Paddling across the Nelson River - part of a week in northern Manitoba

To keep in touch with people in northern Manitoba and with northern issues, Criag Loewen and I spent the last week visiting Norway House, Cross Lake, Thompson, Wabowden, Snow Lake, Sherridon, Flin Flon and The Pas. It was a week full of interesting encounters, of dialogue with people across the north, and of wonderful northern vistas. I will highlight some of these moments in this blog and the ones which follow.

When we arrived at the Nelson River crossing going into Norway House, the ice was covered with water near the shores of the river. On our way in, we arrived a bit after midnight (we left Winnipeg late in the afternoon). It had been a warm day, and the water was high. Fortunately, we had been reassured by a traveller at Grand Rapids that the ice under the water was solid and passable. We proceeded slowly through the water, and made it across, though I did wonder for a moment if we might need a paddle.

Between the Nelson River crossing and Norway House, efforts are being made to straighten the road. We were told that when the road was originally built, the contractor had made such good time in building the road that he was ahead of schedule. To keep people employed up until the originally targetted date, the foreman was told to put a few more curves in the last section between the Nelson River and Norway House. For thirty years, this section has been very curvacious. Finally, it is now being straightened out.