Canoeing in the Barrenlands โ Past & Present
Join us for an Arctic evening with Dan Wong and David Pelly, as they look back at the highlights of the history and evolution of Arctic canoeing, with a view ahead to the future.ย
๐๏ธ Date: Thursday, February 19, 2026ย
๐ Time: Doors open at 5:30 PM | Talk begins at 6:30 PM
๐ Price: $20
๐ชช Members save 10%! (Use the discount code in your welcome email to receive your discount).
The โbarrenlandsโ refers to the vast swath of wild country stretching from Great Slave Lake east to Hudson Bay, from the treeline in the south, to the coast of the Arctic Ocean in the north. It is approximately 1.2 million square kilometres, more than twice the size of France. It is in every paddlerโs dreams to go on a canoe trip in this, the largest piece of accessible but untrammelled, uninhabited wilderness in the world.
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ABOUT DAVID PELLY & DAN WONG
David Pelly was part of the early surge in popularity of barrenlands paddling in the 1970s and โ80s, a phenomenon arguably started by his mentor Eric Morse in 1962. David has travelled the barrenlands by canoe, on foot, by dog-team and snowmobile, for thousands of miles, and has written extensively on Arctic subjects. His citation when awarded the Order of Canada read, in part: โPassionate about the Arctic since he first experienced the region by canoe, David Pelly has been dedicated to preserving and honouring Indigenous history and customs for decades.โ In demand as a speaker, David has been invited to present across Canada, the US, Germany, Scotland, England, and Japan. Learn more at www.davidpelly.com
Dan Wong, founder and lead-guide of Jackpine Paddle, is a contemporary change-maker in the world of northern canoeing, having inherited Alex Hallโs business, Canoe Arctic, in 2019. Raised in Yellowknife, a permanent resident of the Northwest Territories, owner of this truly northern business, whose motto is โLife is Better Outside,โ he speaks with first-hand knowledge about the present and the future of canoeing in the barrenlands. Learn more at www.jackpinepaddle.com
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This event is part of The Canadian Canoe Museumโs Speaker Series.