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Category Archives: Saguenay Expedition 2007

A Final Word for the Saguenay Expedition

Myself in good company.
Like so many others upon their return, everyday life was waiting for me. I was really happy to have this opportunity to keep you informed with short bios and pictures of our daily experiences. I have been traveling extensively for several years, but this expedition was a memorable […]

18 December 2007 | Gil ThĂ©riault § ‡ Comments (1)

August 22: One Great Last Day

Mario presents the paddle each will hold when their time comes to share their impressions.
Early morning, the team visited the Saguenay-St. Lawrence Marine Park Interpretation Centre. The presentation began with descriptions of the diving equipment, followed by a “live” dive, and ended with a Q&A.
After a superb seafood lunch, the campers went out to sea […]

24 August 2007 | Gil ThĂ©riault § ‡ Comments (0)

August 21: Beautiful Last Day on the Fjord

The sun was blazing away. Click to see more.
The expedition finally had a perfect day. A beautiful sky with a soothing breeze accompanied the team all the way to Tadoussac.
With only 10 km to paddle on this day, the team had plenty of time to check out birds and marine wildlife (see photos). The last […]

22 August 2007 | Gil ThĂ©riault § ‡ Comments (0)

August 20th: Catching Back

En route to Tadoussac. Pretty stuff.
The team faced wind and waves in the morning in order to reach the northern side of the Fjord. “It was stimulating to paddle in these conditions. It was a real challenge”, a satisfied Jessica said.
The two canoes navigated a few kilometers before finding a landing to transfer into the […]

22 August 2007 | Gil ThĂ©riault § ‡ Comments (0)

August 19th: Mother Nature Always Has the Last Word

Click on the photo to see more in Flickr.
“Maybe we didn’t paddle today, but it wasn’t a lost day. We chatted, we chilled, we played… it was a nice day in the end” commented Joannie.
In fact, the strong wind and the white waves would have made navigation a little difficult. Departure was postponed until the […]

22 August 2007 | Gil ThĂ©riault § ‡ Comments (0)

August 18th: Against the Elements

“I cried many times before leaving, thinking that I would miss my family so terribly. But it’s so fun, time is just flying by… no time to get bored!” says Kim.
It was a motivated bunch that walked in glaze to reach the canoes and take the wind head on. The day promised to be a […]

22 August 2007 | Gil ThĂ©riault § ‡ Comments (0)

August 17: Two Nights in Rivière-Éternité

Kim and Jessica having fun with clay. Click on the photo to see the others in our Flickr album.
“Je veux aller pisser…” (I need to piss) are a few words Lisa has learned to say in French. Everybody chips in and participates in discussions (that are more and more interesting) no matter the language.
For the […]

20 August 2007 | Gil ThĂ©riault § ‡ Comments (0)

August 16: The Longest Day in Sun and Rain

“After my bone marrow transplant, I was put in isolation for three and half months. Since I got out, I work out on my Bowflex at home to get back in shape” says Pasquale. He and the others have overcome the challenges of the toughest day yet.
Departing from l’Anse-de-Sable (see map), the group has had […]

20 August 2007 | Gil ThĂ©riault § ‡ Comments (0)

August 15th: First Day on the Water

Click on the photo to see more in our Flickr album.
“It was a lot easier than I anticipated”, comments Marie-Claude. Indeed, the first day of paddling went extremely well. Clouds were playing tricks with the sun, the wind was a breeze and the team completed the 17-km first leg with ease.
The campsite was put up […]

20 August 2007 | Gil ThĂ©riault § ‡ Comments (0)

August 14: on the eve of departure, we jump around in trees

Jean-Pier coming down fast. Click to see other photos.
“Walking in trees was really cool!” says Jean-Pier, like all the others. He was literally flying across the course.
A small group of acrobats also left the others behind to complete the tree challenge in record-breaking time. The same cannot be said of the guides, like Virginie, […]

