What is a Voyageur Canoe?
A Voyageur canoe holds up to ten people, is similar in shape to a regular canoe, and is 25 feet long. Also called a Longboat or North Canoe, the modern Voyageur is based on the original designs used by the Voyageurs working in the fur trade in the 1800's for the Hudson's Bay Company and the Northwest Company. A Voyageur is a very manoeuvrable, stable vessel, designed to run rapids and carry thousands of pounds of cargo.
FLCC owns several Voyageur canoes which are mainly used for recreational weekly paddles on the Bedford Channel and in the immediate area of the Fraser River. We also have longer paddling trips, about once per month throughout the year. Some are single day, whereas others involve camping for one or more nights. We have been to Pitt and Stave Lakes, the Gulf Islands, Harrison and Thompson Rivers, to name just a few.
We are also involved in the annual historic re-enactment of the arrival of the Voyageurs at Fort Langley's Brigades Day each August. Every fall we hold our annual Voyageur Canoe Cranberry Races in conjunction with the Fort Langley Cranberry Festival.
History on the Fraser
Introducing an opportunity to paddle AND learn about the history of the Fraser River
We all love paddling on our river and we all know the history of the Voyageur and its role in the expansion of the area. But how many of us know much about what has happened on and around the river during the last 200 years, or so?
This idea – called Voyageur Historians – will provide just that opportunity to learn while paddling.
The idea is that some of our paddlers might like to research an area around our home stretch of the river that they could then highlight during a regular Saturday morning paddle. Read the details