islet Bed and Breakfast, Robert and Connie Maier. Although I am in Thunder Bay now, I have not yet officially paddled in. I will be doing this shortly after I return from the conference. Anyone that wishes to contact me can do so by email, seth.wotten@gmail.com , or by voicemail, 807-684-0921. |
| Printed: Friday, 07 July 2006 05:18 pm |
| In southern Ontario for watershed conference |
| I am currently in southern Ontario for the Naked Truth's Lake Simcoe Watershed Conference. I will be flying back to Thunder Bay in the late evening of Sunday, July 16th. |
| Printed: Friday, 14 July 2006 12:38 pm |
| In Thunder Bay. Getting ready to leave. |
| I paddled from Silver Islet to Thunder Bay last week. I am now in Thunder Bay getting ready to depart a few days later than expected. I should be leaving on the morning of Friday, July 28th. |
| Printed: Wednesday, 26 July 2006 12:53 pm |
| Change of Plans / Finished for the Season / Arrived in Kenora yesterday |
|
Hello Everyone! I have to make this short, but more details will follow later. I have decided to quit early at Kenora this year and turn this into a three year adventure. I have been having the time of my life, but there are many reasons that led to my decision. - I have been lonely. - Many of my joints are in suffering from repetitive stress. - I wanted to accept a job I was offered at Souris River Canoes for the fall and winter. It would have been difficult if not impossible for me to get to all of the way to the Pas and begin work when I am needed in late September. - I would like to spend time with some old friends and family before I go back to work. I arrived in Kenora safely yesterday and will be leaving for southern Ontario on the train tomorrow. I will be moving to Atikokan, Ontario and working for Souris River Canoes some time around September 25th. I will post my journals and photos as soon as I have a few more hours to sit down in front of the computer. Seth |
| Printed: Monday, 04 September 2006 11:35 pm |
| Change of Plans |
|
On Friday, I spoke to Keith at Souris River Canoes. He informed me, less than 48 hours before I was going to fly to northwestern Ontario, that my job was no longer available. The depreciation of the US dollar has lowered the demand for their canoes. This news has been a considerable setback and inconvenience to my life at this time. I have been trying my best not to get too upset over it. I ended up stranded in Toronto, so I started my job hunt here, although I would much rather be in northwestern Ontario. I was very lucky to be offered a job at World Travel Protection, the insurance company that I worked for over 4 years ago. So, it looks like I'll be in Toronto for the time being. |
| Printed: Thursday, 28 September 2006 01:45 pm |
| New Contact Information |
|
I have settled down in Toronto. I should be here until the end of April. Here is my new contact information: Seth Wotten 1007 - 115 Tyndall Avenue Toronto, ON M6K 2G3 CANADA 416-535-8342 |
| Printed: Wednesday, 29 November 2006 09:20 am |
| Moved AGAIN!!! |
|
Believe it or not, I have moved again! I will only be living at this location for a few months, but all correspondence can be sent there until I head back out onto the water. My new contact information is listed below. phone: 416-656-0769 email: seth.wotten@gmail.com seth.wotten@gmail.com Temporary mailing address (until Late April of 2007): Seth Wotten 1 - 114 Westmount Avenue Toronto, Ontario M6H 3K4 Canada Permanent mailing address (May 2007 and onward): Seth Wotten 22 Lamport Street PO Box 121 Vittoria, ON N0E 1W0 Canada |
| Printed: Wednesday, 07 March 2007 01:14 pm |
| WORLD WATER DAY - March 22, 2007 |
|
Hello friends, For those of you that haven't heard, I started canoeing across Canada last year on the Water for Future Generations Expedition (http://www.wffg.ca/) to raise awareness about water related environmental issues and to inspire people to take action for our water resources. Although I originally intended on completing the expedition over the course of two years, I have decided to slow my pace and finish it in three. In 2006, I paddled from Montreal, QC, to Kenora, ON, on the Ontario/Manitoba border. To read more about my journey and my experiences on the water, visit my website at http://www.wffg.ca/ and check out the most recent issue of Canoeroots Magazine. This year, I will be pushing off from Kenora in early May and making my way to Fort McMurray, Alberta, paddling in 4 provinces, over the course of 4 months. I'm looking forward to the physical challenge of spending most of my time paddling up the Churchill River, canoeing