THUNDER BAY, ON - June 20, 2008 - Summer Solstice and National Aboriginal Day on June 21 …
It has been 42 days and over 2400 kms since the 2008 David Thompson Brigade launched at Rocky Mountain House in snow and ice. Paddling between 40 and 50 strokes a minute for an average of 7 hours a day, these hardy voyageurs have dipped their paddles into the water over 700,000 times. This voyage is not just a physical journey. It is a journey of group dynamics, social and cultural growth and of self discovery. People began as individuals, have bonded and become a unified body; a community.
On this summer solstice, and National Aboriginal Day, the brigade is a fitting celebration. As David Thompson traveled, he used the sun and his instruments to fix locations and to translate them into the first map of Western Canada and the Northwest U.S. Also critical to his pathfinding and mapping was his respect for the First Nations and Metis people and the skills and knowledge they shared with him about their world.
Just as David Thompson relied on First Nations and Metis people to make his journeys successful, the 2008 brigade is honoured to have First Nations and Metis paddlers in their midst, sharing their canoeing expertise and making their own unique contributions to this community of modern voyageurs.
The Brigade will arrive at the Kenora Harbour Front on the afternoon of June 21, where the city has events planned. From Kenora, the brigade will make its way to Rainy River, near where David Thompson was turned back by the Northwest Company, in 1808, with instructions to continue his discoveries and establishing trade on the west side of the Rockies. At Rainy River, June 25 and Fort Frances, June 27, celebrations are planned and include live performances by Rodney Brown, a Canadian musician who uses his music to tell the stories of voyageurs, Thompson and other important figures in Canada's early history.
To commemorate David Thompson, the greatest land geographer of his time, two hundred paddlers are traveling across the country, retracing his pathways. This journey, which began on May 10, will conclude on July 12 at Fort William (Thunder Bay).
As part of the 2008 David Thompson Bicentennial celebrations, the brigade hopes to re-kindle interest in our rich history, and the importance of the rivers that link Canadians all across the country. Celebrate David Thompson's bicentennial - and keep the adventurer's spirit alive.
Follow the brigade's daily progress, link to three exciting You Tube video clips and learn more about the life of the voyageurs from the web site: www.2008thompsonbrigade.com