Chapter 1

Planning the Expedition

I wanted to reach Baie Fine.

At the time, I knew very little about the region. I had been introduced to the nearby Killarney area and got a glimpse of the La Cloche Mountains in the distance, but I really wanted to get a closer look.

I had heard Baie Fine mentioned briefly in a YouTube video by renowned Canadian kayaker Ken Whiting, on Paddle TV and Ted East, of Killarney Outfitters. The way he described it made it sound like somewhere worth working for. That was enough.

I wanted to return to Northern Ontario and was ready for another ambitious expedition into Crown Land. And, perhaps most importantly, I wanted to see somewhere that I assumed most people never bothered to reach.

So I opened Google Maps and started planning

I studied satellite imagery, searched for possible launch points, traced distances and prepared some back up plans. On paper, it looked ambitious, but manageable.

I would launch from a marina north of Manitoulin Island and work my way across McGregor Bay, using three small island chains to provide some shelter before committing to approximately a kilometre and a half crossing of open water. From there, I had identified what appeared to be a possible short portage into Baie Fine.

After accessing Baie Fine, I would continue toward a place known as The Pool, then make a short hike toward Lake Topaz.

I estimated that reaching the lake would take at least two days. From everything I had heard, the journey would be worth it.

The route was ambitious. The plan was optimistic. And I was excited.

On July 28, 2022, I drove roughly 750 kilometres along the Trans-Canada Highway from Montreal toward Manitoulin Island, eventually stopping at a motel near the junction with Highway 6.

Chapter 2

Into the Unknown

July 29, 2022

The following morning, I left the motel and arrived at J&G Marina in McGregor Bay Landing with considerably more enthusiasm than experience.

I paid the parking fee and stopped to ask the marina employee about the area. Naturally, one of my first questions was about bears.

My second was about Baie Fine.

I told him where I was going and explained the route I had planned. His reaction was not quite the enthusiastic encouragement I had imagined.

He wished me a bon voyage, though, and confirmed something I was hoping to hear.

Baie Fine really was worth seeing

He also confirmed that the La Cloche Mountains were every bit as spectacular as they appeared from a distance. That was enough.

I asked about the boating conditions. At the marina, everything looked almost deceptively peaceful. The water was calm, the wind was light.

Then came the warning.

"Once you get past the bay, the water opens up."

He explained that conditions could be very different once I left the protection of the marina and its surrounding islands.

I listened.

I understood.

At that point in my paddling experience, I still wasn't routinely checking wind speed and direction. I knew enough to be cautious. Based on my planning, McGregor Bay wasn't much wider than the Saint-Lawrence river close to where I live. Crossing my hometown river is risky, but the water only sees intense waves when the weather is extreme.

The water in front of me was calm.

My kayak was ready.

The route was planned.

Somewhere beyond those sheltered waters were the islands, the mountains, Baie Fine, The Pool and Lake Topaz.

After weeks of planning, there was only one thing left to do.

I launched.

Chapter 3

Chasing Baie Fine

1:30 PM

The Water began to open up...

The rest of the story is coming soon