Voyageur Canoe Musical Tour

A Musical Journey on Lake Superior~ From Rossport to Red Rock

Join your fellow voyageurs in our roomy, stable, 36-foot-long replica fur trade canoe and explore the intricacies of Lake Superior’s Rossport and St. Ignace islands on your way to the Red Rock Folk and Blues Festival on this guided canoe trip. Our guest musician for 2013 is three-time returning Voyageur Ian Tamblyn.

The Voyageur canoe was used for dozens of years during the fur trade and handles well in winds and waves. It carries a very generous amount of gear and makes Lake Superior accessible and safe for less experienced paddlers. On this trip we will paddle through northwestern Lake Superior’s island archipelago, a chain of hundreds of scenic, semi-mountainous islands complete with agates, lighthouses and first-come, first-served wilderness saunas.

Our pre-trip rendezvous is scheduled for Red Rock on Sunday afternoon. From here we will shuttle back to Rossport. Alternative arrangements can be made for those arriving via Thunder Bay or Wawa. On Sunday evening after a satisfying meal at a local restaurant, our musician will treat us to an intimate concert around the campfire. On Monday morning we depart on our five-day Voyageur canoe adventure.

Our paddling route will take us from Rossport through the newly designated Lake Superior National Marine Conservation Area. Its shoreline is geologically and structurally diverse - dotted with peninsulas and islands, crisscrossed with faults, ridges and cuestas. Fascinating flora and fauna, wondrous geology, crystal clear water, and protected wilderness stretch as far as the eye can see.

Once in the warmer waters of Nipigon Bay, we’ll head for the "Live From the Rock" Folk and Blues Festival grounds, ideally arriving Thursday evening. We’ll finish the trip on Friday morning with a paddle and final tobacco offering at the pictographs found on the cliffs upriver inside the mouth of the Nipigon River.

Each afternoon as we reach our campsite, our experienced guides can assist you with setting up your tent. And don't worry about cooking or clean-up – all food preparation is taken care of by our wilderness chefs!

This itinerary may vary according to the needs of our group and lake conditions. While Lake Superior is generally calm in the summer, part of the Superior experience is accepting that when the lake is rough, it is best to enjoy it from the comfort of our campsite. The trip is designed to take “wind days” into account, and to maximize your Superior experience. This trip is suitable for new and novice paddlers, musicians and enthusiasts.

Equipment and Services

We Provide: Professional guiding and nature interpretation, fresh healthy meals from Monday morning to Friday noon; roomy four-season dome tents (double occ.) and foamie sleeping pads; group safety, camping, cooking, eating and sanitation gear; park fees and vehicle shuttle from Red Rock to Rossport.

You Provide: Personal gear, sleeping bag and a sense of adventure.  Festival entry not included.

Ian Tamblyn

Ian Tamblyn began writing songs, short stories and plays at the age of seventeen. Since that time he has recorded twenty- nine albums, cassettes, and CDs and written over 1500 songs. Many of these songs have been recorded by other artists and he has received and been nominated for several awards. Ian most recently won the English Songwriter of the Year for his CD Gyre by the Canadian Folk Music Awards in 2010 as well as being honoured with the Distinguished Alumni Award from Trent University in 2007 . Since 2004 Ian has conducted numerous songwriting workshops including a summer course at the Haliburton school for the Arts. Ian continues to work in the the adventure travel field as a lecturer , zodiac driver and musician - he spent 40 days in Antarctica, South Georgia and the Falklands in the winter of 2010. This will be Ian's third musical journey by Voyageur canoe.

Live from the Rock Folk and Blues Festival

Live From the Rock Folk Festival is a three-day event celebrating music and the arts on Superior’s north shore. The Voyageurs, their canoes and the fur trade have played a mighty role in the Canadian character. These themes are prevalent in Canadian folk music and will be experienced at this Festival.

Past guest musicians include; Katherine Wheatley, David Newland, Rodney Brown, Anne Lindsey and Alex Sinclair and Dave Borins.

Check out more photos of this trip in our Photo Gallery.

Want more information? Contact us by This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. or call 1-800-203-9092.