Étienne Brûlé Expedition - 2007

Life among the Hurons
When Samuel de Champlain set sail from France for North America in 1608, he did so with a 16 year old boy named Étienne Brûlé. Brûlé was young, strong, adventurous, and fascinated with the Natives of New France. In 1610, Champlain arranged to have Brûlé live with the Hurons so he could integrate himself and literally become a native. Brûlé quickly learned the language and adopted the Huron way of life. So complete was his integration that Champlain was shocked when he returned to Quebec.
Brûlé was the first Frenchman to be known as a coureur de bois. He and the French coureur de bois to follow would literally become natives, marrying into various tribes and spending the rest of their lives with them. They and their families would ultimately become the Métis Nation and would have an enormous impact on Canada.
Brûlé traveled with the Hurons to Georgian Bay on Lake Huron. In 1612, he led Champlain on an expedition to Lake Huron and the lands to the south. Champlain and Brûlé were the first Europeans to see Lake Ontario.
Brûlé's died in 1634 under mysterious circumstances. It is generally accepted that Brûlé made the fatal mistake of trading with the Iroquois who were mortal enemies of the Hurons. The Hurons supposedly murdered Brûlé for his actions. However, the Jesuits claim that Brûlé was murdered by the Hurons as a result of his sexual improprieties amongst the natives. Whatever the reason, Étienne Brûlé was, indeed, murdered by the Hurons.
Brûlé's impact on Canada's history is undeniable. He journeyed to four of the five great lakes - Erie, Ontario, Huron and Superior - and through him, the entire Great Lakes regions became open to future exploration. It is to this first coureur de bois we dedicate this expedition.

Day-to-Day Itinerary
Here is a short description of the route we traveled and our daily progress. Thanks to Jay for keeping track of this and providing the info. CLICK HERE

The Voyageurs
These people displayed the interest and determination to be part of this trip. I truly enjoyed spending time on the river with them.

Jay Bailey
With an M.A. in Teaching French, which he has done for twenty-nine years, Jay has experienced teaching people at all levels from Kindergarten to adults. He has also coached more than forty basketball and volleyball teams at various levels. Always active, Jay’s favourite activities are volleyball, singing, camping/hiking/canoeing, Frisbee and tennis. Inspired by the Festival du Voyageur in Saint-Boniface, Manitoba, and his own research, he has created and staged well over 100 voyageur presentations in schools and has given workshops on various topics to teachers locally and provincially in Manitoba and Ontario. A published computer programmer and author of French curriculum support materials, he is embarking on a second career of writing and school presentations. This trip is the realization of a dream to experience the life of the voyageurs and lend a greater depth of understanding and authenticity to his role in voyageur presentations. Envoyons de l'avant nos gens...

Ken Ilgunas
Ken attended college at the University at Buffalo in New York where he studied literature and early American history. His interest in the history of the colonial period combined with his passion for adventure novelists in the London, Defoe, and Cooper vein has bred in him an avid desire to accomplish the grand and romantic. Over the past year, Ken has resided in Coldfoot, Alaska (pop. 25) situated 240 miles north of Fairbanks and 60 miles above the Arctic Circle—an ideal setting for exploits within the Brooks Mountain Range and on the Koyukuk River where he worked as an oarsman. A lover of nature, an admirer of grandiose feats, and a student of history, Ken saw this voyage as a once in a lifetime opportunity and an endeavour that will be trying, yet personally rewarding.

Susan Abrames
You got it, she is my baby sister. Susan is in fact my only sister. I'm so pleased she joined me for a week. Was, shall we say ...... very interesting eh! Susan loves the outdoors and such but I don't know if she has ever quite experienced it like she will this summer. In any case she has the nerve and fortitude to give it a good go. Susan isn't quite a baby any more, she is a little older than that, but I can't tell you how old here! I loved sharing some time with you Sue. Love You.


 

Diane Moreau
Can't tell you how delighted I am to have had Diane join us on this expedition - even if it is for only two weeks. Diane was with me on my expedition in 2005 and she was there to see Christian and I off in 2006. She is an incredibly hard working person with a heart of gold and a spirit to match. She will leave with us from Ottawa and will stay with us for two weeks. Diane is from Abitibi, Quebec where she lives with her husband Paul whom I greatly admire for his ability and his love for living. Diane is a proud mother and grandmother. It was great to paddle with her again and share stories past and present. Diane is very adept and all kinds of crafts and is very gifted when it comes to knowing about wild edibles.
 

Rolf Nielsen
Rolf joined us for a week in August and I'm delighted. This was fun. I've known Rolf for a long time through my connections in the travel industry. He is a pioneer in the Canadian travel industry! Rolf is Norwegian by birth but has been living in Canada for over 30 years. Rolf has mastered the English language in his mind - between his Nor-English and the French and English. True to form he taught us some new words over the summer. Also entertained us with some very funny stories about his various experiences around the world. Rolf's buddies said he didn't have what it takes to do this trip but I can tell them now for sure .... he did an incredible job of cooking, portaging and paddling. He did go ..... full-out!.

Christian Pilon
I've had the pleasure of paddling with Christian on the 05 expedition and the one we did together in 06. Christian joined us for about three weeks this summer and I was delighted. He brought to the expedition his experience and his passion for all things Voyageur and First Nation. Christian is Métis and proud of it. He has been doing Voyageur presentations in schools throughout Ontario for a year now. He is also quite involved with a group called L’écho d’un peuple in Casselman, Ontario. This group celebrates French heritage through an incredible mega-spectacle presentation that is unbelievable.

