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Wednesday July 25, 2001 THE OAKVILLE BEAVER B5 Canoeists to paddle Yukon River for charity By Wilma Blokhuis BEAVER FOCUS EDITOR Whitehorse to Dawson, here come Mickie Daniel and David Angas. The pair who last year paddled from Kingston to Ottawa, a distance of 220 kilometres in nine days, and then car ried their canoe into the Chateau Laurier, are off on an another adven ture. This time, they're paddling 750 kilo metres, 500 miles, down the Yukon River. They will arrive at Whitehorse on Monday and hope to have a canoe in the water by Tuesday afternoon. They hope to reach Dawson by Aug. 10. To reach this goal, Daniel and Angas will have to paddle 75 kilometres, or 50 miles, a day. "We'll be in total isolation, paddling through wilderness on a fast river with grizzlies," says Daniel. Fighting off bears is just one of the challenges facing Daniel and Angus, who will be carrying mace - bear spray, and a licensed firearm. Endurance will be another factor. "We'll have to remain focused, visu alize our trip, our destination, and the finish line," Angas explains. "Endurance will be the biggest bat tle. It's not so much a physical chal lenge - we're both pretty good canoeists - but it will be more of a mental chal lenge," he continues. Fortunately, they will be paddling with - not against - a four to six mile per hour current. "Isolation will be another," says Angas. "Unlike last year's trip, we don't expect to see a lot of people. We won't be able to have a road crew. "We'll have to carry more equip ment, food, clothing and safety gear," he continues. Last year's trip passed through areas where dry clothing, shel ter and food were readily available. "And weather wise, we have to be prepared to extremes of -5°C to 25°C temperatures," said Daniel. "We will have to pack a double wardrobe, every thing from sweaters and long johns to T-shirts and shorts - and sunscreen." Last year, they raised funds-for the United Way of Oakville and the Oakville YMCA. This year's proceeds will equally divided between a scholar ship program for less fortunate students run by the Rotary Club of Oakville West, and the Canadian Alzheimer Association - Daniel's father died from Alzheimer's in January. Both are pro jects o f the Rotary Foundation of Canada "Our goal is to raise $25,000, and we raised a little over half of that last year," notes Daniel. "Now we want to go for the other half." And, unlike last year, the pair will be paddling without proper navigational charts "because there are none avail able of the Yukon River," says Angas. To overcome this obstacle, the pair obtained booklets produced by canoeist Michael Rourke, who has charted 30,000 kilometres of Canadian rivers. His maps, hand drawn, are detailed but not to scale, explains Angus. To com pensate for this, he has enlarged a road map to chart their course. And, the pair will be carrying a GPS, a global posi tioning satellite. Daniel and Angus will begin their trek in a 16-foot Kevlar canoe rented in in Rourke's books, observes Angus, noting Dawson will only be one day away at this point. Daniel and Angas will present letters from Mayor Ann Mulvale to the may ors of Whitehorse and Dawson, carry the Town of Oakville flag from Whitehorse to Dawson, and give a Rotary banner to the Whitehorse club. Before leaving W hitehorse, the canoeists, both Rotarians, will be guests of the Whitehorse Rotary Club. "This club is helping us with some of our logistics," notes Angas. "And Mickie has a friend in Dawson." So, why paddle such a dangerous river? Because it's there, says Angas in a letter to potential supporters. "I have always believed that before we die, we should build a mountain and then go out and climb it," writes Angas. "The mountain can be a dream or a per sonal challenge. Climbing it can turn a dream into a reality or a challenge into triumph." "The feeling of personal accom plishment we got from our trip last year was just amazing," he says. "You can spent a lifetime building a mountain and climbing it. You come back with such a tremendous sense of accomplishment that anything else pales in comparison." Those wishing to support the Canadian Alzheimer Association and scholarships for the less fortunate can send cheques, payable to the Rotary Foundation of Canada, to The Rotary Foundation of Canada, c/o David J. Angas, BMO Nesbitt Bums, 1 First Canadian Place, 48th Floor, P.O. Box 150, Toronto, ON, M5X 1H3. Photo by Brent Foster David Angas and Mickie Daniel are paddling from Whitehorse to Dawson. Whitehorse and cross Lake Laberge, a ing. Toxic chemical were used." distance of 34 miles - Angas and Daniel and Angus hope to reach Daniel work in miles instead of kilome Carmacks on the fifth day of their jour tres. "This lake, made famous by poet ney, "the last area of civilization, and Robert Service, is 34 miles long and our last chance to turn back," says five miles wide, and is subject to terri Angus. "Carmacks doesn't have much ble winds and rough water. more than a convenience store and a "Crossing that lake will be biggest pay phone - but, it has the last phone on physical challenge of the whole trip," the Klondike Highway before Dawson. muses Angas. Fort Selkirk, an old Hudson Bay As they make their way down the Trading Company post, will be the next Yukon, they will set up camp near small stop. "It also has a pay phone." The pair streams flowing into the river, in hopes will carrying a satellite phone, naviga tional flares and first aid kitS. of being able to access clean water. "The Yukon has become polluted The next stop identified as Stewart over the years thanks to old gold min on the road map, is not even mentioned Black Tie & Golf Shoes The 10th annual Black Tie & G olf Shoes tournament to support the Oakville branch of the Canadian Red Cross Society, will be held on Aug. 17. You won't see tuxedos on the greens but in a creative twist of golf and glamour, the tournament pairs a round of golf at Oakville's Glen Abbey Golf Club with an evening of black tie dining and dancing. "The format o f our tourna ment here in Oakville has always been a big winner with par ticipants," says Lorraine Davies, regional director for the Red Cross. "The day is always full of friendly competi tion, but the real excitement seems to come later with the silent auction and evening enter tainment." Golfers pay $500 to partici pate in this exec utive-level event, where they are treated like royal ty for a day. In addition to chal lenging the course at Glen Abbey, partici pants are treated to complimentary hospitality ser vice, a golfer's gift bag full of amenities, sports wear to mark the occasion and an evening featuring a four-course gourmet dinner, and dancing to a big-band orches tra. Since its inception, the tournament has provided more than $300,000 in support of Red Cross signature programs such as disaster services, abuse prevention, first aid, water safety and home support pro grams. Interested? Call the Oakville Red Cross at 905845-5241. ASSORTED o LU , S' WOODS AND DRIVERS ^tjTj09 FROM TOPFLITE GOLF DALLS MINT QUALITY Original K-Net Price XL 2000 SELECTION OF SHOES & ACCESSORIES HOURS: M on-Fri...9-8pm , Sat...9-6pm , Sun...11-5pm Terms: Cash. 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