17 August 2007 | Gil ThĂ©riault § ‡ Comments (0)

August 13th: Departure from Montreal, Arrival in Saguenay

The group just before departure in Montreal.
«I had to get up at 2 AM to get to the airport on time.» So says, Erika, who lives in St. John, New-Brunswick and is one of the two unilingual English-speaking members of the expedition. In fact, many had to get up early to make it to the […]

17 August 2007 | Gil ThĂ©riault § ‡ Comments (0)

Countdown to Departure for Saguenay

Virginie Gargano (guide) with HĂ©lĂ©na LongprĂ© (Operations’ Director) & François Dufour, zodiac captain.
Hey guys!
Only three days left before we take off. I just wanted you to know that I went into the Fjord la week (photo) to prepare our expedition. We got to see to seals, a few minke whales and quite a few […]

11 August 2007 | HĂ©lĂ©na LongprĂ© § ‡ Comments (0)

The Adults on the Saguenay Expedition

For the Foundation’s 20th expedition in over a decade of operation, the teenagers will be accompanied by outdoor and medical professionals. Amongst these, some are old timers and others are new.
From left to right, let’s see who they are:

Bertrand Dupuis, Childlife Specialist at the Montreal Children’s Hospital. This is his 14th […]

11 August 2007 | Kim Gjerstad § ‡ Comments (0)

One, Two, Three Seals in the St. Lawrence

Common seal. Photo found in Flickr.
In summertime, three types of seals are present in the Saguenay-St. Lawrence Marine Park:

The grey seal is found in the Atlantic Ocean, from France to Canada’s coasts.
The common seal is very, well, common. You can find him anywhere in the northern hemisphere. This one can dive up to […]

11 August 2007 | Kim Gjerstad § ‡ Comments (0)

The White Whale They Call Beluga

Belugas at Marineland in Niagara Falls. Photo found on Flickr.
For this summer’s expedition in Saguenay, we take a look at 6 of the 13 whales that are present in the region.
Take a look at this drawing to get an idea of the scale of whales and this chart on how to recognize them from whales-online.net
This […]

11 August 2007 | Kim Gjerstad § ‡ Comments (0)

Harbour Porpoise, the Smallest in the St. Lawrence

Harbour porpoise. Photo found in Flickr.
For this summer’s expedition in Saguenay, we take a look at 6 of the 13 whales that are present in the region.
Take a look at this drawing to get an idea of the scale of whales and this chart on how to recognize them from whales-online.net
This whale is the smallest […]

11 August 2007 | Kim Gjerstad § ‡ Comments (0)

The Biggest of Them All, the Blue Whale

Blue whale impression by an artist, found on her blog. See more of her whale drawings there.
For this summer’s expedition in Saguenay, we take a look at 6 of the 13 whales that are present in the region.
Take a look at this drawing to get an idea of the scale of whales and this chart […]

11 August 2007 | Kim Gjerstad § ‡ Comments (0)

Minke Whale, Mind Your Own Business

Minke whale. Photo found in Flickr.
For this summer’s expedition in Saguenay, we take a look at 6 of the 13 whales that are present in the region.
Take a look at this drawing to get an idea of the scale of whales and this chart on how to recognize them from whales-online.net
This species is a baleen […]

11 August 2007 | Kim Gjerstad § ‡ Comments (0)

The Acrobatic Humpback Whale

Tail of the Humpback. Photo found in Flickr.
For this summer’s expedition in Saguenay, we take a look at 6 of the 13 whales that are present in the region.
Take a look at this drawing to get an idea of the scale of whales and this chart on how to recognize them from whales-online.net
This species […]

10 August 2007 | Kim Gjerstad § ‡ Comments (0)

The Fin Whale, the World’s Second Largest Animal

A fin whale in the St. Lawrence. Photo found on Flickr.
For this summer’s expedition in Saguenay, we take a look at 6 of the 13 whales that are present in the region.
Take a look at this drawing to get an idea of the scale of whales and this chart on how to recognize them […]

10 August 2007 | Kim Gjerstad § ‡ Comments (0)