Article #1

Small Miracles
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Small miracles is an article that gives credit to the original Canoeists of Canada “the Voyageurs”.

James Raffan a researcher tells the canoeing lives of these legends. It all started at one or two in the morning, voyageurs set out to portage in the dark. Paddling 60 strokes a minute, day after day. Their diets consisted of pea soup, berries, and fat mixed around ground up hair. With terrible diets and strangulated hernia's this was never pleasant traveling. To top the day off, cheap alcohol was drank such as gin. Finally they would be off to bed at around 10p.m to do the same routine the following day.

To see what the voyageurs had dealt with to explore our land was incredible. Next time you complain on a canoe trip remind yourself what these men went through, and we are lucky to have the equipment and knowledge we do.


James Raffan. Small Miracles. Ontario. Scott MacGregor. summer 2010