N E WS
THE HISTORIC AND REMOTE MACKENZIE RIVER IN NORTHERN CANADA FACES CHANGE AS MINING INTERESTS PEAK
As we inch our canoe past the safety of an upstream sandbar and into an onslaught of waves, I panic. “I can’t do this! Let’s turn around!” I shout to Daniel in the bow. He allows me to steer the canoe back to the safety of shore, moments before it would have been too late. Usually, Daniel and I paddle within about 50 meters of shore when it’s
windy, but now we are trapped on an island with least one kilometer of wind-thrashed waves separating us from the shore we need to get to. Dan- iel wants to go for it, but I’m scared. I shed a few tears of self-pity, then we set up the tent and wait. Around here, the Mackenzie River calls the shots. The Mackenzie is Canada’s longest river and our largest watershed, cov-
ering more than one and a half times the land area of Ontario. The year 2014 marked marks the 225-year anniversary since Alexander Mackenzie of the Northwest Company traveled the river with aboriginal guides. Long
18 PADDLING MAGAZINE
LAST PADDLE ON THE DEHCHO
before his time, this river was known as the Dehcho, or Great River. Visitors, who come from all over the world to paddle the Mackenzie, think of it a great wilderness river, but for the Dene, it’s simply their back- yard. It is here they have always hunted, fished and traveled. That backyard could be changing. Oil and gas interests are picking up in the central valley area, and an extension of the Mackenzie Valley all-season road may soon be penetrating deeper into its boreal forest and muskeg, providing easier access to the region for local First Nations and developers alike. The Mackenzie River may always be big and powerful, but it might not always be the place it is today. I’m canoeing with Daniel Campbell, a friend who hails from this terri-
tory’s capital. We put in a few days upstream of Wrigley, N.W.T. and our end destination is Inuvik, more than 1,000 kilometers downstream. On our second day, we get a visit from Jonas and Tony, two Dene men
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