Paddle Into the Past

Paddle into the Past is a 3-hour immersive Indigenous experience linking two historic sites with a Voyageur canoe trip along a historic fur trade route.

Discover the fur trade at Victoria Settlement Provincial Historic Site, at Métis Crossing, and in a canoe on the scenic North Saskatchewan river.

At Métis Crossing, encounter the Métis culture which is so connected to the fur trade. Explore a fur trapping camp and discover how the Métis acted as guides, interpreters, clerks, canoe men, and fur packers. You will be welcomed into the original home of a Métis family to try out sash weaving and trapping skills.

Travel from Métis Crossing to Victoria Settlement by river. Led by a qualified canoe guide, you’ll paddle a Voyageur canoe on the North Saskatchewan River.

At Victoria Settlement, explore life at a Hudson’s Bay Company fur trading fort. You can try carrying bales of fur using a leather tumpline across your forehead and meet the people who lived at the Fort through their stories. Join historically costumed interpreters for an historic snack and discover will what life inside the Fort was like. 

This pre-registered program allows you to experience aspects of fur trade life. With interactive activities hosted by Victoria Settlement Provincial Historic Site, a Voyageur canoe ride, and cultural experiences at Métis Crossing, this program is a favourite of visitors of all ages.