It was like travelling back in time at the Pelts ‘n Paddles Rendezvous.

Held at the Jasper Airfield, in line with the David Thompson bicentennial, the rendezvous boasted a variety of activities and entertainment leading up to the main event – the arrival of 15 voyageur canoes and the teams that were guiding them down the Athabasca River.

The adventurous, modern-day voyageurs took to the waters with a brigade that travelled from Jasper to Emerson Creek Bridge, approximately 40 kilometres east downstream from Hinton. The trip, which took place Aug. 18 to 21, saw the crews paddle the 130 kms of river in the same fashion as the voyageurs of the 1800s.

On Aug. 18, the crews put in at Old Fort Point, and paddled to the airfield in a bit of a practice run before heading out early the next morning. Arriving to hundreds of onlookers lined up along the river bank, the voyageurs were welcomed by cheers and applause. 

After bringing their canoes ashore, the voyageurs paraded to the stage area, where they listened as dignitaries welcomed them, praised their efforts and wished them a safe journey the next day.

“Canada’s Environment Minister and Minister responsible for Parks Canada, the Honourable Peter Kent, has asked me to bring you his greetings and to tell you how proud he is of the rich heritage being celebrated today,” said the Honourable Rob Merrifield, MP for West Yellowhead. “This event not only celebrates the accomplishments of David Thompson, but recognizes his connection to the rich voyageur heritage and Aboriginal connections that contributed to the success for the fur trades so many years ago.”

MLA for West Yellowhead Robin Campbell also spoke briefly to the crowd, having been part of one of the teams for the paddle from Old Fort Point to the airfield. He joked about how hard it had been to paddle the short distance, and thanked organizers Rick Zroback and Lorraine McKay of Hinton for all their hard work.

“It was a real pleasure to be a part of my group,” said Campbell.

Mayor Richard Ireland said that 200 years ago, David Thompson and his group would not have seen such a welcome as the one at Pelts ‘n Paddles, as the life of a voyageur was an “awfully darn tough life.”

“Today I think one of the things we can take from this ceremony is just how fortunate we are to be Canadians, to live here in Jasper and to enjoy the advantages we have today because of station builders like David Thompson and the voyageurs.”

Zroback, co-chair of the Athabasca River Voyageur Canoe Brigade (ARVCB), took the stage to boisterous cheers from the voyageurs. He thanked everyone, naming the crews comprised of teams from Vernon B.C., Moosejaw, Sask., Fort McMurray, Rocky Mountain House, Edmonton, Canmore and Fort Saskatchewan. There was also international representation, with paddlers from England, Spain and Germany. Regional representation was made up of two Jasper teams, four Hinton teams and one team from Brule, and Zroback thanked all his “local” and “paddling” friends for being present. He acknowledged all of the volunteers, saying, “It’s a combination of Jasper, Brule, Hinton, Yellowhead County – that doesn’t happen every day folks.”

See more coverage of the voyageur brigade in next week’s Fitzhugh.