A great adventure for the First Nations

DAY

Tomorrow morning, more than fifty participants, members of seven nations, will set off on an adventure from Manawan in Mauricie, to experience the first edition of the First Nations Expedition. For more than 20 days, they will travel nearly 4500 kilometres.

” We organized this expedition in a safe way because for us, it is important that all participants have a great adventure,” explains the general manager and founder of the project, Christian Flamand. 

   We used all the knowledge of the best guides of each of the nations to create a safe route, allowing us to cross the great territory of our ancestors. 

“If at the start, this journey, which is not a competition, was intended as a hike between friends, things changed when our wives decided to get involved. They brought another dimension, by introducing the notion of homage to missing women and children. This led us to change our approach so that now we have female snowmobilers on the trail. ”

In this adventure, which will allow participants to visit 12 communities, the organizers have consulted the leaders of the communities that will host them.

Along the route, bivouacs will be set up so that people can warm up and have access to certain foods.

A MISSION

For Christian Flamand, who has a lot of experience in this kind of adventure having participated in Challenge Kanada, this journey must have a specific mission. He organized the whole thing with Derek Jeremy Einish.

“The intention is to pool the cultural knowledge of the different nations of the territory, via this daunting challenge and a joint objective. Values ​​such as mutual aid, courage and perseverance will bring us closer,” adds the president.

“Also, this journey will offer the opportunity to visit and welcome participants in each of the communities with the traditional Mokocan, the shared meal where each guest contributes. Strength, courage, respect, mutual aid and harmony will be among the sacred values ​​of this odyssey. »

For this lifelong snowmobile enthusiast, several objectives must be achieved with this journey which is intended to be the most imposing in an off-trail snowmobile situation.

“With my cultural and traditional experience, I understood that snowmobiling could become a way of bringing us together towards a common goal. My experience as a Ranger with the Canadian Armed Forces and what I learned about tent survival in winter led me to understand that this way of doing things would succeed in bringing all nations together. 

“We want to reach as many people as possible in the communities and share the theme of reconciliation at all levels. We also want to carry a message of hope for young people and pass on to them the basics of our culture. 

To achieve this unique expedition, the Ferland team received help from many sponsors, including the company iGrip, which will provide crampons to equip all the snowmobile tracks of the participants. To help them stay warm and above all have clothing that fits very well, the Choko company has created suitable suits for them. These are just a few examples of all the support they have had to achieve this great adventure. 

IN BRIEF 

< strong>FRAUDERS AT WORK

Unscrupulous fraudsters have decided to put on the internet fake rights of way for snowmobile trails, imitating those issued by the Fédération des clubs de motoneigistes du Québec. The Sûreté du Québec is conducting an investigation after several snowmobilers were intercepted with these false driving rights. For those at fault, the fine can represent $1,500, which is divided into $800 for a right of access purchased on the trail, $350 for having traveled without a right of access and $350 for having attempted to deceive a patrolman. It should not be forgotten either that the insurances which are included in the sale of the legal rights of access are not in force in the event of an accident. Finally, the fraudsters deprive the snowmobile clubs and the volunteers who work to create and maintain the network of sums of money that are more than necessary for them.

AIRMEDIC WILL BE THERE

Throughout the First Nations Expedition, participants will be assisted by an Airmedic helicopter configured exclusively for medical transport. Two teams of pilots trained in instrument flight and equipped with night vision goggles, as well as a team of medics and flight paramedics will take turns to ensure the safety of the snowmobilers.