Frequently Asked Questions
Who Is Organizing the Expedition?
The Strathcona Centennial Expedition is being planned and executed by the Strathcona Park Public Advisory Committee in partnership with BC Parks.
What Is the Route of the Trip?
The route of the Strathcona Centennial Expedition starts in Campbell River at the Tyee Spit. The first leg is on foot along the Campbell River trails to McIvor Lake where the team will meet canoes and then paddle up the Campbell Lake chain to Upper Campbell Lake. From a camp on Upper Campbell the expedtion will then head overland onto Mt Evelyn and across the Tlools Valley and climb Crown Mountain exactly 100 years to the day that Ellison's party reached the top on July 29th.
From Crown Mountain the route descends back to Upper Campbell Lake and the expedtion party will paddle again by canoe to Strathcona Park Lodge and then on to Buttle Lake. At the BC Parks HQ at Buttle Narrows there will be a public event at 1pm August 1st. After this event the group continue by canoe south down Buttle Lake to Price Creek.
At Price Creek they will be met by a party of two that have travelled over from Port Alberni re-enacting Captain Roberts 1910 Survey party, and then all will return on foot up the old Price Creek trail to Price Pass, down to Margaret Lake and follow the Margaret Creek to Great Central Lake.
At Great Central Lake members of the Hupacasath First Nation will meet them with canoes and then together they'll paddle down Great Central Lake to Port Alberni. After an evening event at the Alberni Heritage Centre some of the team will take the VIA Rail train from Qualicum Beach to Victoria, wrapping up with a breakfast at the Fairmont Empress on the morning of August 9.
How Long Is The Expedition?
In total the expedition is around 200 km and will take 17 days to travel from Campbell River to Port Alberni with two additional days down to Victoria and disband. There is about 110 km of canoe lake paddling and over 80 km of overland hiking. For a more detailed breakdown see the Expedition Timeline here>
How Many People Are Involved In The Expedition?
There are 25 individuals plus a film crew of 2 and the Roberts re-enactment party of 2 taking part, for a total of 29. But not everyone will be travelling all together on the whole trip. There are 4 distinct legs to the trip and the number travelling at any one time varies between 8 and 16. For complete details see the party schedule page.
Can Anyone Join The Expedition?
Pretty much yes although now with the expedition only days away the two hiking legs are full. But there is still room to jump onboard with the canoe legs and the expedtion party would welcome people who wish to paddle alongside with us at anytime along the way. See the schedule page for more information.
How Can The Public Get Involved?
There are several points along the way where the expedition will be welcoming the public and media to meet them and participate in a variety of functions.
- Expedition Launch, Thursday, July 22, the whole thing starts in Campbell River at the Tyee Spit with the group gathering at 9:30 am and departing for a hike up the riverside trails including: the Pumphouse trails, Canyon View and Millenium trails to Elk Falls and then on along the 'Horse trails' to McIvor Lake where the expediton will then launch their canoes.
- Official Dedication, Sunday, August 1, after the climb of Crown Mountain on July 29th, the expedtion will return to the lakes and paddle Buttle Lake, stopping at the BC Parks HQ just south of Buttle Narrows at 1 pm, Sunday August 1 for an official dedication ceremony hosted by BC Parks to honour the 1910 Strathcona Discovery Expedition. There will be local dignataries and officals from BC Parks on hand. Everyone is welcome.
- Welcoming Party, Saturday August 7, as the backcountry part of the expedition journey ends, the party will arrive by canoe at the Ark Resort on Great Central Lake at 3 pm for a welcoming ceremony and then a public event at the Alberni Heritage Centre Museum at 7 pm. Everyone welcome.
- Wrap Up, Sunday and Monday, August 8-9, as things wind down some of the expedition group will be travelling to Qualicum Beach to meet the 4:20 VIA Rail train to Victoria and will be on hand at 3:30 pm at the Qualicum Beach train station and at the Victoria train station on arrival at 8 pm. The last event is a farewell breakfast at the Fairmont Empress 9:30-11:30 am Monday, August 9 before the expedition party disbands.
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