Lake Lore: A Canoe Trip

By Jacob Langford

In 2023, three enthusiastic, long-haired Parks Canada Heritage Presenters delivered a campfire program called “Lake Lore.” It is based on a canoe trip of Lake Superior National Marine Conservation Area (NMCA) using an 18-foot canoe. Whether this story of three men squished into a canoe to paddle 250+ kilometers of open water is true, partly true, or complete fiction, is all part of the lore…

If you have ever set out by boat onto Lake Superior, then you probably know that feeling of separation from the rest of the world, especially as you venture away from the mainland, and into the remote islands and vast waters of the biggest freshwater lake by surface area on the planet. Once established, Lake Superior (NMCA) will be the largest protected freshwater area in the world, and despite its appearance as remote and empty on a map, this area is filled with historical tales, songs, and mystery.

During the campfire program, the three Heritage Presenters - Jacob, Nik, and Ryan - shared stories and sang songs about their adventures in Lake Superior NMCA. Their month-long journey, started in the early fall at the Steel River just east of Terrace Bay. They describe passing by the ghost town of Jackfish, capsizing at the Terrace Bay beach during a surfing festival, finding McGarvey’s shoal where the Gunilda ran aground in 1911, singing songs of the voyageurs, fishing in the moonlight off Bowman Island, paddling on an eerie night by the “Lighthouse of Doom,” battling with blackflies, floating over the Silver Islet mine site, and spending their final night at the Thunder Cape Bird Observatory singing Gordon Lightfoot lyrics.

The motivation for the program was to create an engaging experience using carefully selected songs, accompanied by multiple stories about Lake Superior NMCA and compiling them into a chronological narrative. The goal was to inspire visitors to connect with Lake Superior and encourage them to explore.

On Saturday, 22 July 2023, the program was presented to the public at the “For the Love of Parks” event at the Nipigon Marina. Based on the audience’s reaction, the program was a great success. People were singing along, applauding, and even stuck around after the program ended to ask all sorts of questions.

“Lake Lore” was presented four more times over the summer in locations like Sleeping Giant Provincial Park and the Red Rock Folk Festival to large and wide-ranging audiences. Through this program, the three interpreters successfully revived some of Lake Superior's most cherished tales and songs, in their one-hour ‘paddle’ through the site. If you would like to explore Lake Superior National Marine Conservation Area through Interpretive programs like “Lake Lore,” please join us during the summer season! Find more information on our website or follow us on Facebook.