against the current…again! I'm eager to speak to the people along the way about their water successes and concerns. In 2008, I will continue my journey (downstream this time…phew) from Fort McMurray, to Tuktoyaktuk, NWT. The reason I am contacting you is to make you aware of World Water Day on Thursday, March 22nd. The international observance of World Water Day is an initiative that grew out of the 1992 United Nations Conference on Environment and Development (UNCED) in Rio de Janeiro (http://www.worldwaterday.org/). I would like to take this opportunity to encourage everyone to set aside some time to consider our water resources and take action in some regard, whether today or some more convenient time in the near future. I would be thrilled if you are able to take on one of the initiatives listed in the take action (http://www.wffg.ca/take_action.php) section of my website, but I would also like to show my support for some specific organizations and their campaigns. The Council of Canadians is a government and corporate watchdog who has run some highly influential campaigns for over 20 years. Recently, they have been campaigning for the Canadian Government to support the right to water. Although the recent budget set aside some funding for cleanups and water treatment, Canada is the only country that has consistently voted against the right to water at the United Nations. Recognizing the right to water in this country would limit the commodification and export of water, while holding polluters accountable. The Council is also encouraging Canada to develop and implement a comprehensive national water policy. Visit the water campaign page of their website at http://www.canadians.org/water/index.html and/or email the Prime Minister at http://www.actforwater.ca/action.php?submit=initiateAction&actionID=72 Environmental Defence is an organization that is committed to protecting the environment and human health. Their Toxic Nation campaign is lobbying the government to introduce tighter regulations on toxic chemicals (http://www.environmentaldefence.ca/toxicnation/home.php). We are exposed to toxic chemicals that are released into the environment by sources such as industry and agriculture. Surprisingly, another source of these chemicals is everyday household products. While there are resources available to assist you in limiting your exposure to toxic chemicals in your own home (http://www.environmentaldefence.ca/toxicnation/pledge/index.php , http://www.cbc.ca/natureofthings/toxic_flash/toxic_house_flash.html), individual citizens should not be required to spend their leisure time researching chemicals to make informed decisions about their safety. The onus should be on government to regulate these chemicals. We are all exposed to them when they make their way into our water. Environmental Defence is using the results of their research to urge the government to meet international standards for the regulation of toxic chemicals for the health and safety of Canadians. Sign their petition to strengthen the regulation of toxic chemicals at http://www.environmentaldefence.ca/toxicnation/join/petition.php These are national campaigns that are working to create positive results for you, wherever you may be in this vast country. Your support is greatly appreciated. Don't forget to support local initiatives in your community. Thanks for your time and happy World Water Day! Seth Wotten |
| Printed: Friday, 23 March 2007 03:24 pm |
| PRESS RELEASE |
|
PRESS RELEASE FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Contact Information: Seth Wotten Expedition Organizer and Paddler - Water for Future Generations Expedition Phone: 416-656-0769 (Wotten will be available by phone before his departure from Toronto at 8 AM on May 1st. Leave him a voicemail message if you wish to contact him after his departure) Email: seth.wotten@gmail.com URL: http://wffg.ca Water Activist and Environmental Educator Resumes his Epic Cross Continental Canoeing Adventure Toronto, ON, Canada - April 24th, 2007 - On May 5th, 2007, Seth Wotten will leave Kenora, Ontario to resume the Water for Future Generations Expedition. This is a cross continental solo canoe journey to raise awareness about water related environmental issues and inspire people to take action to protect our water resources. Wotten is canoeing from Montreal, Quebec to Tuktoyaktuk, Northwest Territories over the course of 2006, 2007, and 2008. During his travels, he has been suggesting ways to take action for our water, promoting environmental campaigns, and making observations about the waterways. While