April 20, 2017 – More than 30 people, comprised of Indigenous,
Jesuit, English and French Canadian paddlers, will embark on a month-long,
850-kilometre canoe trip July 21 in response to the Calls to Action of the Truth
and Reconciliation Commission
Following a traditional First Nations canoe trade route, the Canadian Canoe
Pilgrimage (CCP) will begin at Midland, Ontario up Georgian Bay, travel across
the French River, Lake Nipissing, the Mattawa and Ottawa Rivers, and end near
Montreal.
“We are retracing this historic route on the 150th anniversary of Canada as a
nation, but more importantly we are trying to work for reconciliation,” says Erik
Sorensen, SJ, Project Manager of the CCP. “As a member of the Jesuits, a group
that had a residential school that played an integral role in colonization efforts by
early Europeans, there is a collective healing that I am participating in. And we
are changing the way we do things.”
“I am hoping to learn a lot about the cultures that are going to be there,” says
Andrew Starblanket, who is Nehiyaw and will be representing the Starblanket
First Nation in Saskatchewan on the trip. “I guarantee that I’m going to learn a
lot about myself and others.”
“Ontario’s 150th anniversary is an opportunity for us all to reflect on who we are
and what we hope to be,” said Eleanor McMahon, Minister of Tourism, Culture
and Sport. “The Canadian Canoe Pilgrimage will give people the chance to
connect with a meaningful part of our history, experience our province’s
breathtaking scenery firsthand, and contemplate all that we can achieve by
working together.”
Jesuit Pope Francis promotes a “culture of encounter,” a culture where we
engage others where they are at, offer welcome and hospitality, and are moved
with compassion and the desire to treat all people with dignity. “This encounter
is not about anything so specifically active, it’s much more about just being with
each other, across our respective cultures and traditions,” says Kevin Kelly, SJ, a
CCP co-organizer. “Encountering each other is about being ourselves and being
open. This immersion experience into nature will also help participants increase
their understanding of the current ecological crisis we face, especially the
importance of water and our respect for and treatment of it.”
The CCP tentative itinerary below, shows major landfalls, but please be advised
there may be changes due to logistical considerations and weather related
contingencies.
- July 21 – Departs Ste-Marie among the Hurons (Midland, ON)
- July 31 – North Bay, ON
- August 2 – Mattawa, ON
- August 6 – Pembroke, ON
- August 9 – Ottawa, ON
- August 14 – Montreal, Quebec
- August 15 – Kahnawake First Nation (close to Montreal)
Members of the public will be able to join the CCP at special events at major stops along the
route.
The Canadian Canoe Pilgrimage has been made possible by the generosity of donors including
The Miller Group, the Ontario 150 Community Celebration Fund, the Canadian Heritage River
System, Parks Canada, and Ontario Parks. Also thanks to Sainte-Marie among the Hurons and
Martyrs’ Shrine for hosting the launch event on July 21.
About the Canadian Canoe Pilgrimage
The Canadian Canoe Pilgrimage (CCP) is a project inspired by Canada’s Truth and
Reconciliation Commission (TRC) with the hope of encouraging intercultural and interreligious
dialogue and learning. Participants, both Indigenous and non-Indigenous, will be immersed in
each other’s customs and traditions. Through this immersion, the goal is to foster deep respect,
trust, dialogue and hopefully friendship, the building blocks for reconciliation.
The canoe route is a traditional First Nations trading route that was travelled by early European
settlers such as Samuel de Champlain and Jean de Brébeuf, who were welcomed and guided by
the Indigenous Peoples of this land. This pilgrimage will begin at Sainte-Marie among the Hurons
in Midland, on the shore of Georgian Bay, on July 21 and end on August 15 on the St. Lawrence
River at the Kahnawake First Nation, close to Montreal. The community of paddlers making this
850-kilometre, 25-day voyage is comprised of Indigenous Peoples, Jesuits, English and French
Canadians, men and women – all desiring to travel together on a path of healing and friendship.
The route follows a similar one paddled by 24 young Jesuits in 1967. For more information, and
to donate, please go to: www.canoepilgrimage.com.
About the Jesuits in English Canada
The Jesuits, an order of priests and brothers in the Roman Catholic Church, have worked in Canada for more than 400 years. They have responsibility for the direction of schools, churches, retreat houses, and a variety of social justice ministries that span from St. John’s, Newfoundland and Labrador to Vancouver, British Columbia. They have worked closely with the TRC and issued a public Statement of Reconciliation in 2013. The Jesuits are currently implementing the Calls to Action described by the TRC. For more details please visit www.jesuits.ca.
For news media and government information, please contact:
Mark Hunter LaVigne, MAJ, APR, FCPRS
Mark.lavigne@hunterlavigne.com
416-884-2018 (mobile)
Erica Zlomislic
416-962-4500 X225
855-962-4500 X225
416-333-2585 (mobile)
For project information, and to discuss donations and grants, please contact:
Erik Sorensen, SJ
647-850-5411 (mobile)
For the French version of the news release, please click here.
