Advertisement.
It’s not unusual to see people boating or paddling on the Mackenzie River. But some NWT residents got a surprise when they came across a man swimming it.
The river, also known as the Deh Cho, Kuukpak or Nagwichoonjik, spans multiple communities and forms the longest river system in Canada.
Denis Morin, who lives in Montreal, said he spent the past three months swimming various water bodies in northern Canada with a riverboard, towing gear and supplies behind him.
He started in May by swimming Williston Lake in British Columbia, then traversed the Peace River to the Slave River before stopping in Fort Smith. He subsequently began his adventure on the Mackenzie River from Fort Providence, which was first reported by the CBC.
Advertisement.
Advertisement.
“Swimming the Mackenzie, it’s really kind-of a dream for me,” Morin told Cabin Radio from Tsiigehtchic, where he ended his journey.
One of the highlights of the trip, he said, was turning a corner and seeing the Mackenzie Mountains. “It was really a nice moment.”
Morin said he has adapted the practice of riverboarding, an extreme whitewater sport, for long-distance trips. He previously swam the Yukon River and Nahanni River.
Morin said what he likes the most about swimming in the North is getting to meet people along the way. In the NWT, he said, people would let other communities know he was coming.
Advertisement.
Advertisement.
“I remember when I arrived in Fort Good Hope, it was great. People came to me at the beach and they welcomed me in the village,” he said.
“It was really great. When you arrive to the end of a trip like that, the people know who you are and they are happy to see you and they want to know more about you.”
Morin, who is 64, said this will be his last long-distance swimming adventure.
“I’m starting to be a little bit old for this kind of journey,” he said.
“I will come back to the canoe and more quiet trips, less long.”
As for other people considering long-distance swimming trips, Morin said they should be well organized and take the advice of people who are familiar with the area.
“Every time someone gives me advice I’m really, really carefully listening, because the people who live here know the land,” he said.
Beyond being an extraordinary outdoor adventure, Morin said it’s also an interior journey and a way to connect with nature.
“I understand a little bit more the people who are living [on] the land,” he said. “I understand why they love it here and they want to live here.”
