by Jessica Knapp
Wayne Wilson is part of a 12-person crew who are currently paddling their canoes down the MacKenzie River from Fort Providence to Inuvik. The expedition began July 6th and Wilson will be keeping his blog updated about their journey.
The crew includes: Wayne Wilson, Bob Groves, Chuck Pike, Cor Zandbergen, Suzanne Davidson, Eugene Peters, John Ravensbergen, Richard Wagers, Rick Zroback, Merle Pederson, Don Munroe, Doug Yalte.
The group decided on three 26’ Voyageur canoes to travel the 1500 kilometre canoe expedition. The crew participated in months of planning to organize and ensure safety on this lengthy trip. The strenuous activity and the remote areas require safety to be a primary concern; one of the crewmembers is an experienced paramedic. Another crewmember is holding onto a satellite ‘Spot’ that pings off a satellite every few minutes to show their location. You can track them yourself.
The small population near the MacKenzie River basin sanctions its classification as “one of the few great unspoiled areas of the world.” The MacKenzie River was central to the Canadian fur trade; named after the first trader to travel the river, Alexander MacKenzie. The MacKenzie River is the longest in Canada with its main stream running 1,738 kilometres, and only second in North America to the Mississippi River.
If the crew continues to average 50 kilometres a day they should arrive at Inuvik in the first week of August.
The image to above shows the canoe at Fort Providence, NWT on the MacKenzie River.