Sunday Nov 9, 2008 7:00 pm to 9:00 pm
Location: Rossland, BC
In the Wake of the Voyageurs: The 2008 David Thompson Brigade – an Evening of History and Adventure
This event is a fundraiser for the Rossland Historical Museum and will take place on Sunday, Nov. 9, from 7:00 to 9:00 at the Miners’ Hall in Rossland. Tickets (available at Pro Hardware or at the door) are $10.00 and include tea, coffee and dessert.
Five local paddlers, who took part in the brigade, will share their stories, slides, music and a newly released documentary about their experience.
Eighteen voyageur canoes launched on May 10th from the Rocky Mountain House National Historic Site, in snow and ice over a metre thick. The brigade paddled through rain, hail, snow, wind and summer heat to reach Fort William Historic Park in Thunder Bay 63 days later – a journey of nearly 3300 kilometres. To make the journey more challenging, at least 1000 kilometres were “uphill,” paddling against the current. The canoeists followed the route of the Northwest Company’s fur traders and portaged their heavy North canoes thirteen times over historic trails, often reopening paths abandoned for decades. They visited communities along the way, dressed in authentic garb and flying the flags of the fur trade era.
The goal of the brigade was to celebrate the bicentennial of David Thompson, Canada’s greatest explorer and mapmaker, while inspiring people to learn more about our rich history and the rivers and waterways that link Canadians all across the country.
Contact: Jan Micklethwaite 250-362-5289
This post appears in: Rosslandevents.ca and to the public