Fur Traders Expedition Event Details
Tour Details
At any time ask a question and share your contact information so that we can support you in finding your best tour: bottom right
Your Fur Trader Adventure Awaits:
Our meticulously crafted tours provide everything you need for an unforgettable experience including:
-
Round-trip Polar Bear Express train tickets between Cochrane and Moosonee
-
Comfortable accommodations at the Historic Hudson's Bay Staff House or our cozy Keepaychum cabins. Tent camping is also available.
-
Expertly guided excursions: we guide you safely down the river stopping at scenic areas where you are free to take your time exploring, fishing, wildlife spotting, searching for fossils, gathering fiddleheads, or capturing the breathtaking views with your camera
-
Immersive indigenous cultural experiences and a handcrafted souvenir
-
All meals and snacks feature Cree cuisine
-
Photography assistance: helping you capture stunning images of your adventure is an integral part of your tour. Tours offered between May and September.
The Fur Traders Expedition, all-inclusive 5 day tour
Day 1 Depart Cochrane at 9 am on the Polar Bear Express train, arriving in Moose River Crossing at noon. Enjoy a relaxing day exploring the abandoned mill town, fishing or getting familiarized with your canoe. Supper is by a campfire in a tipi where you will be given your bundle of furs. These will travel with you down stream where, upon arrival at Moose Factory Island, you will trade them at the historic Hudson’s Bay Staff House.
Day 2 Embark on your paddling journey, traveling downstream on the mighty Moose River. Fishing for your lunch (if you have a license https://www.ontario.ca/page/fishing) and exploring is encouraged! Set up camp for the night and stay in your very own canvas wall tent. Meals will include fresh fish fried on the campfire, indigenous stews, bannock on a stick, and if there are children, sconedogs (a wiener on a stick wrapped in bannock) and roasted on the fire - lucky kids!
Day 3 Break down camp and continue your paddle journey, reaching Moosonee at the end of day. Enjoy Cree cuisine, stories as old as time around the campfire, amazing stars if the night is clear and perhaps even the Northern Lights!
Day 4 Travel to Moose Factory to visit the Hudson’s Bay Company Staff House where you will trade in your furs for either tamarack birds or artfully crafted sea glass from the waters of the Moose River or James Bay or a traditionally harvested animal pelt! There may be an option for a visit to the Cree Cultural Interpretive Centre before going back to Keepaychun for a Cree feast. Enjoy campfire roasted duck or maybe even goose, bannock on a stick and more.
Day 5 Finish your northern adventure with a freighter canoe trip to James Bay (or if conditions allow, paddle along the west side of Sandspit Island to the edge of the Arctic Ocean)! Spend the morning out on the coastal flats with the nesting shorebirds at the Pei Lay Sheesh Kow bird sanctuary (Moose River Migratory Bird Sanctuary). Return to Moosonee, unwind and relax before you return to Cochrane on the Polar Bear Express at 5pm. Your visit to the edge of the Arctic Ocean is on the schedule of the tides. So be prepared for an early start as often the window is fairly narrow for getting out and back without ending up stranded!
Please note that in this amazing but challenging environment, all adventures are subject to environmental conditions. The paddling is with the current but against the wind and can be rigorous. For some it will be possible to paddle to the edge of the Arctic Ocean. For others, strong winds and high tides or big rain will hamper trekking, making an additional day an option to fully complete the experience. We plan all trips with room for an inclement weather day, which will be available if necessary for a reduced fee. We are committed not only to your safety but also to making sure you get your full experience, come what may!
To start your journey, click on Ask a Question at the bottom right of this page.