paddling from Montreal to Kenora in 2006, Wotten stayed afloat in the big water of Lake Superior, defended his food from wild animals, and spent 4 months by himself without going insane. This year, he will be crossing Manitoba and Saskatchewan to end up in Fort McMurray, Alberta by the beginning of September. Once he passes Lake Winnipeg, he will be traveling mostly upstream on the Saskatchewan, Sturgeon Weir, Churchill, and Clearwater Rivers. Wotten would like to see the federal government take leadership with a Canadian water act that recognizes the right to water (a concept which 97% of Canadians supported in a 2004 Ipsos-Reid Poll) and bans the bulk export of water. "Unfortunately, the government has been going in the opposite direction," says Wotten. "They have ignored public opinion by consistently voting against the right to water at the United Nations. They will be holding discussions with the US and Mexico regarding potential water exports later this month." The three countries are in the beginning stages of negotiating the Security and Prosperity Partnership to further break down barriers for trade of resources between the three countries. "There should be some public consultation before these talks continue," says Wotten. "We should not be selling water to people living in the desert so they can fill their swimming pools." Another issue of concern for water is the regulation of toxic chemicals that are not only in industrial effluent but present in everyday consumer products such as household cleaners, cosmetics, and even baby bottles. "The government should ban chemicals that have been proven to be harmful or at least require that the manufacturers of these products list the ingredients on the labels," says Wotten. Wotten is working to gain support for some environmental campaigns that are focusing on these issues. The Council of Canadians' Water Campaign is lobbying the federal government to recognize the right to water and create a national water act. Environmental Defence's Toxic Nation Campaign is working to persuade the government that we need tighter regulation of toxic chemicals. Since he has financed most of the expedition out of his own pocket, Wotten is looking for donations to help him cover his expenses. Information about making a donation can be found at http://www.wffg.ca/donate.php. Visit the expedition website for more information http://www.wffg.ca/. Read Seth's message about the importance of water and his recommendations of how to take action on the "Take Action" page at http://www.wffg.ca/take_action.php. For more information about the Council of Canadians' Water Campaign, visit http://www.canadians.org/water/index.html. For more information about Environmental Defence's Toxic Nation Campaign, visit http://www.environmentaldefence.ca/toxicnation/home.php. -30- |
| Printed: Wednesday, 25 April 2007 04:52 pm |
| Preparing for my Departure |
|
It's that time again! I am working full time preparing for my departure. I have been making frequent trips to bulk food stores and frantically making and dehydrating vegetable soups for my lunches. The floors of one of the rooms in my apartment are covered with food supplies and equipment. I struggle to find places to step as I separate and organize servings of food and other supplies. My dates have been finalized and my itinerary for this year has been posted on the route information page. I will be hopping on the train in Toronto on May 1st, arriving in Kenora the following day. After spending a few days doing some maintenance work on my canoe, I will be pushing off from Kenora on May 5th. |
| Printed: Wednesday, 25 April 2007 05:00 pm |
| Arrived in Kenora |
|
I have arrived in Kenora! I have been making some final preparations and did some last minute maintenance work on my boat. I will be departing tomorrow morning. For those that would like to contact me during my journey, you can leave me a voicemail message at 416-656-0769 (press 1 for my voicemail box). I should be able to check my messages from Matheson Island on Lake Winnipeg on May 22nd. I will not have access to the internet until my arrival in Grand Rapids on June 3rd. I will post my journals and photos at that time. I will be on CBC radio this afternoon, some time between 4 and 5 pm. Listen in if you have the opportunity. |
| Printed: Friday, 04 May 2007 11:10 am |
| I am in Grand Rapids |
|
