Josh Wright of Portage la Prairie had imagined the journey for over a decade. On May 8, he finally pushed his 21-foot fiberglass canoe into the Assiniboine River at the Hoop and Holler Bend, bound for The Forks in Winnipeg—a 153-kilometre trip through forested bends, shifting winds and ancient waterways.
"I’ve driven over the Assiniboine many times and thought, what would it be like to just float down the river and make it to Winnipeg like people did many years ago. That dream never left me."
Wright’s inspiration came in part from his father, who had made the same journey around the same age. When he found himself with a few days off work, he felt an overwhelming sense that the time had come.
"It was like a strong cave. Gotta do it now."
Three days, no shortcuts
The trip took three full days of paddling—between 12 and 16 hours a day. Despite travelling downstream, headwinds and river bends made progress slow and difficult. He brought along a tent, 10 litres of water, food, a Coleman stove, sleeping gear, a compass, life jacket, baler, bug spray, rubber boots, sunscreen, and extra clothing.
"I think it was a test of physical endurance, but also it was a trip of spiritual awakening—just connecting with nature and seeing Manitoba in a different way."
Each stretch of river offered something different: aspen forests that gave way to oak, old abandoned farmyards, cliffs of limestone and mud, and a wealth of wildlife.
"The scenery never disappointed. Around every bend there was something new to see."
He spotted snapping turtles, foxes, deer, beavers, muskrats, and frogs along the riparian habitats—creatures not typically visible from the highway.
Moments of challenge and surprise
On the first night, he landed unknowingly near Poplar Point Colony. From the water, the high riverbanks made it difficult to see where he was until he climbed to the top.
"I tied my canoe up, walked up to the bank, and realized it was at Poplar Point Colony. It’s those moments—you don’t know where you are, and then you recognize a familiar sight."
He was hosted by a Hutterite family who told him they had only ever seen one other canoeist pass by in the past several years. Later that night, he saw the eerie glow of a wildfire in the distance, possibly from Sandy Bay or The Pas.
At one point, headwinds created whitecaps with waves reaching nearly four feet.
"Luckily, I was prepared. I had everything I needed—a compass, a whistle, a baler. So I didn’t feel scared."
Bridges, bends and reflections
Wright measured the total paddling distance at 153 kilometres using Google Maps. He says the straight-line distance would have been closer to 80 kilometres, but the winding route nearly doubled the journey.
He crossed about 14 bridges—some of them doubles—and noted how Winnipeg’s section of the river was surprisingly calm, with long straight stretches and riverside homes giving way to parkland and hotels.
The most winding stretch, he says, was between Saint François Xavier and Poplar Point. His longest day covered about 68 kilometres.
In Beaudry Park, a long series of bends delayed him for hours. He later realized a 50-metre portage across a narrow neck of land could have saved him three hours.
Solitude and healing on the water
Wright didn’t see another paddler the entire trip. The only people he encountered in the first two days were the Hutterites and a few homeowners in Saint François Xavier.
"That was like two and a half days of being alone with my thoughts. And the last year was quite tough for me, with a lot of events—family, friends, illness and death. Being able to be on the river... it kind of filled a void I didn’t realize was there."
He found peace in the stillness, occasionally waving to people from their yards or greeting walkers in parks. Sound travelled far over the water.
"Water carries sound. Someone 100 feet away could call out, ‘Where are you heading?’ and I’d say, ‘To The Forks,’ and they’d shout, ‘Congratulations!’"
Preparation, patience and life lessons
Wright recommends that others attempt the journey only with full preparation. He advises bringing a second paddle, proper footwear for muddy banks, plenty of water and food, sunscreen, bug spray, layered clothing, a compass, transistor radio, and a portable battery.
He also notes the river can be treacherous for solo paddlers. Without a second person, he had to constantly shift the weight in his canoe, especially as water jugs emptied and wind caught the front end.
"The river teaches you life lessons. You have to go with the flow. If you try to force it, you end up in trouble. You don’t know what’s around the bend, but you just keep paddling."
Wright believes the riverbanks could benefit from some improvements for tourism—simple docks or designated campsites that make it easier to pull ashore safely.
At The Forks—and beyond
On May 10, Wright reached The Forks, welcomed by around 300 people including his friends. After three days on the water, the sudden return to traffic and crowds felt surreal.
"There was culture shock getting back into a vehicle and heading down the streets of Winnipeg after being on the river for three days."
He now looks out the car window and recalls each bend of the journey.
"We need to take care of our rivers and our riverbanks. They’re the veins of the prairies. They give life to everything."
Wright draws additional inspiration from Don and Dana Starkell, family friends who once paddled all the way to the Amazon. He says he may try a longer trip one day—perhaps even tackling the Mississippi, though he admits it would require paddling 500 kilometres upstream just to reach the headwaters.
For now, he’s satisfied with his solo trip and urges others to see Manitoba from a new perspective.
"It’s a new experience, and it changes you."
He adds, "Connecting with the river brought me great peace and harkened back to a simpler time. The world is so chaotic, busy, and fast paced while the river is slow and laid back in comparison...a constant in an ever-changing world.
"Another highlight of the trip was starting before the leaves on the trees had emerged and finishing when Winnipeg was bathed in a canopy of green, watching the leaves and grass, and flowers spring forth before my eyes," says Wright. "I realized the weekend I paddled was Manitoba's 155th anniversary and a way to celebrate our province's history, with regard to the river.
"P.S. I have Linda and Mitchell Omichinski to thank for picking up my canoe and bringing it back (and launching it at the Hoop & Holler Bend, the only portage I had to make on the entire trip)."