Had we put the proverbial hammer down, we might have made the city by the 20th. Better sense prevailed (as in Jan) and we decided on a mid-morning arrival with something left in the tank as opposed to a late evening shore-side collapse.

Jan had read of George Simpson’s tour of the HBC territories in  the book ‘The Company’. Simpson demanded he be landed in style and Jan figured we best follow suit.

We arrived at Laurier Park colours flying wearing our Sunday go to meeting best. Sadly, the maple leaf and change of cloths did nothing for the odours that two weeks of hard labour, mud, and waders produce.

We were met in grand style by a posse of Jan’s friends. Sue, Jack, Paul, and Carmen firstly raised a glass of very good stuff to our safe arrival and then  sprung into action getting the canoes to the shop for repairs, gear to be overhauled and cleaned to safe-keeping, and me to a shower. There were a handful of other people at the landing as well, but they refused to believe I had started in Vancouver. I stood extra close to them after taking off my waders convinced that the smell wafting off my socks would make believers out of them.

Edmonton. Half way through Alberta no less even with all the going  North and South. As the disbelievers said on the beach, ‘Get outta here!’