Crossing the Canadian Shield… By Paddle!
Dear friends
Here it is, my big Canadian reveal: This year, I plan to link my horseback journey across the Eastern Provinces with the Prairies out West by paddling across the Canadian Shield.
Initially, I had planned on entering the US at Sault Ste Marie and riding south of Lake Superior, avoiding the Canadian Shield by travelling through Michigan, Wisconsin and Minnesota. This section was always going to be logistically challenging (with an international border crossing) and not particularly horse-friendly terrain to travel through, especially the first half. Several factors combined to lead me to my decision to break the horseback journey and skip this section. Firstly, it is simply not safe to ride along the Trans Canada Highway through the Shield, so I knew that was never going to be an option; indeed, every horseback journey across Canada that I am aware of has transported their horses across this section. Secondly, importing the horses into the US, especially from Sault Ste Marie, is somewhat costly and logistical. Combined with a… hmm, shall we say… dynamic situation regarding import fees and tariffs, this was another point against this choice. Third, the environment for the first half of this US leg would have been quite difficult, especially in Spring when I would have been attempting it, with limited feed, remote roads, and limited route options. Fourth, I have already broken this journey many times with various interruptions, so I can hardly claim anything close to a continuous unbroken expedition… So what’s another break in the already broken line?! And finally, with my decision to bring Jack home, it means I am left without a tried and tested riding horse, adding yet another challenge to an already challenging section, starting out with an untested team.
Initially I decided I would just skip the Shield entirely and pick up the journey from the Prairies in 2026, as I intended to remain in Tassie for the rest of the year. But as time went on, I felt drawn to another journey, and also that I was limited in what I could achieve or contribute staying home, even in the confusing midst of grief, obligations, and, I suppose, guilt. So over the past few months I came to the decision to paddle the approximately 2,500km from where we finished our journey on Manitoulin Island to the Western edge of the Shield and the beginning of Manitoba. This will (hopefully!) put me in a good position to start the ride again in 2026.
Paddling has always been the traditional way to travel through and explore the Shield. I feel as though I will be connecting with a special part of Canada in an authentic way, exploring a place I may otherwise have skipped over. And I can’t deny that the idea of travelling in such a way, without the stress of horse travel, does appeal right now. There’s no denying the joys and deep connection of travelling with horses, but it is also extremely stressful and consuming. I’m looking forward to several months of remoteness, rhythm, and stress at a much more manageable scale.
As an aside, I have done a fair bit of sea kayaking and would call myself a relatively experienced paddler, having undertaken several large expeditions in Scotland and the Mediterranean, and undertaking extensive training here in Tasmania. So although I am somewhat nervous of such a large undertaking, I think I have the necessary skills to set myself up for success.
I’ll post a few updates now and then on my progress! Looking forward to getting back on Canadian soil in July!
And below are a few photos just to prove that I can, in fact, paddle, ha ha!
Loch Maree, Scotland
That day I caught a fish… Outer Hebrides, Scotland
Definitely felt worse being out there than it looks… Loch Torridon, Scotland
The route! South Baymouth, Manitoulin Island to Sault Ste Marie via the North Channel. Sault Ste Marie to Thunder via the North Shore of Lake Superior. Thunder Bay to the Manitoba border via the Path of the Paddle.