JOANIE & GARY McGUFFIN
GOULAIS RIVER, ONTARIO BY CONOR MIHELL
I
n July 1983, a young couple from southern Ontario paddled into one of the biggest challenges of their two-year honeymoon canoe journey across Canada. In the two weeks it took Gary and Joanie McGuffin to trace Lake Superior’s 800-kilometer Canadian shore, the newlyweds were smitten by fiery sunsets, enchanting islands and open horizons. Thirty years later, Lake Superior remains the McGuffins’
focus. Photojournalists and conservationists, they have paddled its entire perimeter and reside near its shores. In 2013, their Lake Superior Watershed Conservancy was chosen to develop a water leg of the Trans Canada Trail from Sault Ste. Marie to Thunder Bay. This coast marks one of the final unfinished segments of a 24,000-kilometer cross- country route for self-propelled travelers to be completed in time for the nation’s 150th anniversary in 2017. The McGuffins planned a coastal route comprising
44 access points. Joanie, 54, says the Trans Canada Trail designation holds huge potential to “get people excited and fuel their interest to come up here.” She envisions a network of communities reaping economic benefits by providing services and amenities to paddlers. “As an access point, a town becomes tied into the whole Trans Canada Trail system,” says McGuffin. Then there’s the potential of making a connection with the four active water trails on the U.S. side of the lake. Currently, water trails along the Minnesota coast, around Wisconsin’s Apostle Islands, and along Michigan’s Keweenaw Peninsula and Pictured Rocks National Lakeshore operate at regional levels through the work of dedicated
volunteers and outfitters. But there’s always been a dream of a “total Lake Superior Water Trail” with consistent signage and services, says McGuffin. “Moving forward, we have fantastic partners and they’re all on board.” An international trail could have more than economic benefits, says Michigan’s Sam Crowley, a key founder of the state’s Hiawatha Water Trail. Connecting far-flung communities around the lake also provides conservation empowerment, allowing for a united voice against industries with adverse environmental impacts. “It’s no longer just one little town, but a whole front of communities with shared economic interests linked to a healthy coast.” With local downturns in resource sectors, “there’s a
movement to look at new opportunities,” adds McGuffin. “But this window will close when resource extraction industries return. We feel like the time is absolutely now.”
PLAN YOUR TRIP
The beginner-friendly, half-day trip between Nipigon and Red Rock traces the biodiverse shoreline at the mouth of the Nipigon River. Make it a full day by hiking the shuttle on an eight-kilometer trail between the two towns.
BEST SEASON: Spring, summer and fall.
HIGHLIGHTS: An impressive gallery of Ojibwa pictographs at the Nipigon River mouth. MORE INFO:
www.tctrail.ca/explore-the-trail/
www.adventurekayakmag.com | 57
PHOTO: COURTESY JOANIE AND GARY MCGUFFIN
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