Day 1

Archibald Belaney was his real name. How did an impostor become the world's most renowned conservationist? This paddling pilgrimage to Grey Owl's wilderness sanctuary has almost a meditative nature. Visit his cabin and learn about the myth and mystery surrounding this fascinating man.

Pierce Brosnan, starring in the 1999 movie Grey Owl, has breathed new life into a story that has intrigued wilderness lovers for years. The movie reveals only part of the Grey Owl legend; the rest you can discover on this 4-day canoe trip to his log cabin haunt in the backcountry of Prince Albert National Park.

You'll journey into history, paddling the path Grey Owl traveled across the crystal blue-green waters of Kingsmere Lake, and hiking the boreal forest to "Beaver Lodge" where he lived with his Mohawk wife Anahereo, daughter Shirley Dawn, and pet beavers, Rawhide and Jelly Roll. From a National Parks interpreter you'll learn a more about this larger than life figure--his rejection of his British identity as Archie Belaney and adoption of a mysterious Indian persona, his tragic character flaws, and his clarion call to preserve the vanishing wilderness.

The Canoe Quest for Grey Owl program is offered in accordance with recently developed ecotourism accreditation guidelines for the Province of Saskatchewan. A portion of the tour proceeds is dedicated to the Kingsmere River and Lake Restoration Project in keeping with Grey Owl's spirit of conservation.