Just one week ahead of the Lakeland Interpretive Society's Portage La Biche Rendezvous, a lack of registered participants has put the event in a sink or swim situation.
Just one week ahead of the Lakeland Interpretive Society’ s Portage La Biche Rendezvous, a lack of registered participants has put the event in a sink or swim situation.
Organizers were expecting six portage canoes and their crews to show for the event [two from Edmonton, three from Calling Lake, and another from Athabasca], but recently received word that all but one of the crews cancelled, potentially leaving organizers high and dry for the boat-heavy event.
“With all the work and effort that’ s been put into [planning the event], we’ d sure hate to cancel it,” said event organizer Shirley Klyne. “But it’ s not a portage without the paddlers.”
Despite their cancellation, the Calling Lake group has agreed to allow the organizers of Portage La Biche to use their 8-10 person canoes, and the Lakeland Interpretive Society is seeking local paddlers to fill those boats. Klyne said if organizers can fill one or two of those boats, the event, which will have paddlers cast off from the Lac La Biche Mission and land at McArthur Park beach on day one and participate in canoe races on day two, will go on.
“We’ re going to take what we can get,” she said. “If we could have one or two more, at least it would be something.”
If anyone is interested in participating in the event, contact the Lakeland Interpretive Society at (780) 623-1727. Aside from the canoe-based activities, the event will also feature voyageur-inspired competitions and activities for participants.
