Adam Johnson
Northern News Services
Friday, January 26, 2007

YELLOWKNIFE - For Yellowknife author Jamie Bastedo, a two-year journey along the Mackenzie River was a transforming experience.

"I feel like it's still flowing within me," Bastedo said of the storied river, which moves through much of the length of the Northwest Territories.

Geoff Ray, left, and Wilfred McDonald share a quiet moment watching the Mackenzie River flow at McDonald's cabin, downstream from Norman Wells. - photo courtesy of Jamie Bastedo

He hopes to share his growth and experiences with visitors and residents in the North through the NWT Trans Canada Trail Guide, which he is developing for the NWT Recreation and Parks Association (NWTRPA), set to appear on bookshelves later this year.

For two summers, Bastedo travelled the waters of the Mackenzie by canoe, first from Fort Smith to Fort Providence in 2005, and then from Providence to Tuktoyaktuk in 2006, following the NWT portion of the Trans Canada Trail. He stopped along the way to take in historic sites, breathtaking scenery and more than a dozen communities, over a trip of more than 2,300 kilometres.

But the guide isn't merely a set of maps and pointers.

"There are hundreds of voices in the book," Bastedo said. "The people along the route give it its spirit."

During a special presentation at the legislature in Yellowknife this week, Bastedo presented slides and told the story of his journey, which included a number of fellow paddlers, such as Alfred Moses, Hay River town councillor Ron Cook, Fort Smith storyteller Jim Green and Bastedo's family.

Along the journey, Bastedo and his cohorts found the remains of 1930s saw mills near Ring Lake; signs of the first oil discovery in Bluefish Creek, near Norman Wells; the skeletal paddle wheel from the SS Distributor; and a paddle from 1989, commemorating the 200th anniversary of Alexander Mackenzie's journey along the river.

"This might be yours," he said to Minister Michael McLeod, who was at the presentation at the legislature, along with minister Brendan Bell.

"That's not my paddle," McLeod said with a laugh. "I wasn't paddling that hard."

Bastedo said he hopes the book inspires people to take in the land and its people, emphasizing that his route probably isn't for "thrill seekers."

"(The Mackenzie is) a slow, steady conveyor belt that takes you into the land," he said.

"In my opinion, that's the best way to experience it."

While Bastedo said he'd be happy if people even spent "half a day on the trail," he hopes the journey affects people the way it has affected him.

"I want this route to get under people's skin and become a part of them, because it's a part of me."