Local team getting ready for Thompson trip

A canoe trip commemorating the travels of explorer David Thompson will be particularly special to a Prince Albert team involved in the journey.
More than 12 canoeists will be involved in rowing their water craft, called the Voyageur, from Rocky Mountain House, Alberta to Thunder Bay, Ontario. The trip, to take place between May 10 and July 12, is designed to commemorate Thompson's bicentennial.
About 10 boats, with up to 150 participants in total, are expected to partake in the trip. Boats are due at Fort Carlton and Prince Albert July 23 and July 24, and events are planned to welcome the rowers as they don voyageur garb and sing voyageur songs.
Manager John Laliberty said the team - the only one from Prince Albert - is composed of sons and grandsons of "Black Bart" Laliberty, and the one of the main reasons for their participation is to honour the memory their late father, who was on the 1967 Voyageur team.
Another major reason is that the journey will provide an opportunity for Aboriginal and non-Aboriginal people to meet and, literally and symbolically, "paddle together in one direction," said John's brother Frank, the team's captain.
"David Thompson got along with the native people … Let's not forget that," said Frank.
The trip will be a unique experience, said Frank.
"We've never paddled the whole (river) system before," Frank said.
John said the team has been getting physically ready for the challenge all winter.
"Most of us have been cross-country skiing (or playing) hockey. We're ready for this."
John said having fun and getting "good physical exercise" are other reasons for undertaking the journey.
"It will be a good workout for future races," he said.
A Laliberty brother who, said John, wishes to remain anonymous is financing the crew. Each crew pays $6,000 to $7,000 for the trip, depending on how much of the route they cover, and the Alberta government is also giving $75,000 to the venture.
Various other forms of help for the Voyageurs have come from places such as Fresh Air Experience, Prince Albert Grand Council and Northlands College in La Ronge. John said.
Thompson covered 107,000 kilometres in his travels and composed a dictionary of Aboriginal languages.