.
He is a cultural icon of the North and a man that lived the history of Canada’s fur trade. True to the ideals that helped found our country, Roger Carrier brought together the best of the Aboriginal world and mainstream Canada. He lived a life in pursuit of excellence, a life that was never easy yet whose achievements were second to none. Roger Carriere was my hero.
Roger Carriere passed away last week.
While his passing marks the end of an era, his lifetime holds lessons that must be followed by future generations of Canadians. The legendary status he held in our Northern communities conveys the importance of fitness, strength of spirit, and knowledge in our culture and our environment. Most importantly it demonstrates the cultural importance of a strong work ethic and maintaining high expectations.
Roger was born in Cumberland House, Saskatchewan, in 1929. He worked for the Canadian National railway for 43 years, and was a fur trapper all of his life. He was well known throughout western Canada as “King Trapper of the North” and holds the record for most titles in prestigious king trapper events – competitions that showcase the skills that were at one time so important for survival in Canada’s north. While being able to light a fire in any conditions, run for miles in show-shoes, and efficiently set a trap are not commonly practiced skills today, they were the basis of the fur trade and integral to the development of the Canada we know today.
Roger exemplified the fierce self-reliance of Canada’s fur trappers and voyageurs. Years ago, in the height of his reign as King Trapper of the North and a master athlete, Roger’s canoe-paddling partner did not show up for the start of the canoe race at Opaskwayak Indian Day’s, in The Pas, Manitoba. The canoe race was the pinnacle event in this summer festival that parades the land-based skills of community icons such as Roger. As his partner still had not shown up after the other paddlers raced away, Roger jumped in his canoe and took off after his fellow competitors alone. At the end of the day-long marathon race, he came in second place. He had passed all but one of the competing two man teams.
As part of Canada’s centennial year events in 1967, Roger paddled in the Centennial Canoe Race for team Manitoba. Following the watery trail of Canada’s famous Voyageurs, they raced over 3,000 miles across Western Canada from Rocky Mountain House Alberta to Montreal. Roger paddled in the 4th seat for the duration … the power seat. Roger used his trapper’s skills and knowledge of the land to help propel the Manitoba team far ahead of the others.
After arduous paddling for several day long stages at the start of the race, Roger’s team mates complained of blisters on their hands. Roger taught them to take a young poplar sapling and warm up the bark over the fire. He then had them grasp and hold the hot branch until it cooled - no more blisters.
His legendary knowledge of the outdoors was further demonstrated when the teams got to the massive Lake Winnipeg in Manitoba. The water was fairly calm and the teams had to cross to the river outlet on the other side. Roger and the other Aboriginal paddler on the team knew there was a tower near the river mouth on the other side, so they made a set of narrow slit sunglasses, similar to what the Inuit used for snow glasses. They took turns standing at the front of the boat looking through the glasses for the tower across the lake. They hit the opening dead-on and gained a significant lead on the other canoes that had to spend a good amount of time searching for the mouth of the river or skirting around the edge of the enormous lake.
Perhaps the greatest feat of the Canoe Race came at the opening to Lake Superior. This was the situation that Voyageurs had dreaded for centuries - huge waves rolling across the lake meant that none of the teams dared go past the safety of the mouth. As they were sitting there waiting on the wind to die down a Canadian Coast Guard Cutter went by. Roger encouraged the team into a seemingly suicidal sprint. His plan worked - they caught one of the waves coming off the wake of the Cutter. They rode the wave across the lake in the lee of the Cutter, while the other teams were stuck waiting on the wind to subside.
By the end of the race team Manitoba was days ahead of the others.
Sesame Street showcased Roger’s talents years ago. Some of you may remember him as the Elder, teaching a group of youngsters how to make bannock over a fire and other bush skills. He taught us all that we could compete with the best in the world - that hard work pays off - and that our culture is based on a pursuit of excellence in everything we do. He is everything that I respect and admire about my culture, and Canada.
Roger’s nephew is Solomon Carriere, 5 time world marathon canoeing champion and another cultural icon from Cumberland House, Saskatchewan has carrier on in Roger’s foot steps. Solomon and his wife Renee raised their kids out on the trapline not so far from Cumberland House, homeschooling them and training them to be world class athletes and scholars. Solomon says Roger told him, “I am not the best at anything, but I am top ten at everything.” I hope, pray and am thankful that the lessons from Roger Carrier, last great King of the Fur Trappers, live on.
****
I welcome anyone that has a good Roger story to post it. Maybe we can put together a collection of short stories in a book about Roger.
