Le Voyageur Errant

They have passed by our rendez-vous point. Will they take their time so my guide contact can take me to them, or will I have to meet them at a more southeasterly spot?

As of today, the expedition is heading into Cochrane - by train. Something has happened on the Onakawana River. My guide contact near Cochrane tells me he has been asked to pick them up at the train in Cochrane at 11:30 tonight. He suspects they ran into low water on the Onakawana River. But from Cochrane on they should have no such trouble. The question is: how will this affect my meeting up with them?

This year, I will join Bob and others as they paddle from the mouth of the Abitibi River on James Bay (Moosonee) to Fort Temiscaming, close to Ville Marie, Québec. Fortunately, I have a daughter getting married on July 4th. Unfortunately, the expedition starts today, June 20th, and I won't be able to join them until they reach Cochrane on July 6th. So I will get to attend my daughter's wedding, but will miss half the trip. The official expedition site is in the links above. The "Spot Me" tracking system link is: http://share.findmespot.com/shared/faces/viewspots.jsp?glId=03ndUWXSQp94UtYumcUuAODn4xZRqzAFS

Andrea H.-Z. of the Toronto DSB posted this on the TDSB French Web for other French teachers to see, and then shared it with me.

"I'd just like to bring to your attention to the great presentation we had by Jay Bailey, "le voyageur errant". He was invited to enliven our winter Festival du Voyageur just before the Break. (I get tired of Carnaval de Québec every year so I like rotate themes.) Of course, he can come at any time of the year.

He is a retired French teacher turned voyageur. He comes in costume and shows the kids all about voyageur life (including making fire) and has them participate in fun voyageur games. The kids dress up and have a great time. I only have Grades 4 and 5 in my school so I pre-teach stuff about voyageurs, (yes, in French) but for the intermediate grades that already study that period in history, it's a great way to review and also to bring together the French and History departments."

"An interesting note: you probably don't recall too much about the booking 3 years ago at The Prince Charles in Napanee, but we invited a neighbouring school who watched your show while I went to class. Their French teacher did not attend, their regular classroom teacher did. When she started at my new school, she approached me and said: 'I don't know what you include in your French program, but I just want to tell you about an excellent performer that had my students talking for months afterward.  I'll get the information from their French teacher for you if you want to bring him here.... ' That was the first I had met her but she was recommending the program I had arranged - yours!  Just to encourage you. Hope you are doing GREAT at this venture. Glad you are coming back to our board. See you next month."

If you need a BROCHURE or POSTER to help sell the idea of an interactive cultural/historical presentation at your school, email me at voyageurerrant@yahoo.ca and I'll send you PDF or DOC files you can print and use. Here is a summary of presentation possibilities:

Voyageur Errant Presentations

Elementary                                      Secondary
1 class (40-50 min)    ... $200           1 class (75 min)    .......... $225
1 block (100 min)    ...... $250          Half day    ...................... $300
Half day (150 min)   ..... $300          Full day*   ...................... $500
2 blocks (200 min)   ..... $400
Full day*    ................... $500               Full week**    ................. $2500 - $250 = $2250

In a half day show, you and your students could experience the full gamut of voyageur activities, in French, English or both; singing, dancing, playing the spoons, games of strength and agility, fire-making with flint and steel, furs, trade goods, trapping, clothes of the time, canoes of the fur trade, daily life of the voyageur, seasons of the fur trade, and the importance of the fur trade.

Whatever the length of show, we will discuss your situation and determine the best focus and combination of activities for your goals.

* A full day booking entitles you to a FREE, after-school, STAFF workshop on my expeditions and a glimpse into the authentic life of the voyageurs. I am also available for PD days. Mileage outside of the Grand Erie DSB is 40¢/km, from the town of Simcoe.

** A full week booking in a school board may require accommodation and meal expenses, but entitles you to a 10% discount, or one free half day.

For a POSTER or BROCHURE, with this info and more, to present to your administrators or to keep as reference, just email me at voyageurerrant@yahoo.ca

This year's trip differed from last year's in a few significant ways, such as camping, canoes, paddling, food, community events and group dynamics.

Firstly, there is the question about camping voyageur-style as I mentioned in my last blog. It was very difficult staying true to role, being the only voyageur camper. I did have some crew members who were not only sympathetic and supportive, like our captain, Eric Williams, but also enthusiastic and encouraging, like David and Robbie Bates, who are quite involved at Fort William. Reactions from others on the trip varied from distant puzzlement - "Just what is he doing?" through active curiosity - "How DID the voyageurs manage to survive with just what you've got there? What kind of knot was that?" to embarrassment - "So we're van camping as we paddle our Kevlar canoes along the traditional route. We're talking about 3200 km, 63 days!" To me, it makes no difference how each person on this brigade showed respect and honour to the voyageurs and to David Thompson in particular. We all do what we can. Some apparently needed a hot tub and others a full bus motor home to survive the experience. Most, our crew included, managed in modern tents. I mostly used my bedroll, sometimes with the large canvas tarp as a lean-to. The tarp over the canoe served as a shelter at Fort Gibraltar in Winnipeg.

