August 2012

Have you ever woken before work in a tent? Or has your commute to work been by canoe and boat and involving a portage (rather than the Avenue)? Eight WC volunteers had this experience on an August weekend, as we repaired the portage trails on the Bird River in Nopiming Provincial Park.

Nine total strangers met Friday evening on the street in front of my house in Winnipeg, and crammed camping and work gear into a van, a pickup, and a boat trailer. No one knew what to expect, but everyone was willing to work. The light was fading by the time we arrived at Tulabi Falls to set up our tents. Around the fire, we met the team from Manitoba Conservation who would lead us in our work. Randy and Luc—who we came to affectionately refer to as the “old married couple”—were in charge of stair building. Troy was clearing brush for the new trails.

Bird River, in Nopiming Provincial Park
 

Overcast skies loomed as we drank coffee and ate breakfast the next morning, and the skies opened up briefly while we were preparing to depart. We sat out a 15-minute rain shower at camp, and then the clear skies returned. In two canoes and two motor boats, we set off up the Bird River to the first portage. Back in the mid-90s, Luc had been part of the team that installed the original stairs at this site.

A glimpse of the old, deteriorated portage trail

 

Decades of wear had destroyed them, and our task was to dig out all the old stairs, salvage the metal stakes and nails, and then install new larger stairs, which will hopefully last another 20 years. The work was all physically demanding—swinging axes and pulaskis (fire-fighting axes) to break out the old stairs, hammering together new stairs from a pallet of timbers that had been helicoptered in, and chopping the clay embankment out to level the new stairs. One of the volunteers, Matt, took some wonderful photos of our trip, which you can find here. A second crew was tasked with clearing away brush that Troy cut on the new portage trails.

Taking on the tough work of building stairs

Our volunteers were eager, and settled into the demanding labour with no hesitation. It was a diverse bunch of people—forestry workers and academics, retirees and university students, women and men. Strangers worked together, helping and spelling each other off of tasks. We couldn’t have had a better crew for this taxing adventure.

As this is such a busy canoe route, many trippers went through while we were at work. We joked with them as they passed, telling them each visitor was responsible to build one step on their way by. Invariably there were thank-yous to the crew, as the improvement to the portage trail was incredible. One group even gave us a $20 donation to the Wilderness Committee as they passed through.

Traffic jam on the portage steps

When our work day ended on Saturday and we drifted back downstream to camp, we partook in a classic Tulabi Falls experience—cliff jumping. In the hot sun, dozens of people had congregated at the cliffs near the beach and were taking turns plunging into the deep.

On Sunday morning the skies were looking ominous again, but after bannock and bacon over the fire, we journeyed upstream again. Getting to the second portage was a more involved process. We portaged our two canoes over the first portage, and then shuttled people and tools across the 500-metre bay to the second portage.

On the last trip out, with a canoe carrying four people loaded up, I suddenly saw a bird that I had been searching for. I excitedly fumbled around in the canoe, pulling my camera out, while my unfortunate canoe-mates tried to keep the boat steady. This pic of a white-winged crossbill was the result.

Later in the afternoon, with the skies looking heavier, we decided stair number 14 was going to be our last. As it was being pounded into place, the sprinkle of rain started. The clay banks of the Bird River are the stuff of nightmares when they’re wet, so we quickly packed our gear and began the journey back out. Luckily for us, the heavy rain held off until we started our drive back to the city.  

The weekend really couldn’t have gone better. The Conservation staff were easy-going and fun to work with, in spite of the demanding tasks. The volunteers were all outgoing, hardworking, and committed, and all interested in improving our wonderful provincial park. At the Wilderness Committee, we know it’s important to get people out and experiencing nature. This varied group of leaders performed an important public service, something thousands of people will take note of over the next few years.

For me, this demonstrates exactly what the Wilderness Committee is all about. We’re not an individual voice, nor are we just office workers researching and voicing opinions. We are a committee—a group of Manitobans actively ensuring that nature is part of the conversation, and putting our boots on the ground to see things firsthand and get work done. We are, and must continue to be, a force in Manitoba to protect our wild and special places.

Eric Reder
Manitoba Campaign Director

Postscript: Due to a lull in firefighting this summer, a crew of firefighters was sent in to complete the job and finish the last steps on the second portage. Next year, WC and Manitoba Conservation may arrange another volunteer expedition over four days, to go further up river and fix the next set of stairs.