He is a cultural icon of the North and a man that lived the history of Canada’s fur trade. True to the ideals that helped found our country, Roger Carrier brought together the best of the Aboriginal world and mainstream Canada. He lived a life in pursuit of excellence, a life that was never easy yet whose achievements were second to none. Roger Carriere was my hero.
Roger Carriere passed away last week.
While his passing marks the end of an era, his lifetime holds lessons that must be followed by future generations of Canadians. The legendary status he held in our Northern communities conveys the importance of fitness, strength of spirit, and knowledge in our culture and our environment. Most importantly it demonstrates the cultural importance of a strong work ethic and maintaining high expectations.
Roger was born in Cumberland House, Saskatchewan, in 1929. He worked for the Canadian National railway for 43 years, and was a fur trapper all of his life. He was well known throughout western Canada as “King Trapper of the North” and holds the record for most titles in prestigious king trapper events – competitions that showcase the skills that were at one time so important for survival in Canada’s north. While being able to light a fire in any conditions, run for miles in show-shoes, and efficiently set a trap are not commonly practiced skills today, they were the basis of the fur trade and integral to the development of the Canada we know today.
Roger exemplified the fierce self-reliance of Canada’s fur trappers and voyageurs. Years ago, in the height of his reign as King Trapper of the North and a master athlete, Roger’s canoe-paddling partner did not show up for the start of the canoe race at Opaskwayak Indian Day’s, in The Pas, Manitoba. The canoe race was the pinnacle event in this summer festival that parades the land-based skills of community icons such as Roger. As his partner still had not shown up after the other paddlers raced away, Roger jumped in his canoe and took off after his fellow competitors alone. At the end of the day-long marathon race, he came in second place. He had passed all but one of the competing two man teams.
As part of Canada’s centennial year events in 1967, Roger paddled in the Centennial Canoe Race for team Manitoba. Following the watery trail of Canada’s famous Voyageurs, they raced over 3,000 miles across Western Canada from Rocky Mountain House Alberta to Montreal. Roger paddled in the 4th seat for the duration … the power seat. Roger used his trapper’s skills and knowledge of the land to help propel the Manitoba team far ahead of the others.
After arduous paddling for several day long stages at the start of the race, Roger’s team mates complained of blisters on their hands. Roger taught them to take a young poplar sapling and warm up the bark over the fire. He then had them grasp and hold the hot branch until it cooled - no more blisters.
His legendary knowledge of the outdoors was further demonstrated when the teams got to the massive Lake Winnipeg in Manitoba. The water was fairly calm and the teams had to cross to the river outlet on the other side. Roger and the other Aboriginal paddler on the team knew there was a tower near the river mouth on the other side, so they made a set of narrow slit sunglasses, similar to what the Inuit used for snow glasses. They took turns standing at the front of the boat looking through the glasses for the tower across the lake. They hit the opening dead-on and gained a significant lead on the other canoes that had to spend a good amount of time searching for the mouth of the river or skirting around the edge of the enormous lake.
Perhaps the greatest feat of the Canoe Race came at the opening to Lake Superior. This was the situation that Voyageurs had dreaded for centuries - huge waves rolling across the lake meant that none of the teams dared go past the safety of the mouth. As they were sitting there waiting on the wind to die down a Canadian Coast Guard Cutter went by. Roger encouraged the team into a seemingly suicidal sprint. His plan worked - they caught one of the waves coming off the wake of the Cutter. They rode the wave across the lake in the lee of the Cutter, while the other teams were stuck waiting on the wind to subside.
By the end of the race team Manitoba was days ahead of the others.
Sesame Street showcased Roger’s talents years ago. Some of you may remember him as the Elder, teaching a group of youngsters how to make bannock over a fire and other bush skills. He taught us all that we could compete with the best in the world - that hard work pays off - and that our culture is based on a pursuit of excellence in everything we do. He is everything that I respect and admire about my culture, and Canada.
Roger’s nephew is Solomon Carriere, 5 time world marathon canoeing champion and another cultural icon from Cumberland House, Saskatchewan has carrier on in Roger’s foot steps. Solomon and his wife Renee raised their kids out on the trapline not so far from Cumberland House, homeschooling them and training them to be world class athletes and scholars. Solomon says Roger told him, “I am not the best at anything, but I am top ten at everything.” I hope, pray and am thankful that the lessons from Roger Carrier, last great King of the Fur Trappers, live on.
****
I welcome anyone that has a good Roger story to post it. Maybe we can put together a collection of short stories in a book about Roger.
3 comments:
A life to be proud of, Thankyou for sharing the story of this great Canadian.
this is such a beautiful story of a great man and canadian
Thank you for posting this great story.
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