Secondly, the canoes were 25 ft long fibreglass (like ours) or Kevlar, with six paddlers and, most days, just daytime gear. We averaged about twice as fast (9 kph) as last year's canoes. Also the crews numbered mostly 8-12 people, so we paddled in shifts. The canoes could handle bigger waves because of their size and the high voyageur bow and stern. Also, because of the man(and woman)power, we could paddle up swifts and even some rapids that we wouldn't even have tried in last year's canoes. Rafting together to sail for three hours at an average of about 8 kph was an unexpected treat this year. We only had to paddle about 5 km out of 30 that day on Lac des Mille Lacs.

Thirdly, paddling this year was much the same as last except that we had room to slide over to the other side of the canoe, which we did every 50-80 strokes. Last year it was an hour before we took a break and switched sides. This year, they didn't like to take breaks, and we might go two hours before taking any kind of break. Sometimes we just took individual breaks in rotation. The biggest difference was that some times and even some whole days this year, I didn't get to paddle because of the size of the crew and paddling in shifts. There were also ground crew duties when you weren't paddling. We had as many as three ground vehicles when our crew was up to fourteen people. The vehicles carried all the gear and food that wasn't needed in the canoe. In 2007, we saw a vehicle once a week, when a new guest paddler arrived and the past week's paddler left. Being on ground crew was occasionally fun as you were able to explore the area, but I mostly found it boring, as evidenced by the fact that one day I fell asleep at the wheel of the crew van and drove into a 12 ft, 60 degree ditch. A number of specific circumstances were combined to ensure that I walked away unscathed, and I thank the Lord often for that skillful combination.

Fourthly, the food was widely varied and it almost always was a pain to produce, as nobody in our crew really liked to cook. We had tons of food and took time to go through it and decide what to have and how to go about it. Last year was so simple by comparison - some gather branches, break them up, then light a fire while others cut salt pork, mix up the flour, baking soda, salt, dried cranberries and water for bannock. The salt pork boils on the fire until the fat turns a little clearer, the split yellow peas are thrown in and more water added, along with pepper. When the fat is clear, the bannock mix has risen a little and is ready to fry. Put a little lard in a frying pan, find a spot in the fire with a bed of hot coals and fry it up. Same routine every day for almost all of our 61 days. Simple.

Fifthly, community events were significant. The DTB had an events coordinator who did a fine job. Many communities along the way owe their existence to the voyageurs and the fur trade. The smaller communities in particular were delighted to seize the occasion of our arrival for an event; a party, a ceremony, speeches, children's program, a play, a concert, and MEALS. We had many a morning pancake and sausage and many dinners from generous towns and citizens.

Lastly, group dynamics. Last year there were only four of us at any one time, except for the first two weeks when we had five. Bob liked to be in control, which worked well for Ken and myself, as Bob was our leader and the owner of the canoe and supplies. Ken and I both were more contemplative, quiet, non-confrontational types. So we got along well. The fourth person changed almost every week, so they were a source of more information once the three of us had shared all we cared to share. Among the guest paddlers, Diane was a group builder, a very positive, helpful person. Christian was a pot-stirrer, but also very informative and entertaining. In 2008, I arrived to a disfunctional crew who had already been together for 24 days. There were two people who had incredible memories for past slights, real or imagined, and they had a habit of bringing them up repeatedly. The same two could not walk away from a disagreement without having the last word. Sometimes they would try, but you could anticipate the compulsion, like some huge elastic, pulling them back to the conversation for one last zing, which was never the last. Now picture this same scenario in the setting of a three hour paddle on a beautiful waterway. Peace and pleasure, twisted and tortured! Others had some minor role in the spoiling of nature with the bile of human nature, but these two did it best. It was doubly unfortunate, because I could see the fine qualities in each person, but could never get the other to see them. Eventually, one had to leave for health reasons and the other could be calmed somewhat by minimal response. It made no sense for me to respond, because a response could too easily be misconstrued and used as fodder for more rants. After the one departure, the group gradually drew together and actually gelled as a crew. Everyone became more positive.

The big finale at Old Fort William was a fitting culmination of our trip. I hope the pictures can convey some of the excitement.

I've been very busy lately, with a full week of 20 voyageur shows for high school students from Elliot Lake to Sault Sainte-Marie and my Mom and Dad’s 65th wedding anniversary. On Tuesday this week, I presented two shows for juniors and intermediates at Brookville School in Campbellville, ON. But on Wednesday, June 4th, I roll again as a voyageur.

