Northern Spirit Adventures took me on an expedition to the far corners of northern Ontario to see historical landmarks, unprecidented natural wonders, and provided me a one of a kind true Canadian experience. My journey with Northern Spirit Adventures is the furthest north I have ever traveled by land in Ontario. After driving to Smooth Rock Falls, approximately one and a half hours north of Timmins, my voyageur canoe trek began.

We departed Smooth Rock Falls and drove 80 kilometres north on Ontario’s back country roads to the end of highway 634. On the drive, I saw a total of 5 black bears on 3 occasions; this is truly a northern experience, especially when you see a mum with two surprisingly cute cubs in the ditch alongside the road. Passing a lone black bear walking up the Polar Bear Express (yes a real train) train tracks reminded me that we were in the middle of nowhere. At the end of hwy 634, we arrived to Abitibi Canyon Generating Station, where I could still see remnants of snow in the distance from the dam after the long winter season. The dam is one of the largest hydro stations in Ontario which recently celebrated its 75th anniversary, generating much of the province’s power. The building of the dam holds much significance in the north as many men and women lost their lives building the dam or to the unforgiving powerful waters.

We continued to drive north via a bumpy dirt track past the dam to the portage, where we would put the voyageur canoe (25 feet long) on the very same river where the dam’s rushing water was being guided, yet downstream at a very calm point in the river. While setting up the canoe and supplies on the river bank the black flies and mosquitoes initiated my new blood. The bugs were the worst I have ever experienced and there was nothing I could do with the hundreds (or maybe thousands) of black flies landing on and swarming me. The black cloud that hovered over each of us was unbelievable. I had my jacket and hood zipped up not because it was cold, but because I was protecting myself from the flying black clouds of blood suckers. Once we started paddling down steam on the river, the bugs soon started to subside. I don’t know what kind of magic the river holds, but for some reason while we were on the river itself we weren’t annoyed by the pesky buggers.

Paddling in unison on the very same route that the Canadian Hudson’s Bay Company traveled was significant for me as a Canadian. I got to experience the true Canadian fur trading history at its best. We paddled the river in the same way as the voyageurs would, while learning traditional voyageur paddling techniques, greetings, and songs. The voyageurs would always bring someone who would sing to lift morale of the paddlers while journeying. Andre and his wife (along with their trusted 4-legged companion) did a great job educating me about the way of the voyageurs. Northern Spirit Adventures brought the Canadian voyageur stories and spirits of the Coureurs de Bois to life by animating them along the way.