Water on the trail
Trans Canada Relay passes through Deh Cho

Derek Neary
Northern News Services

Fort Simpson ( Mar 03/00) - Fort Simpson's Paul Guyot, Ken Davidge and Mickey Hempler are among 160 people in the NWT who can say they had the privilege of taking part in the grand opening Trans Canada Trail relay in 2000.

Guyot, a Ranger, said he's aware that the 16,100- kilometre multi-use trail is the longest in the world, making the event even more significant.

"As a Ranger, we're escorting, and I'm a world traveller from way back," Guyot said. "Snowmobiling cross-country for me is kind of a passion ... and there's no mosquitoes."

The trio transported the Arctic Ocean water, which was drawn from Tuktoyaktuk on Feb. 19, in a plastic bottle resting in a waist-pack. It's ultimately bound for Hull, Que., where a ceremony has been planned for Sept. 9 to blend the Arctic Ocean water with that from the Atlantic Ocean and the Pacific Ocean. A total of 5,000 carriers will have transported the ocean waters across the country, according to Katherine McPhee, relay co-ordinator for the NWT. The Trans Canada Trail, which will touch each coast, is designed for hikers, skiers, cyclists, snowmobilers, horse-back riders and dog-sledders, she noted. She added that those in canoes can even paddle alongside much of it.

During a function held at the Fort Simpson community hall on Monday evening, Mayor Norm Prevost said it was an honour for Fort Simpson to be included in the historic occasion.

He also pointed out the obvious: "I think there could be an easier way to take the water down to Hull, Quebec, but I guess they wanted to do it the hard way," he joked.

Hempler started the leg from Fort Simpson to Fort Providence on Tuesday morning at 8:30 a.m. He walked (his snowmobile is in the shop for repairs, he said) with the Arctic Ocean water from the recreation centre to the papal site, where he handed it off to Davidge and Guyot.

As a member of the Tracks 'n Trails Snowmobile Club, Hempler said he's been involved in the development of Relay 2000 over the last two years and was determined to take part in the actual event in some fashion.

Davidge, who like Guyot was waiting on his snowmobile Tuesday morning, said, "I've always wanted to get involved, and when the opportunity came around I said, 'What the hell.'"

Davidge and Guyot were expected to overnight at Trout River where it was hoped someone from Fort Providence or Yellowknife would meet them to complete the rest of the leg. There have been a few snags in the planning along the way.

Yellowknife Ranger Kevin Mulhern, who has accompanied the water since it left Tuk, wound up carrying the water all the way from Tulita to Fort Simpson -- a distance of 465 kilometres -- when no participants could be found in Tulita or Wrigley. The trip left him a little saddle sore, he admitted.

"That was a lot of kilometres for two days," he said.