What’s New at Nahanni River Adventures, Canadian River Expeditions

Bookmark this page and check back often to get the latest information about recent news from us and the Nahanni River Adventures and Canadian River Expeditions “insider scoop”:

Yukon's Three Rivers Area – conserved?

On December 2, 2009, the Peel Watershed Planning Commission released their Recommended Plan for the Peel watershed to the Yukon Government and public. The Commission is authorised under the First Nations Land Claim agreements in the area to research, consult and propose a management plan for the area. The consultations revealed high controversy and not surprising polarity between mining exploration interests and those who want to see the region remain road less and pristine.
Written with contributions from Gill Cracknell of CPAWS Yukon

Read more...

New Article on Nahanni Neil!

Nahanni Protected – Finally!

Nahanni Caribou Project

Navigable Waters Protection Act Gutted

Your voice is needed immediately. The Governments proposed Budget Implementation Act erases the Public Right of Navigation in Canada.

The Budget Implementation Act (BI Act) introduced by the Conservative Government on Friday, February 6, 2009 is an omnibus bill that proposes radical legislation changes including amendments to the Navigable Waters Protection Act (NWPA). The amendments will threaten the environmental health of Canadian waterways and remove the public right of navigation in Canada. The minister of Transport will have sole discretion for deciding which waterways are navigable. We would loose the requirement that currently all navigable waters undergoing “works” that impede navigation, undergo an approval process, including public notification, and a Federal environmental assessment. The amendments are intended to limit the applicability of the act and hasten the approval process for works that interfere with the right of navigation.

These changes are an unnecessary form of deregulation that would undermine the Government’s public trust duty to protect Canadians’ right to navigate waterways in a fair and transparent manner.

The government has introduced these changes to the NWPA without consulting:
First Nations, recreation organizations, the tourism industry, cottage associations, river advocacy groups, anglers and hunters and anyone who uses Canadian waterways for business or recreation.

What You Can Do:

The public right of navigation a fundamental part of what it means to be Canadian. The Government of Canada, under the pretext of helping the economy, is erasing our right, our history, our heritage. There is something you can do.

Here is an easy step:
Feel free to use the letter to Prime Minister Harper below and copy the others listed as well:

Prime Minister Stephen Harper Office of the Prime Minister Ottawa, ON K1A 0A2
By E-Mail:pm@pm.gc.ca
Subject: Dear Prime Minister Stephen Harper: Re: Bill C-10, Part 7, Navigable Waters Protection Act, Amendments to the Act

Dear Mr. Harper,

The proposed amendments to the NWPA are of serious concern, particularly in light of the current number of Run of River power projects and other development proposals across the country. I believe that the proposed NWPA amendment will negatively impact the access of all Canadians to navigable waterways, and will lessen the degree of federal review on projects that impact this area of federal jurisdiction. Furthermore, by reducing requirements for federal approvals of works that interfere substantially with navigation, the streams, creeks and rivers upon which we all rely will be negatively impacted. I believe strongly that the proposed changes require additional discussion and debate and should not be included in omnibus legislation. We sincerely request that your government immediately:

Remove Section 7, Amendments to the NWPA from the Budget Implementation Act, 2009 so that there can be thorough and transparent consultation with the public;
Restore the environmental assessment trigger for works that impact navigable waters;
Remove the Minister's discretion when it comes to major projects, such as the four named works in the existing legislation: bridge, boom, dam or causeway; and
Explicitly maintain the existing common law and traditional right to use navigable waters.

I can assure you that Canadians across the country are alarmed at this legislation and strategy.

Respectfully,

National Manager, Navigable Waters Protection Program, David Osbaldeston: OSBALDD@tc.gc.ca

Check out this MEMORANDUM (123Kb PDF) from the University of Ottawa Environmental Law Clinic.

New articles!

In the summer of 1984, at age, 23, Neil Hartling headed up to Nahanni National Park in the Northwest Territories from his home
in Edmonton to experience and paddle a river that had haunted him since he was 15 years old.
Two things happened that summer that would change his life forever...Read More... Watching the river flow by Ed Struzik (37 Kb PDF)

AS FAR AS OUR GUIDES from Nahanni River Adventures knew, no one had ever flown an 18-foot raft (deflated) to Dusty Lake, near the headwaters of the Mountain River in Canada's remote Northwest Territories; portaged it and three canoes, coolers full of frozen steaks and oranges, cases of wine, tents, and Dutch ovens for the better part of a mile over ankle-twisting tussocks; and then plunged and scraped down the upper portion of the river to where it converges with the usual canoe route at Black Feather Creek. So we're claiming a first descent....Read More... Lair of the North Wind by Nancy Lord (160 Kb PDF)

New! Baja, Belize and Galapagos Trips

Looking for warm weather sea kayaking or a river trip through the jungle? In our October survey, many of you responded "yes". We are happy to announce that CRE has secured space on a number of world class experiences in Baja, Belize and the Galapagos Islands operated by experienced and trusted colleagues of ours from the eco/adventure world. New Baja and Belize trips are on stream for this winter (07/08) with the Galapagos trips available in 2009.