I have finally made it to Grand Rapids and I will be taking a week off here. Lake Winnipeg has been one of the craziest adventures of my life. I will be posting my journals, photos and water reflections later this week so you can get all of the details. In short, I decided to take the Winnipeg River all of the way to Lake Winnipeg at the last minute instead of heading north to paddle the Bloodvein River. I spent almost evey other day windbound on Lake Winnipeg and was running behind schedule. I was going to miss an important rendezvous and run out of food. The only road that accesses the lake between Sturgeon Bay and Grand Rapids runs out to Gull Bay, at the southern end of Long Point. I decided to evacuate myself there, with the help of Ron Ballantyne, a local Fisher. |
| Printed: Tuesday, 12 June 2007 02:52 pm |
| House of Commons votes 134-108 to open talks about excluding bulk water exports from NAFTA |
|
Open this link for more information. Although bulk water exports have not yet been banned or officially excluded from NAFTA, this is a step in the right direction. This restores some of my faith in our politicians and the political process. We still have work to do to keep this issue in the spotlight. Now is a good time to put pressure on the government and your local MP. |
| Printed: Friday, 15 June 2007 11:37 am |
| I will be able to receive free text messages starting June 21st |
| I will be heading back out onto the water with a satellite phone and able to receive free text messages starting on June 21st. For information on how to send me a text message, go to the contact page. |
| Printed: Friday, 15 June 2007 12:37 pm |
| I'm in Missinipe, Saskatchewan |
| I've arrived in Missinipe, Saskatchewan and will be staying here a few more days. The Churchill River is a welcome change in scenery and I am having an incredible time. I will do my best to have my photos, journals, and water reflections posted by the time I leave here. |
| Printed: Sunday, 22 July 2007 12:53 pm |
| Made it to Fort McMurray - Journey is Over for this Year ! |
|
Hi Everyone, I pulled into Fort McMurray yesterday (September 9th)!!! The journey for this year is over. It has been a long and fun one and I will miss living out of a canoe. I will not miss the unusually cold and wet weather of the past month. I will be working to finish posting all of my photos, journals, and water reflections in the coming weeks. I fly back to Toronto on Wednesday, September 12th. I am looking for a temporary place to live there until the beginning or end of May 2008. If anyone has any ideas or suggestions, feel free to let me know. |
| Printed: Monday, 10 September 2007 11:16 am |
| New Sponsor |
| Seth has a new sponsor, Life Without Plastic! Check out their profile on the sponsors' page. |
| Printed: Tuesday, 15 April 2008 12:40 am |
| Route Plan Being Revised |
| Hoping for a warm winter, I envisioned myself departing Fort McMurray, Alberta on May 7th, 2008. To my disappointment, Old Man Winter chose the Northwest Territories as his resting place for January, February, and March. In an attempt to avoid hauling my canoe over ice on Great Slave Lake, I have delayed my departure until May 20th or 21st. I will update the Route Information page as soon as the route plan has been revised. |
| Printed: Tuesday, 15 April 2008 01:21 am |
| In Buffalo Narrows, SK, ready for the final stretch of this year's journey |
|
Now that I have arrived in Buffalo Narrows, I have finished paddling up the Churchill River! Although I have faced some challenges since leaving Missinipe, fighting current no longer feels as arduous as before. I will continue to battle the current until I cross the divide between the Hudson Bay and Arctic Ocean drainage basins on the 20km Methy Portage. At the north end of the portage, I will enter the Clearwater River. From this point onward, I will be travelling downstream for the remainder of this year and all of next year's journey! Thanks to the generosity of Andy Convery at Echo Paddles, I am pleased to announce that I just picked up a brand new bent shaft canoe paddle. This inspired me to go for a paddle last night, when I was supposed to be taking the evening off. The paddle was such a pleasure to use that I was tempted to load up my boat and paddle off into the sunset. Unfortunately, I had errands to run in Buffalo Narrows today, so I will have to curb my enthusiasm until my departure tomorrow. |
| Printed: Sunday, 19 August 2007 05:22 pm |
| New Route Plan Posted |
| I will be flying out of Toronto on May 15th, and I will be departing Fort McMurray on May 21st. The new route plan has been posted on the Route Informationpage |
| Printed: Tuesday, 29 April 2008 05:05 pm |
| In Fort McMurray |
| I'm in Fort McMurray, preparing for my departure. I've been working on my canoe. The rudder has been re-attached securely. |
