River brigade honouring Canada 150 paddles into Saint John

A group of canoeists from across Canada paddled their final leg of the St. John River, tackling the Reversing Falls in Saint John, N.B., Saturday afternoon.

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A dozen eight- to nine-metrecanoes, each carrying six to eightpaddlers, started the weeklong journey last weekendin Florenceville-Bristol, travelling about 40 kilometres a day as part of the St. John River Wolastoq Brigade celebrating Canada's 150th birthday.

They started to see the possibilities of development like recreational developmentlike morewharves, more campsites. Mike Murphy

Dozens of people gathered to watch the brigade's approach to the falls.

The canoes had to wait for slack tidewhen the turbulent water calms for 20 minutes while the river and ocean are the same level.

As they completed the journey, the "voyageurs" were welcomed ashore by Saint John's mayorand the soundof bagpipes.

Paddler John Beale said it was wonderful to see that many people ashore.

"And Saint John is such a beautiful city and the approach was wonderful," he said.

Voyageur brigades celebrate the heritage of the river and its communities. There have been several in Canadian waterways this summer celebrating the country's 150th anniversary.

"One of our big purposes was bringing attention to the river and I think we did that," said organizer Mike Murphy.

He said people along the river in small communities opened up to the voyageurs.

"And they started to see the possibilities of development like recreational development like more wharves, more campsites along the riverwould be just a great thing for other people to enjoy the river," said Murphy.

The next voyageur brigade will run from Sunday to Thursdayin Prince Edward Island, leaving from Cape Tormentine, N.B., and crossing the Northumberland Strait to P.E.I. and down the Hillsborough River to Mount Stewart.