The Reminder is making its archives back to 2003 available on our website. Please note that, due to technical limitations, archive articles are presented without the usual formatting.
Flin Flon will have another representative in the Saskatchewan Centennial Canoe Quest. Paddling with the Hudbay River Dogs out of Saskatoon will be Dave Koop, an avid outdoorsman and passionate canoer. This area's other contingent is the Amisk Lake Voyageurs based in Denare Beach. "Being an avid canoer and doing a lot of canoe tripping throughout my lifetime, I've met a number of people that are on my team," said Koop. "Bill Jeffery is the team leader. He phoned me up in the fall and mentioned this race, and asked if I'd be interested. I was more than delighted to get on the team." Koop is an experienced canoer, who usually does two to three major canoe trips each summer. The SCCQ will be a grueling race, taking place from June 18 through July 5 over 1,000 kilometres of Saskatchewan waters across the Churchill River system. Thirty-one teams from across the prairies, as well as one team from the United Kingdom, will be competing for a total prize package of $56,000. While the amount of cash and prizes up for grabs is impressive, Koop is looking forward to the race for its historical value and personal gratification. "I have no allusions that we will win this thing," he said. "I think with our work ethic and good attitude we will come in the middle of the pack. I think for the whole historical experience of it and just the number of people we will meet on this trip, it will be incredible. "I've been on a number of trips on this same river. You see a lot of the native elders that have a twinkle in their eye every time someone comes up the river. That is a huge part of their heritage and background. They basically taught the voyageurs how to paddle and get down the river that we are going to be paddling." Koop feels that this race will go a long way to restoring a connection between northern communities. "This race will bring a lot of attention or focus on the river itself, and what it has meant for this part of the province," he said. "It will be exciting to be involved in the re-connecting of the northern communities. The native people can have great pride in that they helped open up this part of Canada for developing new economical growth, and people meeting each other from different cultures. This race actually will help reunite the cultures that were once a major part of this area. People from all over Canada will take part in this race and instill a pride in the younger people of these communities to get involved in something that brings value to this land and this area." So how does one prepare for a 1,000km canoe race? Aside from some jogging and weight room sessions, Koop says getting into the canoe will be the best thing for the team. "You don't have to be an olympic athlete to do this race. From years of experience on canoe trips, when you are paddling a tripping canoe with 300 pounds of gear in it, we're used to long days on the river. Your muscles slowly get used to that trend. It doesn't take a whole lot to get back into paddling shape. You just have to have a good mental attitude to do it."
