Trip Coordinator:  Alan Stewart

First the name. The lake used to be called Devil’s Lake but more recently it is reverting to its Cree name Matchayaw Lake. The two names are roughly equivalent in meaning.

Trip Coordinator:  Frank Geddes

Boy, is there ever a lot of pent-up demand for kayaking! We had 13 people on our trip, and I had to turn some away. (Remember: let the trip coordinator know by Wednesday evening if you would like to attend.)

Trip Coordinator:  Paul Bird

This was the first official Northwest Voyageurs Club trip of the 2021 paddling season and the second year of the COVID-19 pandemic. The original intention was to paddle the Sturgeon River downstream through the centre of St Albert and then back upstream, but due to very low water levels the trip was changed to Big Lake.

Trip Coordinator: Donna McKenzie

Participants: Jim F., John and Eleanore W., Donna M.

We agreed to meet at the Jackson Lake Staging Area at 12 noon. We left Edmonton at 8:30 am, and its an easy drive north in that time. Lakeland provides carts with large wheels to transport your gear 3.2 km to the water, and 14 of the 15 were at the trailhead! We arrived at the water and got our gear all loaded in our various boats.

Trip Coordinator: Donna McKenzie

We had 8 people meet at Chip Lake Park Friday night, Donna M., Nelson L., Arleen D., Stephanie J., Rob R., Denise J., Karyn M., and Captain Bob. Chip Lake is the lake you drive past when you drive to Jasper along highway 16, just past Wildwood.

Trip Coordinator:  Donna McKenzie

Participants – Reg B., Lynn D., Dirk P., Alan S., Frank P., Margriet vL., Ric F., Gord P., Donna M.

After a Friday night loading of boats and gear at Reg’s house, we departed bright and early Saturday August 10^th. We are in 3 vehicles, and towing Frank’s trailer with 3 boats on it. We had many stops during the day, including boat inspection just past Mount Robson, but eventually made it to Vanderhoof where we met up with Ric, who lives in Salmon Arm.

Trip Coordinator:  Donna McKenzie

The Rivers are running high this year. We left Edmonton Saturday July 27^th, planning to stop in Hinton and have a really good look at the Athabasca. We did and it was scary.

Trip Coordinator:  Frank Geddes
Photos: Margriet Van Laarhoven We wanted to camp on a sandy beach on a big lake. So, we headed to Lac La Biche, about a 2.5-hr drive northeast of Edmonton. We had agreed to meet at Day Use Beach in Sir Winston Churchill Provincial Park about 4 PM with an expected launch to our campsite at 6 PM.

Trip Coordinator: Paul Bird

We assembled at the Boat Launch at Laurier Park. We were: 3 canoes, single, tandem and family: Gord, Melvyn and Norma, Andrea, Marcel, Rene, Elise and Sorrel. We also had 7 single kayaks: Kay, Margret, Chris, Wes, Denise, Cathy and Paul. The ages ranged from below ten years up to the early seventies.