View topic - Resupply Options in Pelican Narrows, Southend, Kinoosao, Ect

Hey All -

I am planning a big trip with group of 5 other outdoor educators. We're going to paddle a 25ft canoe from Lake Winnipeg to Lake Athabasca. We've got about 65 days.

I am wondering if anyone has some contacts or insight about resupply options along the route. Here are villages/towns along our route (in order):

1. The Pas
2. Cumberland House
3. Sturgeon Landing
4. Pelican Narrows
5. Southend
6. Kinoosao (only if we get windbound, really)
7. Wollaston
8. Black Lake
9. Stony Rapids

Anyone got any insights about what sorts of food/fuel options are available at these locations? I've been calling grocery stores up there all morning but haven't gotten a huge amount of information.

Thanks!

There are Northern Stores in some of those communities:

https://www.northmart.ca/our-stores/locator

Most would have a reasonable selection of expensive fresh food and basic packaged foods.

For fuel, don't expect much other than white gas (Coleman fuel), isobutane canisters would be very rare.

For non-fresh food your best bet is to mail ahead via Canada Post General delivery. If you have to send stuff before you leave you should contact the post offices to let them know your approximate arrival date otherwise they might get returned if you go past the standard 14 day hold for pick-up. Better if you can get someone to send the packages 2 - 3 weeks ahead of your arrival.

There may be Co-op stores as well (or instead) in some communities, I don't have much experience with them.

https://www.fcl.crs/contact-us/location

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"What else could I do? I had no trade so I became a peddler" - Lazarus Greenberg 1915

This is super helpful! Thanks!

Stoney is a good spot. Scott’s General Store is there and has got lots of good stuff for resupply. Post office there as well. Over all, a nice little town.

Anyone have an insights on the cheapest way to ship re-supply packages in Canada?

To those locations, Canada Post Regular Parcel (2 - 10 days within Canada, allow an extra 5 - 7 days for remote locations).

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"What else could I do? I had no trade so I became a peddler" - Lazarus Greenberg 1915

Generally in agreement with recped, although I would say the "expensive fresh food" is likely to be "less than fresh and very expensive".

The Pas is an outlier in your list - it is a fair sized town (5,000+) and will have more variety. Sturgeon Landing and Kinoosao are both tiny hamlets with populations < 100. I don't think either has any post office facilities and I wouldn't count on either of them for re-supply.

I don't think mailing any kind of fuel, or even matches, is possible. A friend of mine started a trip in Wollaston, and cooked on fires down the Fond du Lac because he couldn't get stove fuel (I think isobutane, not sure). A stove that could run on regular gasoline, as well as white gas, might be a good insurance policy.

I hear Stony has a very good outdoor supply store, but by then you are really at the end of your trip.

Where on Lake Winnipeg are you starting? If further south, Grand Rapids and Easterville could also be resupply possibilities.

Good luck.

jmc

I would have said the same 20+ years ago and I'm sure there are some places where it's still true. In recent years I've been surprised by what I've found in these remote communities especially in terms of fresh fruit and veggies. Not the equal of Southern Ontario but on par or better than what you might find along Hwy 11 in Northern Ontario in communities of similar size. Of course a lot depends on what day of the week you show up.

In my early car camping years in the 60's once you got north of Barrie (an hour north of Toronto) the selection in grocery stores was truly pitiful and it's still that way at many of the very small towns along the Trans-Canada Highway.

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"What else could I do? I had no trade so I became a peddler" - Lazarus Greenberg 1915

You can’t mail fuel or any other flammable liquids. Illegal. Plan on bringing a fair bit with you, and as noted earlier, I’d expect to be using white gas as that should be the most readily available en route.

Sounds like a fantastic trip. I hope you’re able to post a trip report when you get back!

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www.mikemonaghan.ca