On the 4th, I fly to Winnipeg, where friends will drive me up to the Lake Manitoba Narrows to meet the David Thompson Brigade on June 5th. The Brigade started from Rocky Mountain House, Alberta, on May 10th, in sixteen 25-foot canoes. There is live GPS tracking of their progress at http://www.rimrocked.com/events/eventview.php?eid=4 . At times it works better than at others. My crew is Paddle Canada 1, which is #6 in the sidebar to the right of the GPS map. As you can see from the map, the final destination is Fort William, in Thunder Bay. If you check out the http://www.2008thompsonbrigade.com site, you can learn more about the crews and the way this is being staged. Be sure to click on YouTube videos near the bottom of the page. At this date, there are two official videos plus several from different crews. For my team info, go to the site, click on Team Information, Brigade Teams, then down the left margin find Paddle Canada 1 and click on it. Our crew also has a blog, where you can see a picture and get an update for each day: http://www.paddlecanada1.blogspot.com

This expedition is in modern, not in period, style, except that all the participants will dress as voyageurs as we arrive at various events planned for the bicentennial celebrations of David Thompson’s expeditions. I, however, will be dressed as a voyageur during the entire trip and will sleep in a bedroll - canvas groundsheet, woolen blankets and canvas tarp - rather than a tent and sleeping bag. It remains to be seen how much more I will be able to do in period style.

On July 12th we plan to arrive in Fort William in time for the Rendezvous, on the 13th there are events planned around us, and on the 14th, everyone disperses. I will fly from Thunder Bay to Toronto, where my wife and daughter will be picking me up.

Jay
Le Voyageur Errant

I am definitely signed up for the Paddle Canada crew in the David Thompson Brigade 2008. They start from Rocky Mountain House on May 5th. I will meet them at the Lake Manitoba Narrows on June 5th. We finish at Fort William (Thunder bay) on July 12th. Although they are not doing the trip in period, I will do my best to do it the 1790 way. We'll all be dressed like voyageurs when we arrive at events.

And next year, 2009? It looks like I may be joining Bob Abrames' trip from Ottawa to Indianapolis. I would meet them near Niagara Falls and paddle the length of Lake Erie, then south up river the grand metropolis. The Shriners have their headquarters there and they are raising awareness of, and funds for combatting, Autism, partly through the sponsoring of the trip.

For those of you who are interested in the voyageur life, there are two expeditions that I know of this summer:

#1 - Destination Nor'Ouest, (DNO) is doing a sequel to the 2005 trip from Montréal to Winnipeg. This time, it's from Fort Chipewyan, Alberta, to the Pacific Ocean (May to September). You need to be able to speak French for this televised expedition, but it is hard-core re-enactment style: you have nothing but what travelers in 1780 would have had. The good news: it's all provided, except the courage and the endurance. The film crew has modern emergency technology available for you. They will choose people they think will provide a good show, not likely the most compatible crew.

#2 - The David Thompson Brigade, (DTB) is traveling from Rocky Mountain House, Alberta, to Fort William (Thunder Bay), Ontario (May 5 to July 12). Mixed news: you can be as period correct as you like, but it's optional for everyone. There will be people with tents, sleeping bags, regular life jackets, modern paddles, etc.

I'm leaning toward joining the DTB before Winnipeg around June 5 and finishing with them at Fort William.

Here are a couple more links to media coverage about the Étienne Brûlé Expedition this summer.

Simcoe Reformer, pre-trip - Not Your Average Camping Trip

Ottawa Citizen, post-trip - Voyageurs descend upon downtown Ottawa

Simcoe Reformer, post-trip - Man, 55, Makes History

See the pictures below for photos that accompanied the stories.

With Bob Abrames (www.abrames.com) and crew, I will travel by birchbark canoe on the Rideau waterway from Ottawa to Kingston, on Lake Ontario bays to Trenton, on the Trent-Severn waterway to Georgian Bay, up the French River to Lake Nipissing, through la Vase and down the Mattawa and Ottawa Rivers to Ottawa once more. Taking 60 plus days, making about 32 km a day, we'll be dressing, eating and travelling as voyageurs of the 1700s. That means no tent, no toilet paper, no matches. We gather July 1st, leave the 2nd and return on the Labour Day weekend in September.

See the gear we are responsible for bringing
See the optional gear that some of us bring or Bob lends us
See the gear that Bob provides
See the food we eat (plus we have flour and dried cranberries for bannock)

"Thank you so much for coming to Seneca Unity. The kids and I really enjoyed it!! I really appreciate all the effort you put into the presentation. It was awesome. Thanks for your time."
Linda Heap, Seneca Unity School, Caledonia, ON

"Un GRAND merci encore.  C'était vraiment fantastique la présentation. La vice-principal... m'a dit que c'était très bien et que les élèves ont été très intéressés.  Elle est d'ailleurs aussi prof de français et a trouvé que vous parliez très très bien aux enfants et elle a pensé que c'était très bien fait pour qu'ils comprennent au maximum. Et nous avons beaucoup appris."
Dominique Aucouturier St. Pius X, Toronto, ON