Ice Canoe

City: Quebec City

Producer: Artéfact urbain

Genre: Sports

Host: Aaron Bass

Through encounters with the people who are keeping ice canoeing alive and pushing the limits of the competition, Ice Canoe presents the faces of a sport that’s all about team spirit and dedication. Host Aaron Bass brings a sport that’s unique in the world to life. If you want to conquer the ice floes of the Saint Lawrence River, you can’t get cold feet.

To watch Ice Canoe:

If you are already a Bell Fibe TV customer, go to channel 1, or watch it on demand with the Bell Fibe TV App.

If you are not a Bell Fibe TV customer, click here to learn more about Bell services.

Episodes

Season 1

Episode 1 - Let the season begin!

Aaron Bass meets Catherine Paquin, Jack Wolfskin and her team a few moments before she takes part in a friendly competition on the river. Aaron also meets with Linda-Catherine and Guy Gilbert of the Atelier Gilbert in Quebec City. They show him how a canoe is made and how technology can improve the efficiency of the competing canoes!

Episode 2 - A day at the beach

Aaron Bass meets with the Noos Technologie ice canoe team for a freezing day at the beach. Aaron also chats with Yves and Guy Gilbert, two canoe builders who started the family tradition of running on the moving ice. By his side, Bertrand Gélinas tells us about La Grande Virée, a race that goes from the Baie-de-Beauport to the Île d’Orléans.

Episode 3 - Québec - Lévis Crossing

Aaron Bass hops on a ferry crossing from Quebec City to Lévis where he meets with the Château Frontenac Le Soleil ice canoe team. David Laroche talks about the different weather conditions that can affect the sport and how canoers plan the route on the river accordingly before each race. Michel Lessard, a sport’s leading figure, explains the role of the team members when on the water.

Episode 4 - Signing Up

Aaron Bass goes to Portneuf where one of the circuit races takes place and where the city created the Festival de la Banquise. He discusses with Marie-Pierre Bélisle the building of a team, and how to get sponsors. The team also explains to Aaron how an all-women team can work differently with the canoe.

Episode 5 - An Island Tradition

In the last episode, Aaron Bass goes to l’Isle-aux-Coudres in Charlevoix to meet with enthusiasts of this island tradition. Jimmy Perron, a local artist, tells Aaron how his family and other islanders used ice canoes for transportation. Aaron also goes to the Cidrerie Perreault to hear the story of the 300 apple trees that were brought to the island by canoe.

Season 2

Episode 1 - A Brief History of Ice Canoe

Learn about how the canoe came to be, from it’s very first inception made by the First Nations to the very first members of the Lachance Family, and how the design and purposes of the canoe has evolved over time.

Episode 2 - The Carnival of Quebec’s Race

Ice canoeing is one of the main events held during the winter Carnival of Quebec. The very first ice canoe race was held in the city in 1894, with the tradition still living on today.

Episode 3 - The Ice Canoe Initiation

In 2014, ice canoeing was officially recognized as an integral part of Quebec’s heritage. The Festival de la Banquise, which now hosts a race by the same name, showcases and promotes the historical significance and spectacular nature of this sport.

Episode 4 - The Rescue Boat

As extreme as ice canoeing may seem, it is also practiced extremely safely. That’s why there are always first responders ready to jump into action. In the world of ice canoeing, that would be the job of the UMA 17, a unique all-season rescue boat.