Taking a closer look

Taking a closer look at the BayToday picture play Heights and what Samuel de Champlain was thinking when he happened on our area in 1615, just might be answered in the photo gallery submitted by Roy Summers.

On Saturday August 11, Roy and his brother Eric guided Bob Abrames and 3 fellow paddlers (including former St. Vincent de Paul student Art Lacroix), who in full period dress and gear complete with Birch Bark canoes, through the La Vase Portages.

Summers says the trip was an effort for the crew as the water in the main La Vase was drastically low (in fact, in one sand bar I doubt the flow was a foot wide and 2" deep). The rocks along the CPR and under the 3 highway and the Railway Bridge forced the voyagers to wade this entire stretch, about a half a kilometre, often up to their armpits.

In the main river they had to:

(a) Break beaver dams to get about 3 to 6 inches of flow roughly 40" wide to be able to pull the canoes through.

(b) Unload the canoes totally to lift them over the obstruction (beaver dam, sand bar, log, etc). and reload the canoe. Each of the side steps consumed at least a half hour and they were at least up to waist in ??

(c) The next portage was over the tracks. Moccasins, sharp ballast and steep banks seemed to turn this into quite a trial by the looks on their faces but they never uttered a word except for a few ouches.

(d) Birches Road was a bit better but it still took 25 minutes to portage. However the beaver had completely plugged the railway and Birches road culverts so there was respite because of the high water

We used the excavated ditch alongside of Poulan's quarry and got within 100 yards of the big beaver dam. Those 100 metres consumed well over an hour because of the care they had to take with the birch bark craft.

(e) The last 100 metres of the long pond (some call Coopers Lake) just below the confluence of Dreany Creek was another bad place. Cattails had choked this to an astonishing degree. There was so much drag to the birch bark it was an effort to paddle even through those.

Summers also indicates that the northern portage gave the voyagers trouble as it was well covered apart from the necessity to double portage, and their sheer exhaustion.

“The only remark I heard from these hearty souls was at the start of this portage when the leader said, “we are really envious of your canoe!"

Summers also says just watching the whole process was a good experience, and that he learned a lot about the old days of canoe and portage.

“It wasn't very glamorous for those doing it -- fortunately they refused any help of assistance of any kind other than guidance -- I was still able to move next day.”

Please click Here for full details on Abrames' Étienne Brûlé Expedition – 2007.