Buxton’s Bark Canoe

This is the remarkable story of a man’s journey to retrace the his father’s steps in a bark canoe in Northern Saskatchewan.  As a young Anglican minister, Bill Buxton’s father spent the summers of 1939-40 teaching in the Cree Community of Pelican Narrows during which—as the family story went—he paddled in a birchbark canoe from Stanley Mission to Cumberland House.  James got involved with this story when he connected the son to a canoe maker who helped him build a bark canoe and, as he got more involved with the project, actually joined Bill Buxton as he retraced his fathers steps in what turned out to be a remarkable and heartwarming journey.  Spectacular imagery of Dechambeaux.  Birch bark canoe repair on the fly demonstrated and explained.

Additional Material

Bill Buxton tells some of this story from his perspective »
Some of James’ pictures from the journey »
The story of building the canoe for the trip »