Author Description

This book is a guide to a historic canoe route, a thousand kilometer chain of lakes & rivers stretching across northern Saskatchewan from Methy Portage to Cumberland House. The route was once part of a great voyageur highway followed by fur traders, and the guide also offers information of interest to students of Aboriginal & fur trade history. The introduction provides general information for canoeists planning an expedition along the route. Chapter two contains a concise but thorough history of the route along with biographies of the earliest Europeans (fur traders & explorers) who travelled the area. The rest of the book consists of canoeing directions for the 11 sections of the route, each section punctuated with historical information and excerpts from journals & narratives of early explorers. Its combination of historical material, maps, photos, and travelogue brings the fur trade era alive, while being an invaluable resource for paddlers preparing to face the challenges of Canada's old fur trade highway,