From the log of the Fort Langley Canoe Club, which travelled from Fort St James to Vancouver City to recreate the 1808 expedition by Simon Fraser and the North West Company:

Simon Fraser's — and our club's —last stop in New Caledonia was at Fort Alexandria.

The First Nation people advised Fraser that the river beyond this point was too treacherous. He stored his boats with his Native friends and went by horseback to Fort Kamloops. Fraser ventured to navigate the river at Lillooet but the Natives again said it was not navigable and aided him and his men along the canyon cliffs, across narrow wooden beams tied to the rock face with fibrous ropes. So it was Simon Fraser made his way to Fort Hope.

Hope is where the Fort Langley Canoe Club voyageurs once again set to embark on their re-enactment canoe trip, to end at the Maritime Museum at Vanier Park. They were given a handshake send-off by the Mayor of Hope, Wilfried Vicktor, and the voyageurs were on their way to paddle another 175 kms.

The river meanders through impressive mountainous scenery and occasional fast waters. We stopped for the night at the Indian reservation at Sea Bird Island, with the impressive torrential rain storm bouncing bubbles metres high in the air.

Thanks go to the kind First Nations lady who drove up and presented us with a freshly made banana loaf and then drove away, and the Immaculate Conception Church committee that gave us the use of their church washroom.

From there we made our way to the Sto:lo heritage site at Hatzic Rock in Mission where we were given a tour of the grounds and a place to erect our tents. We found out that the reason why the songs of the Natives have no words is because when the residential schools forbade the use of their language they kept the traditional music but lost the words.

Onwards to Fort Langley where we received a black powder gunfire welcome and we, in full regalia, gave the voyageur salute.

Proceeding from the fort we paddled through to Burnaby and Vancouver. Water barges, sailboats, tugboats, bridges all replaced the isolated scenic beauty of the Upper Fraser. The turbulent waves as high as three feet blew in swirls from the wind pushing us through the crashing surf, to arrive at Vanier Park on B.C. Day.

We had finally finished what Simon Fraser had began. Although he had been turned back by angry Musqueam First Nations we were able to paddle on to the ocean 200 years later.

Thanks go to the following who helped make this voyage for B.C.'s 150th birthday a reality and helped us to honour Simon Fraser, who opened up the west using the rivers as a profitable trading route.

The following are the donors and sponsors: Integris Credit Union, Freybe Sausages, Parklane Homes, Save-on Foods, Island Farms, Coast Capital Savings Credit Union, TOOBS (Tsawwassen Order of Old Bastards) and Columbia Yukon Explorations Inc.