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Paddlers follow the path of blue gold from Oka to Inuvik Tuesday September 22 2015 15 SPORTS RECREATION PADDLING TIRE NORTH LTD. HAY RIVER NT X0E 0R8 867 874-2686 TIRENORTHKINGLANDFORD.COM FOR ALL YOUR WINTER TIRE NEEDS Nokian Hakkapeliitta R2 A non-studded winter tire that offers supreme driving comfort and safety. A new tire for drivers who require absolute driving comfort tangible fuel savings and non-studded winter tire technology with the best safety characteristics. BY DALI CARMICHAEL and DON JAQUE Coming soon to a Mackenzie Valley com- munity near you Six stalwart Quebec river runners who call their journey Les Chemins de lor bleu or The blue gold paths are paddling the length of the NWT as the nal leg of a long journey and hope it to make it to Inuvik by Oct. 20. Gone are the 40-kilometre days even the 50-km days now we are looking at 60-km days said Annik Shamilan wistfully. Were on a tight schedule because of the weather its starting to get chilly. Were trying to beat the ice basically. SinceputtinginnearOkaQue.inthespring the group of committed canoers have paddled their way around the country crossing major bodiesofwaterthroughtheOttawaRiverLake SuperiorLakeWinnipegenroutetotheNorth. Their biggest test though may still be ahead of them. After portaging the Slave Rapids they left Fort Smith on Sept. 18 a brisk sunny fall morning. However they are headed into winter weather and face the challenge of fall wind storms. On the day they left Smith there were gale warnings for Great Slave Lake and wind warnings up to 40 km per hour along the length of the Mackenzie Valley. We went from having some fun in the water because we were sweating too much and in one month we started to wear our big coats and have some ice on our stuff in the morning said Julien Bilodeau. So why paddle almost 7000 km across the country and face these upcoming frigid challenges Its about the voyageur route were follow- ing the voyageur route from the beginning its the old pathway to the North and Inuvik was probably the last place Bilodeau explained. Specically they want to follow in the wa- terways of explorer Alexander Mackenzie. Throughout their journey the group said they had been shown kindness from friends and strangers alike everything from sur- prise bottles of scotch to rides across what would otherwise be extensive stretches of portage route. Headstrong they tried to stay true to the voyageur style with most of the group walk- ing in the same steps and paddling the same waters as their ancestors. Were trying to do it by ourselves the most we can thats why were walking the 27 km Bilodeau said taking a small break in his trek from Fort Fitzgerald to Fort Smith to speak with the Journal. To follow the crew as they head north nd them on Facebook at Les Chemins de lor bleu. Four voyageurs trace the route of their ancestors as they portage 27 km from Fort Fitzgerald to Fort Smith. Les voyageurs from left to right Annik Shamlian Julien Bilodeau Jrmie Blair Frederic Dufresne Martin Trahan and Valrie Jolicoeur. PhotoDaliCarmichaelPhotoDonJaque