I Paddled a Canoe Once...

November 14, 2010

This week our family watched a free on-line documentary, Finding Farley, about a Canadian couple who spent five months paddling, walking, and sailing across large parts of Canada to meet the iconic author Farley Mowat. With a toddler. Wow.

They started their journey in our home province of Alberta (where Damien and I grew up, met and married) near the Rocky Mountains and ended in Cape Breton, Nova Scotia.

So much about this film was simply amazing. I identified strongly with their geographic journey, travelling from the place of my birth across country to the province my parent's now call home. The nature videography was beautiful and the sharing of their personal story very inspirational. And the fact that they faced all those bugs in the height of summer, in the near arctic, and lived to tell about it.

Watching this one hour video together was part adventure story (we love those!) and part "this is our homeland culture and heritage". All together it was wholly entertaining, inspiring, and educational. I love it when we invest our time in something, like watching this film, that integrates so many pieces of our lives together.

I just wanted to recommend the video if you are a Canadian (I know a few Canucks read this blog) or a family interested in outdoors, adventure, or environmental issues. It's also a great resource for you homeschoolers. An inspirational, high quality, educational free video available to watch on-line.

If you want to read more about this cool family you can check out Damien's interview with them. Be inspired to go outdoors together.

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Outdoors

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Debbie on Nov. 14, 2010, 11:44 p.m.

Thanks for the recommendation, Renee. I've heard much of this documentary but have not yet seen it. As a fellow Canadian, you know I'll be interested. I so love stories like this; families that live their passion no matter what it takes. Thanks again. I'll let you know what I thought when I'm done watching it. xo

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Rana on Nov. 15, 2010, 4:15 a.m.

Wow and with a toddler?! That is impressive. I love Canada and the fact that we live so close makes it even more fun. We are about 30 minutes from Windsor. We mainly visit Toronto area. My sister honeymooned in Montreal it's beautiful there. Our family will have to watch the video.

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Karen on Nov. 15, 2010, 6:45 a.m.

I'm thrilled to hear about this documentary. We are a BC HSing family that drove across the country 3 years ago (Van Is to Cape Breton)and lived in the same community as Farley Mowat for a year, and then another Cape Breton community for another year. Although we weren't as adventuresome as to canoe the country, we canoed and sailed the Cape Breton area and had a wonderful time exploring that part of Canada (and we did it with 7 of our dc in tow). We are glad to be back in BC, exploring a new community here now.

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Francesca on Nov. 15, 2010, 10:32 a.m.

I hope to be able to watch this with my boys, sounds so interesting, but unfortunately our connection is usually too slow for videos. I had a peek just now, and what I noticed wasn't the toddler, or the bugs. It was the winter gear. It's COLD up there!

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Jacinda on Nov. 15, 2010, 7:48 p.m.

Wow, thanks for the connection and the connection over at "adinprogress' is great too. I am always trying to find a way of letting go of the known to reach out into what we, as a family, really want to be experiencing while we are together. What is the essence of what we want to give our girls? I just had a wee look at the beginning of the film and tears welled in my eyes. I love courage. We will be watching it tonight, together as a family. I'm also now inspired to read Farley Mowat. I've never heard of him down here in the Pacific.

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Nicole on Nov. 16, 2010, 2:45 a.m.

Thanks so much for this! Right after I read your post we all gathered around the lap top and watched it. Loved the film, very beautiful (and the little guy is so cute!) As Canadians, we loved the topic, the amazing adventure and the books - it got us all talking long after it was over. Thanks again!

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- renee on Nov. 16, 2010, 1:43 p.m.
  
  I know! Wasn't it great.
  
  I love how you could turn their whole adventure into a unit study. You could read Farley Mowat, do geography, study animals, etc... The possibilities are endless. Of course, I'm not all that organized to pull something like that together, I'm just saying you could (smile).
  
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Danyel on Nov. 16, 2010, 1:51 p.m.

I will definitely be checking this out! I live in Alberta but have dreams of traveling east...thanks Renee for posting. Your blog is so creative and diverse, and that is why I like it!

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- renee on Nov. 16, 2010, 1:55 p.m.
  
  Thank you Danyel I appreciate that bit of feedback. I sometimes wonder about posting such diverse topics - soap making, homeschooling, the outdoors, random motherhood thoughts, crafts etc... But in the end this blog is about my life and my life is a bit diverse so the blog will be also. I'm glad I'm not the only one who likes it that way.
  
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