Joey Payeur
Dereck Pigeon is following his father’s advice; Guillaume Normandin his care-free instincts.
Together, they are following a path filled with the echoes of Canadian history.
Pigeon, 24, and Normandin, 26, stopped in Fort Frances last week for a well-earned three-day break after 153-consecutive 10-hour days paddling and portaging along the Alexander Mackenzie Voyageur Trail.
The pair began their trek May 5 in Prince Rupert, B.C. and are trying to cover the entire trail by Nov. 20 when they hope to be in Montreal—a journey of 7,050 km.
With 4,800 km under their belts, Pigeon and Normandin are well aware of the enormity of the challenge that still lies ahead of them.
“On a good day, we can do 50 km,” noted Pigeon, who hails from St. Damien, Que.
“But when you have situations like we encountered two days ago with the wind in our faces, that kept us to only 18 km that day,” he said.
“Nov. 20 will mark 200 days,” Pigeon added. “It will be over for us then, whether we have reached the end point or not.”
Normandin, a native of Quebec City, is an experienced nature guide in his home province.
“The longest I had gone on a trip like this before is a month,” he remarked.
“At first, we were planning to bicycle across the country,” he added. “But we decided that was not enough of a challenge for us.”
“Guillaume wanted something a little more wild,” Pigeon grinned about his travelling companion, whom he met eight years ago while they were doing canoe training as part of the Army Cadets program.
The pair first talked about doing the trip in 2009, thinking they would follow a route starting in Fort McMurray, Alta. and ending up in Montreal.
But two years later, Normandin read about an individual who had made the Prince Rupert-to-Montreal run alone in a kayak.
“That was 2,000 km longer than if we started in Fort McMurray,” noted Pigeon.
“I say, OK, no problem.”
The adventurers from La Belle Province soon found out what they were up against 10 days into their journey.
“We had to portage through a portion of the Rockies that we thought would only take two days and ended up taking seven,” Pigeon recalled.
“We lost so much weight on that part,” he added. “We learned we should have been in better shape.”
The duo’s portaging exploits included hauling 100-pound backpacks filled with supplies while also having to carry their canoe, which became a sea kayak 85 days into the voyage (which has higher sides to help protect them better from the open water splashing into their aquatic mode of transportation).
Whether they reach their end destination in time or not, Pigeon and Normandin want to serve as positive role models to young people.
“At the end of the trip, we want to go visit schools and talk to the kids about following their dreams,” said Pigeon.
Those interested in following the travellers’ progress can log onto www.acrosscanada2013.com or search for video of their trip on YouTube.
There also is a link to the pair’s Facebook page about the trip on the website.