 

Casey Abrames
This is my youngest son Casey and I am delighted he joined us for a week and then for a day later on. He is one heck of a paddler! Casey is currently working as a stone-mason apprentice so you gotta know he's got the strength to do it. I also know he has the will. This guy is almost as hard headed as I am. Sure will be fun at the family dinners now with two Voyageurs at the table. Very proud to 'ride the river' with you son!

Patrick Ravary
Patrick was born May 19th, 1973. He is married (wife Rachel) and no kids. He speaks and writes both French and English fluently. Patrick attended McGill University where he studied chemical engineering. His work experience ranges from picking vegetables on a farm with Mexican migrant workers in his youth to working as an engineer in remote areas of the Philippines, Mexico and India, amongst other places. He enjoys cross-country skiing, cutting wood, hiking, studying history and all things that come with the country life. Many times in his life he has been inspired by the courage and determination the colonial pioneers demonstrated in their daily lives and he is looking forward to the experience of living the life of a voyageur. I'd ride the river any day with this guy .... a real asset to the expedition.

Art Lacroix
My name is Art Lacroix, and appropriately for this trip, of French & Native descent. I’m bilingual but my French is a little rusty. I still remember singing the voyageur songs in school (“M’en revenant de la Jolie Rochelle” sticks in my mind). I attended St. Vincent de Paul ( a French catholic grade school) in North Bay and there was a strong emphasis on French Canadian culture and heritage. I developed a love of the outdoors while growing up just outside North Bay ON. I was hunting, trapping, fishing & camping on my own by the age of 11 and have enjoyed it alone and with groups. I have always had a love of history and for over ten years have made canoe trips around Ontario (so far only using modern gear). One of my favourite areas is North Bay to Mattawa as it is so rich with voyageur & native history. Currently I work as a systems administrator at Maple Leaf Foods in Kitchener ON. In my military life I traveled from coast to coast to coast across Canada as well as to the desert of North Africa as a peace keeper. One summer I spent 6 weeks in the high Arctic on Ellesmere Island, traveling by air from Alert to Fort Eureka doing re-supply and maintenance of satellite communications relay sites and food/Fuel caches.

Expedition Dates
We left Ottawa on the July 1 and finish in Ottawa on August 30 ~ 61 days ~ 1,500 kilometres ~ over 100 portages ~ 1,000,000 memories!

Expedition Route
The expedition started in Ottawa and then proceeded south through the Rideau Waterway to Kingston, then on to Lake Ontario, west to the Bay of Quinte, up the Trent-Severn system to Georgian Bay, across Georgian Bay and up the French River, across Lake Nipissing to North Bay, across La Vase, across Trout Lake, down the Mattawa River, down the Ottawa River to Ottawa and back into the Rideau Waterways.
Lake Ontario
Lake Ontario is one of the Great Lakes. The Rideau Waterway enters Lake Ontario at the extreme eastern end, where the St. Lawrence River enters the lake. This area is the home to the world famous 'Thousand Islands'.
Bay of Quinte
The Bay of Quinte separates most of Prince Edward County from the north shore except for a 2 mile (3km) stretch of land connecting it to the mainland.
Tent-Severn Waterway
The Trent-Severn is a 386 kilometre "highway" of lakes, rivers and canals that connects Lake Ontario with Georgian Bay. Operated and managed by Parks Canada, the Waterway attracts thousands of visitors annually from all over the world. It starts at Trenton on the Bay of Quinte and ends at Port Severn on Georgian Bay.




Georgian Bay
Georgian Bay is 320 klms long, 80 klms wide and covers over 15,000 square klms, making it almost as large as Lake Ontario. There are thousands of islands in the bay collectively known as the "Thirty Thousand Islands."
French River
The French river is a beautiful stretch, rich in history and steeped in natural beauty. It flows from Lake Nipissing to Georgian Bay. The mouth of the river is particularly beautiful with it's hundreds of tributaries and absolutely spectacular scenery.
Lake Nipissing
Nipissing is a shallow lake with many sand bars and numerous islands. We will cross her when we make our way from the French River to the La Vase portage at North Bay.
La Vase River & Portage
A ridge of high land runs in a north-south direction separating the Georgian Bay and the Ottawa watersheds. The high land causes the Mattawa River to flow east and Lake Nipissing and the French River to flow west. The most popular native portage route was through a series of lakes (Camelot, Maclean, Upper Twin, Lower Twin and Passmore) below the west end of Trout Lake, on to Park’s Creek and into Lake Nipissing. The lightweight native birch bark canoes handled the shallow water and portages on this route. The fur traders with their large canoes needed the deep water of the La Vase route.
Mattawa River
The Mattawa runs between Trout Lake and the town of Mattawa on the Ottawa River. This was an important route for voyageurs, trappers and loggers -- and before them the aboriginals. In 1970, the Ontario government protected a substantial portion of the river by designating it the first waterway park in Ontario and in 1988 designated it as a Canadian Heritage River. The Mattawa flows along a fault line estimated to be 600 million years old that features several stretches of rapids, an eight-meter waterfall, and 14 portages.
Ottawa River
The Ottawa River is 1271 klms long. It rises in a chain of lakes in the Laurentian Highlands and continues through a series or reservoirs and lakes to Lake Timiskaming. South from Lake Timiskaming, it grows broad and forceful, widening into marshy lakes, then constricting into turbulent rapids. We will travel the Ottawa from Mattawa to the city of Ottawa where we will enter toe Rideau waterways to take us back to our starting point.