| Printed: Monday, 19 May 2008 11:52 pm |
| Leaving Tomorrow |
| I will be leaving tomorrow, one day later than expected. See you later everybody. |
| Printed: Wednesday, 21 May 2008 09:58 pm |
| Little or no site updates this year |
| I would like to warn everyone that I anticipate having very little internet access this year, and may not be able to update the site until the trip is over. Sorry in advance to anyone who has been following the journey thus far. |
| Printed: Wednesday, 21 May 2008 09:59 pm |
| Past the halfway point! |
|
I am past the halfway point, timewise. I am in Fort Simpson, Northwest Territories. I'm waiting here for a few days for the post office to reopen on Monday so I can pick up my supplies. I've been having a great time and people have been friendly and supportive. In Fort Fitzgerald, I experienced my first traditional Dene sweat. The Athabasca and Slave Rivers were really muddy! The south shore of Great Slave Lake is really shallow and can therefore be treacherous when the wind is blowing. I managed to put in my biggest days ever there: 76 km and 85 km!!! Now I am on the Mackenzie River and the current is very strong. I could probably manage to put in a 50 km day without paddling! I hope everyone is doing well and I look forward to catching up with all of you when the trip is over in August. |
| Printed: Sunday, 06 July 2008 03:18 pm |
| Satellite text message still the best way to contact me |
| Until I return to Ontario on August 20th, text messaging me on the satellite phone will still be the most timely way of contacting me. |
| Printed: Wednesday, 06 August 2008 02:09 pm |
| The journey is complete! |
|
This is quick post to let everyone know that the journey is complete! I pulled into Inuvik, NWT on August 5th. I have decided to end here because I was running a little short of time. I had plans to travel from Inuvik to Whitehorse on August 10th. Making it to Tuk and back to Inuvik by then would have been unlikely. I still feeling a great sense of accomplishment. I am looking forward to the drive through the Yukon. I plan on doing lots of hiking, sightseeing, and maybe even some paddling along the way. The paddle this year has been so much fun! Since a little north of Fort Simpson, I have had close to 24 hours of daylight. I have paddled mostly at "night", since the weather is generally calm and cool. In some places, the current has been only 1-2 km/hr. In others, it has reached speeds of up to 15 km/hr. The communities along the way were very hospitable. I caught up to some other Mackenzie River paddlers; one from France and another from Japan. We all spent a few days together as we entered the Mackenzie Delta. It was rewarding to be able to share ideas and reflect on our respective journeys together. The highlight of this year with regard to water issues has definitely been the oilsands mining taking place around Fort McMurray. People as far north as Norman Wells, on the Mackenzie River, have voiced concerns about their water being contaminated. It was sad to meet the many people in Fort Chipweyan whose first words were "Do you know the oil companies are poisoning us?" Whether or not this is a fact has yet to be scientifically proven or disproven. Several doctors have noticed what they suspect could be elevated rates of cancer in the community. There have also been several instances of very rare forms of cancer, such as cancer of the bile duct. There is little in the way of baseline health, fish, and wildlife data to prove whether the arsenic and PAH (polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon) levels in the river are a result of the mines and whether these are causing cancer in Fort Chip. Many have called for thorough health, fish, and wildlife studies. The Alberta Government has been dragging its heels with regard to these studies and the Alberta Environment Minister has stated outright that he is not concerned with reports of fish deformities in Lake Athabasca. I would like to see an independent team of researchers give these issues further study. On a lighter note, many people in Fort McMurray were very hospitable and supportive. I would like to thank them and everyone else who as supported me in some way over the course of the journey. It would not have been possible without your help! I will be going back to school at Queen's University in the fall to become a teacher. Once I have settled down in Kingston, ON, I will post my photos and journals. I'll let everyone know when the book is ready. |
| Printed: Thursday, 07 August 2008 02:19 pm |
