Trekking Back Into The Past

By Richard Dowson - OpinionCommentary

As a kid in Ontario, I mapped out Champlain’s trip up the Ottawa, Mattawa, across Lake Nipissing and down the French River, where some of his men drown.

While living in Northern B.C. I got hooked on the travels of fur trader Alexander Mackenzie.

I bought a copy of his Journal describing his 1793 trip from Alexandria B.C., (between Soda Creek and Quesnel) overland to the Ocean at Bella Coola. I visited eastern parts of the trail; then drove to Bella Coola; yes, descended the ‘Black Beast’ hill and camped. Next day I found Mackenzie’s trail down the Black Beast and into the upper Bella Coola river valley.

Using his journal, I climbed the trail a considerable distance, stopped and looked back into the valley.

I read Mackenzie's description, and saw the same scene stretching out before me.Incredible!

I was looking at mountains Mackenzie described in his Journal. I had stepped back in time, walking in Mackenzie’s footsteps.

I told a friend about the experience. He thought I was nuts! But if you love history and walking in the footsteps of early explorers - you get it!

There are other history nuts.

Years ago, I bought a 1955 book, “First in the West”, by James W. Whillans. It’s about Henry Kelsey’s 1691 travels to the prairies. Kelsey was the first ‘white-man’ to see what would become Saskatchewan and see herds ofbuffalo; at a time before the horse.

Kelsey was a Hudsons Bay Company fur-trader.

In 1690, at age 20, he travelled out from Fort York on the Hudsons Bay, to about where Wilkie is today. He returned east and spent the winter at The Pas.

Next spring, 1691, supplied with trade goods,he headed west again. His mission was to get Indigenous people to trap beaver and bring the furs down to Fort York.

Author Whillans visited The Pas, comparing locations to Kelsey’s Journal. He picked up Kelsey’s 1691 overland trail at Cumberland House, visiting other places Kelsey describes in his Journal. Kelsey crossed the South Saskatchewan north of Saskatoon and walked west as far as the west side of the Eagle Hills before returning to the Bay.

Author James W. Whillans’ narrative’ is wonderful.

I’m certain I will be visiting ‘Kesley’s Trail’ this summer. And yes, I have a copy of Henry Kelsey’s Journal.

Writer Richard Dowson is a retired educator.

He is known for his frequenting local coffee shops and other places seniors gather.

In a previous life he wrote comedy for CHED in Edmonton.

As usual all views are that of the writer and may or may not reflect the views of MJ Independent