This Story is Archived
Please note this page may no longer be up to date. For new stories about Northern Ontario visit us here.

Paddle To the "Live from the Rock" Folk Festival

It doesn't get more Canadian than this - paddling, Lake Superior and folk music.

Editor’s note: Every year, Naturally Superior Adventures in Ontario hosts the Voyageur Canoe Musical Tour, a 90km / 5-day paddle with a featured Canadian folk artist for intimate musical entertainment.

In 2016, the musician is Madeleine Roger of "Roger, Roger". The musical tour starts on Sunday July 31 and concludes in Red Rock, Ontario, on the opening day of the Live From the Rock Folk Festival (August 5-7).

In August 2013, MatadorU student Joe Baur participated in the Voyageur Canoe Musical Tour on behalf of Matador as a guest of Ontario Tourism. This blog was originally posted on matador network.com 

   “Those who have never seen Superior get an inadequate, even inaccurate idea by hearing it spoken of as a ‘lake,’” wrote George Grant, a member of the 1872 Fleming Expedition across Canada. “Superior is a sea. It breeds storms and rains and fogs, like the sea. It is cold in mid-summer as the Atlantic. It is wild, masterful and dread as the Black Sea.”



Surrounded by Ontario, Minnesota, Wisconsin, and Michigan’s Upper Peninsula, Superior is the largest freshwater lake in the world by surface area (third by volume), with more water than the other Great Lakes combined. Superior’s deepest point sits at an impressive 1,265 feet. Native to this land, the Ojibwe tribe calls the lake “gichigami,” or “big water.” Central to the Ojibwe mythology is Mishipeshu, a feline/reptilian deity governing Lake Superior whose name means “the Great Lynx” (Mishipeshu is brilliantly depicted in ancient pictographs attributed to the Ojibwe in Lake Superior Provincial Park).

It has long been tradition that travelers who wish to paddle Lake Superior safely are encouraged to make a tobacco offering to appease Mishipeshu.



The VCM Tour traces the rugged northern shore of Lake Superior, and our group of 12 paddlers (led by the incomparable wise-ass and award-winning folk musician Ian Tamblyn) would eventually land in Red Rock, Ontario, a town of 800, to attend the annual Live From the Rock Folk Festival. Only Ian seemed to know how we were going to pack hundreds of pounds of gear and food onto the 36ft voyageur canoe, leaving enough space for 12 paddlers. Of course, the canoe was packed masterfully.

But before we could dip our paddles into Superior and begin our journey, Ian — donning a First Nations cap with an image of the lake god Mishipeshu — approached the water and made the customary offering of tobacco.

Voyageur Canoe Musical Tour images Joe Baur MatadorU

Ian Tamblyn is not only an award-winning folk musician with a number of plays and adventure travel expeditions under his belt, he was also the avant of our canoe — the paddler at the front of the boat. As we paddled the lake’s rocky edge, Ian would call out breaks and occasionally questions the rudder’s efficiency and direction. But he did so in a friendly Canadian folk singer sort of way.

About Joe Baur

Joe is a Cleveland-based author, writer and filmmaker who has worked for a variety of local and national publications. His work has appeared in Matador Network, Europe Up Close and others. Travel, craft beer, adventure, politics, culture and urban issues are just a handful of his favorite topics.  

Recommended Articles

Crown Land Camping

What it is and where you can camp in Ontario.

2025 Triathalons

Swim, cycle and run your way to triathlete status at these Ontario events.

Go Foraging in Ontario

Learn the basics of how to harvest wild edibles found across the province.

Natural Highs

7 magnificent mountains in Ontario to climb, hike, ride, ski and more.

Backpacking Trails in Ontario

7 multi-day hiking trips to the province’s most beautiful places.

11 Jaw-Droppingly Beautiful Landscapes

Don't miss the splendours of Northern Ontario

Ontario Birding Checklist

Keep an eye on the skies for these 10 incredible species.

Insider’s Guide to Sleeping Giant

Everything you need to plan a trip to this iconic provincial park.

Ontario Trail Races

Find out where to test your limits and get out in the woods.

Explore Ontario’s Hidden Gems

18 destinations you need to visit.

Take Your Dog on Vacation

Find the best pet-friendly trip ideas in Ontario.

Top of the Giant Trail

Get tips on this amazing Sleeping Giant hike.

Stargazing in Ontario

4 of the best places to see the night sky.

Attention Detroit

A short drive gets you a lot of vacation fun in Ontario, Canada

Best Backcountry Camping in Ontario

7 destinations that are wild with beauty and fun.

Incredible Swimming in Ontario

12 best destinations to take a summer dip.

12 Reasons to Go to the Slate Islands

Rare wildlife, Arctic tundra, awesome paddling, and more!

Affordable Weekend Getaways

13 exciting escapes for couples in Ontario.

Ontario Old Growth Trails

Tall trees await: Ontario’s best old growth trails.

Call Us Crazy

23 Adrenaline Rushes Found Only in Ontario