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Summertime in Manitoba offers great opportunities to find incredible new destinations, including a few canoe trip adventures.
Pastor Paul Epp of St. Vital Evangelical Mennonite Conference (EMC) is also a nature and adventure photographer. One of his favourite hobbies is guiding and taking canoe trips.
For people who are interested in trying canoeing, Epp has a list of the best spots from easiest to hardest.
1. La Salle River
Epp grew up on a Strawberry farm near La Salle, MB, near the La Salle River.
"I like to suggest to people who are starting off to set yourself up for success. One part of that is to aim for bodies of water that are less threatening. A river is perfect because you won't have to deal with too bad of wind or waves. If you capsize, the La Salle River is pretty shallow, and it's so pretty. This time of year, the trees' canopy almost the whole river in some parts."
La Barriere Park has the La Salle River running through it, and it has its launch point for boaters and canoers.
2. Hunt or Lions Lake in Whiteshell Provincial Park
After canoeing on a river, Epp suggests going to the next phase, which, in his opinion, is canoeing on a lake.
"Driving out to the Whiteshell, there's Hunt Lake, Lion's Lake, which are smaller lakes. Pack a picnic and enjoy. We did that last spring after staying in the Whiteshell and spent the day just paddling around."
3. Caddy Lake in Whiteshell Provincial Park
Another spot in the Whiteshell that is quite picturesque is Caddy Lake, as it offers tunnels to canoe through.
"Paddling under tunnels is really cool. You do have to make sure you have a whistle because you have to blow it before you go through to make sure you don't ram into a boat. We've done it once at nighttime, and we weren't sure if it was bats or birds overhead. We went with our headlamps, and it just adds to the adventure."
There is a proper boat and canoe launch at Caddy Lake and an island at the halfway point after the first tunnel to have a picnic on.
4. Portaging in Nopoming Provincial Park
Unfortunately, due to the wildfires in 2025, this park is closed to the public for the summer. Epp is hoping that next summer the area will be able to open to campers and wildlife adventurers such as himself.
"There's so many more options when you portage into places, so you hike all your stuff overland to another lake. Nopoming Park is one of our favourites, starting at Tulabi Lake, right beside Bird Lake. It's about 3 hours of tripping to before you get to the first campsites, but they're shorter portages and it's enough of a length to feel like I'm going deep into the wilderness here."
The back country camping without electricity or running water that a trip like this requires adds a good level of vulnerability and humility, according to Epp.
"We've paddled by like a Mama and baby moose. We've seen wolf prints. It makes you really feel vulnerable, like the further you get into the wilderness, the more vulnerable you feel. I think that's actually a good practice."
Safety Tips and Reminders
The top requirement during a canoe trip is a lifejacket for each person. Epp shares that while these can be expensive when new, a great way to save some money is check thrift stores and garage sales first.
"You require to have a safety kit in the canoe with you which you can purchase for about $10 from most outdoorsy places. They're little containers that screw shut. It has a rope, a flashlight and a whistle in there. If you take all that out, you can use that as a bailing bucket as well."
On top of packing the essentials and safety gear like the above mentioned, Epp always brings along a Bible for reading. He says you can purchase small and light weight ones too to cut down on heaviness, especially if he's portaging.
"Don't be so focused on the destination. It's good to take joy in the adventure of it and slow down. There can be joy in some of the crazy things that we've done. You know, night portaging, slipping in mud, getting all dirty, being lost. Those things are actually really fun. And there's more chance of getting lost if you hurry up, so slow down."
People interested in following along with Epp's outdoor adventures can do so on his Instagram page.
