Step Back in Time with Stony's Friday Night Canoe

History comes to life every Friday evening at this summer through a rather unique way to learn about the past and observe wildlife. 

Visitors to the park have the opportunity to paddle a replica of a 34-foot Voyageur vessel around Stony Creek Lake during the hour-long Friday Night Canoe event, set for most weeks this summer. An interpreter travels with the group and offers information about the Voyageur lifestyle while pointing out wildlife and habitats. 

“I liked it and it was really a nice night,” said Helen Rich of Shelby Township, who paddled with husband Rich and daughter Cyndi, 6. “I’m always looking for something to do besides sit around and watch TV and this was a perfect thing to do.” 

The evening begins at the Mount Vernon Picnic Area, near the boat launch, with a brief lesson on the Voyageurs, French fur traders of the 18th and 19th centuries who paddled the rivers of North America trading various items for beaver pelts. Voyageurs (French for traveler) swapped with the Native Americans, who were skilled at hunting beaver, extinct in Europe at the time. Beaver fur was used to create popular, status-symbol hats among the Europeans. 

“The hat was a status symbol. That’s why everybody wanted it for so long. It was the equivalent of driving a Lexus or Mercedes today or having a really nice house,” said Aaron Yilmaz, who led the June 10 Friday Night Canoe. “It showed people you were good at what you do.” 

Yilmaz also offered information on the Voyageurs, hardy French men he compared to the truck drivers of today. They usually worked 14-18 hour days, sleeping only four hours at a time. They were also very strong, usually carrying heavy loads and paddling about 16,000 strokes daily. 

To demonstrate what the Voyageurs typically wore, Yilmaz dressed a young visitor in their garb and then showed a beaver skin and some of the items traded by the Voyageurs and Native Americans. 

After, it was time to board the canoe. The replica at Stony Creek looks like the birch canoes used by the Voyageurs; however, the modern-day version is lighter at 600 pounds (compared to 800 pounds in the past) and made of fiberglass. After donning life jackets and climbing inside the 18-person canoe, Yilmaz gave instructions on how to paddle. 

On the lake, Yilmaz pointed out a couple of trumpeter swans—rare for the area, he said—and a beaver lodge, built right on the shores of the lake. He also found a blue heron and offered more information about the lake’s many ecosystems while visitors quietly rowed the sizable canoe above the seaweed-filled water. The trip ended with a gentle coast up to the dock. 

Preregistration is required for Friday Night Canoe, scheduled for most Fridays this summer at 8 p.m. Cost is $4 per person. To register, call 586-781-9113. 

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