A wintery blast of Canada’s past

Traveling to a winter festival this year? You will not find one more in tune with Canada’s history and rugged winter conditions than the Northern Manitoba Trapper’s Festival in The Pas. The annual festival, now in its 65^th year, is named in honour of the town’s strong connection to the fur trade, which is a very important part of Manitoba’s history.

If you’ve ever been dog-sledding, you know how exhilarating it can be. The dogs barking, the snow flying, your heart pounding … it’s a blast of fun that makes you forget the cold. Dog-sledding is just one of the many winter activities that you can experience at the Trappers’ Festival. You can also try your hand at lumberjack-related tasks such as splitting logs or hauling heavy sacks. You can partake in traditional winter sports such as ice-fishing, snowshoeing or taking a ride on a Bombadier — the contraptions that are used for commercial ice-fishing. Or just enjoy shopping your way through the array of local artisan tables set up in the community hall.

You can also take in some northern Manitoba and aboriginal culture, for example the jigging contest. It’s wonderful to watch children from nearby Opaskwayak Cree Nation trying their hand at jigging, a lively dance common to aboriginal and Metis cultures on the Prairies and a favourite local pastime.

A highlight of the festival is the World Championship Dog Races. Dogsledders from around the world have been known to compete, hailing from Alaska to New Zealand.

Be warned, The Pas can get pretty cold, dropping to as low as -30C! But if you dress properly for it, the exuberance will keep you warm and you’ll be glad you made the trip. This year, the Northern Manitoba Trappers’ Festival will be held February 15-18, but unfortunately … all the town’s commercial establishments are booked up. So if you’d like to take it in, plan for 2013, and book your hotel room before November of this year.

Or if you can’t wait to visit The Pas until next year, I have it on good authority that the town will be rocking this August long weekend (August 4-6, 2012) as it celebrates its 100^th anniversary. With any luck … I’ll be there, basking in the crystal clear waters of Clearwater Lake, the second clearest freshwater lake in the world.

To get to The Pas from Winnipeg, you can drive 630 kilometres  via Highway 6 (or via Highway 10 from Dauphin); you can fly via Calm Air; or you can take the train. We took the special package offered by Rail Travel Tours and were glad we did. It was fun and expertly organized by owner Daryl Adair.