Will Vyse reckons he’s spent more than four per cent of his 24 years in a canoe, even though he was born and grew up, land-bound, on Hillsdale Ave. East, in South Eglinton-Davisville Village.
His paddling time will increase exponentially starting at the beginning of April, when he, along with fellow passionate adventurers Georges Kirijian and Nolan Aziz, start a 200-day canoe trip from Tadoussac, QC. They hope to complete the journey, averaging 40 km each day, by November, when they arrive in Prince Rupert, BC.
According to their website, “Canada by Canoe is a record- breaking 8,000+ km journey across Canada being undertaken to break the world record for the longest single season canoe trip, and to raise $1 million for True North Aid.” True North Aid is a registered charity “serving northern and remote communities since 2009,” with a mission “to provide practical, humanitarian aid through community-led initiatives.”
During Covid in 2020, these three, along with three other canoeists, completed a 2,000+ km, 60-day trip across Ontario and raised $87,000 for Food Banks Canada.
After that trip, Will was in university earning a math degree. At that time, he said he “wasn’t interested in a further challenge,” but in 2021, he started thinking about “something different, with a different iteration,” that ultimately became Canada by Canoe (canadabycanoe.com). This route avoids large cities or walking along highways by doing a northern loop – as far north as Lake Athabasca in Saskatchewan.
There are challenges all along the route – paddling up the Saguenay River when there might still be ice, a “brutal grunt,” traversing marshy territory around Chapleau, Ont., and needing to get through the Alberta/BC mountain ranges before freeze-up. All require good planning and a determined, cohesive and talented team. All three canoeists have a variety of wilderness safety qualifications.
They met originally at Taylor Statten Camps in Algonquin Park, with several years of canoe tripping. A key component of the camp method of portaging is to have three in a canoe, so when they are on a portage, one person can carry the canoe, while the other two carry the canoe bags – all in one go, without having to double back. Other efficiencies include eating at least two of their five daily meals while still paddling. One eats, while the other two paddle, without shifting seats. The meals have all been pre-planned with 12,000 calories per day for the three of them.
Everything is nearly in place for the April start. The route is planned. Food has been purchased. The 20 drop places for food replenishment have been established. All the expenses for the trip have been covered, either by corporate donations or personal funds. They’ve already raised $30,000 towards their $1 million target for True North Aid.
Follow the adventure and help these canoeists meet their fundraising goal at canadabycanoe.com.
