At about 0630 one July morning I stepped out of my cabin and walked down to the beach in the thick fog. I could see two canoes with three paddlers in each quartering across Nipigon Bay. The fog made them look like they were levitating. I waved at them and they instantly changed course and paddled up to my beach. Their friendly faces looked lean, tired and bug bitten.
They explained they were paddling from Wabakimi Park to… Ottawa. That’s right, Ottawa! The six young men had spent the night on Vert Island because they couldn’t cross the bay due to heavy seas. They were now heading to Rossport. One of them asked, “Is there any place we could buy snacks between here and Rossport?” I answered, “Nope, not even before covid. This is no-man’s land.”
So I promptly went up to my cabin and cleaned out my snack drawer and brought it to them. They scarfed down a bag of chips, a chocolate bar and a dozen or so cookies and granola bars. l offered to make them coffee but they were determined to get on their way.
They explained they were raising money for Covid-19 and that I should read about their journey at www.canoe4covid.ca. They had embarked on a two-month canoe trip from Wabakimi Park north of Armstrong, had recently crossed Lake Nipigon, and were now traversing Superior. I was stunned by their enthusiasm and bravery. Knowing what Superior can dish out this journey would be a daunting task.
They shoved off and thanked me profusely for the snacks.
Moved by their determination, I went back to my cabin and took inventory of my food supplies. I had a dozen eggs, bacon, cheddar cheese and some Five-Star bakery buns. I promptly made six breakfast buns and put them in zip-lock bags.
By now my friend Ken Funk had shown up to embark on a morning of salmon fishing. We launched my boat and set off in the fog looking for two red canoes headed east. A few minutes later we found them near Gravel Point. They’d paddled a remarkable distance in only one hour.
We delivered the breakfast buns in a fishing net to the happy paddlers and talked for a few minutes before they continued on towards Rossport.
As I write this I am still amazed by these young men. All recent graduates of high school, they are putting their energies into making our world a better place. I noted that they had very positive attitudes and no complaints.
You can read more about their journey and cause at www.canoe4covid.ca (actually https://foodbankscanada.akaraisin.com/ui/canoeforcovid/). To quote their website their endeavour is to “Help Food Banks Canada support communities and healthcare workers affected by COVID-19, and families facing food insecurity across the country.”
Please donate today.