News From the Front

The Canadian Broadcasting Corporation held a contest for the “Seven Wonders of Canada”. The Nahanni River was short listed as the people’s choice for the final vote and won spot #4! A telling vote of confidence for this grand river with the beautiful name.

NAHANNI.COM Wins Yahoo! E-Connect Award

We are happy to report that Nahanni.com was just recognized at the November 9th Canadian E-Tourism Awards in Vancouver BC. At this prestigious industry event, Neil Hartling, founder and owner of Nahanni River Adventures and Canadian River Expeditions was awarded not only the Gold Prize for Best of Small Business Web Site, but the Platinum Award for all web categories – going against the biggest businesses in the country. The greatest accolade of the night was Nahanni.com winning the Yahoo! Big Idea Chair Award. The world's top ad agencies covet the Big Idea Chair and we are proud of the distinction this award brings to Nahanni and Canadian River Expeditions.

Neil Hartling’s comments at E-Connect:
“The web has been the greatest innovation in eco/adventure travel since the advent of nylon! Our guests are the big winners. The web allows us to provide a rich and deep way of allowing our guests to start their journey with us even before they arrive in the North. Our guests are more informed than ever before due to the power of the internet and this leads to a greatly enhanced vacation experience.”

“No Shit – There I was…” – Great Real World Stories

The Horton River is the most northerly river in mainland Canada. The Horton River guides from the recently completed ’07 expedition had this amazing story:

After lunch one afternoon, our group happened upon 6 White Fronted Goose gozzlings, swimming in the river. No parents in site. No contact was made with the cute, fuzzy gozzlings but they were admired from a distance. We paddled on for another 3 hours.

Later that evening, while eating supper, we herd a familiar chirping and turned to see five of the gozzlings marching up the beach to join them in camp.The fuzzy birds with ungainly large webbed feet were a comical but charming collection. They made a direct line for one of the overturned canoes. Possibly they had imprinted on it as a “a parent”. Realizing that one of the little birds had clearly already succumbed to a predator that afternoon, our group was torn between compassion and protecting the remaining group versus the knowledge that these birds had to remain wild and the best thing to do was to hope a parent was watching over them from a distance.

We tried all manner of strategies to lure them off to the water, even creating a fake “dummy” goose out of a burlap bag! But the gozzlings would have none of it.When everyone finally turned into bed, late at night beneath the midnight-sun, the gozzlings burrowed under the vestibule of one of the tents where they spent the night.

The following morning, with heavy hearts, the group exercised an elaborate diversion to embark without the gozzlings. They were a loving topic of conversation at every camp for the remainder of the trip. All agreed at the close of the trip that the memories and photos were “priceless”.

Guides Gossip

Your guides lead exciting lives even when they are not guiding on northern rivers. Find out what your guides are up to in Guides Gossip

Northern Currents

Nahanni River Adventures, Nahanni offers exceptional expeditions by raft and canoe on the great rivers from Alaska to Nunavut including: South Nahanni River, Tatshenshini River, Alsek River, Firth River, Snake River, Wind River, Stikine River, Burnside River, Coppermine River, Horton River, Mountain River, Yukon River, Taku River, Gataga River and Sea Kayaking and whale watching at Point Adolphus, Alaska, over-looking Glacier Bay National Park.

Our expeditions encompass Nahanni National Park (South Nahanni River), Kluane National Park (Alsek River), Ivvavik National Park (Firth River), Glacier Bay National Park (Alsek River), Herschel Island Territorial Park (Firth River).

Nahanni River Adventures operates in Alaska (United States of America), Yukon Territory, Northwest Territories, Nunavut and British Columbia (Canada).

Nahanni.com is the online presence of the company, Nahanni River Adventures Ltd.

Nahanni River Adventures works with the Canadian Parks and Wilderness Society to ensure the environmental integrity of our wild places.

Neil Hartling, founder of Nahanni River Adventures, is also the author of: Nahanni, River of Gold...River of Dreams. Alaska to Nunavut - The Great Rivers. Nahanni River Guide. These books may all be purchased through Nahanni.com.

Common misspellings of the name are Nahani, Nahannie, Nahanie, Nahoni, Nahonni.
Nahanni River Adventures.