Alexander Mackenzie Heritage Trail

A highly personal account of the travels of Max Finkelstein as he retraces, some two hundred years later, the route of Alexander Mackenzie, the first European to cross North America (1793). Mackenzie’s water trail is now commemorated as the Alexander Mackenzie Voyageur Route. More than just a travelogue of a canoe trip across Canada, this is an account that crosses more than two centuries. It is an exploration into the heart and mind of Alexander Mackenzie, the explorer, and Max Finkelstein, the "Voyageur-in-Training." Using Mackenzie’s journals and his own journal writings, the author creates a view of the land from two vantage points. The author retraced the route of Alexander Mackenzie across North America from Ottawa through to Cumberland House, Saskatchewan, and paddled the Blackwater, Fraser and Peace Rivers, completing the trip in 1999. This route is the most significant water trail in North America, and perhaps the world. "A ’must-read’ for everyone who loves wild places and the magic of canoes." - Cliff Jacobson, Outdoor Writer & Consultant "Past and present collide in this journey of discovery across the map of Canada. Max craves the extremes. He relishes in coping with what nature throws at him, punishing himself to find his physical limits and experiencing firsthand the inherent dangers in such a voyage. With Alexander Mackenzie as his guide and inspiration, Max finds the strength to carry on against all odds to forge poignant historical and personal links in this incredible cross-Canada paddling odyssey." - Becky Mason, Artist and Paddler, Chelsea, Quebec

The people of the Nechako region are not unfamiliar with hardship, environmental devastation and protecting what they hold dear. June Wood chronicles the history of the Nechako River and its region, covering the construction of the Kenney Dam, which changed forever the flow of the river and its tributaries; the controversial Kemano Completion Project, which threatened to doom the river further still; and the subsequent battles to protect the river and the communities affected by its altered flow. She also delves into the aftermath of the devastating mountain pine beetle epidemic that severely harmed the economy of the region. An active participant in many of the fights to protect the Nechako River, Wood is one of the most qualified people to speak on behalf of the land she calls home. She passionately introduces a river whose once forceful flow has been weakened to a mere trickle and sympathetically relays the harsh realities of environmental ruin—both to the river and the forest through unnatural and natural causes—while weaving in her personal narrative of the land that holds her heart.

Home to vast stretches of untouched wilderness, the Cariboo Chilcotin Coast is one of Canada’s final frontiers. With towering mountains scraping against the sky, sprawling steppes covered with wildflowers, remote valleys carved by ancient rivers and an untamed ocean coast teeming with wildlife, this region is a backcountry explorer’s dream. Reel in the catch of a lifetime on one of the Fishing Highway’s incredible lakes, explore the bays and inlets around Bella Coola on sea kayaking adventure or get away from it all amid the natural splendour of Tweedsmuir Provincial Park – there is lots to discover in the Cariboo Chilcotin Coast! Features - Map Key & Legend - Topographic Maps - Detailed Adventure Section >> Backroad Attractions, Fishing Locations, Hunting Areas, Paddling Routes, Parks & Campsites, Trail Systems, ATV Routes,Snowmobile Areas, Wildlife Viewing, Winter Recreation, Service Directory, Accommodations, Sales & Services, Tours & Guides, Index, Adventure Index, Map Index, Trip Planning Tools,

The BC publishing event of the decade! 30,000 copies in print!