The Man Who Has Been Mapping Manitoba's Canoe Routes Since 1962

[Glenn MacGrady]

"A full-time artist since 1990, Bérard’s other artistic endeavors include being an award-winning ice sculptor. He has also been the political cartoonist for 30 years at La Liberté, a weekly Francophone newspaper in Manitoba."

Réal Bérard's Maps Will Make You Want To Go On An Adventure

Read about this artist from Manitoba who's been hand-drawing maps since 1962.

paddlingmag.com

 

[Alan Gage]

Those maps are fantastic and I highly recommend anyone buy the entire set. Even if you never plan to travel those routes the maps are works of art and are wonderful just to look at and read on chilly winter days. And they're cheap!

Alan

 

[wjmc]

I was drawn back to this old post by a news story: the Manitoba government is closing its "paper map" store this coming spring. A sign of the times, perhaps, now that many seem to prefer looking at their routes on tiny screens rather than real maps.

https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/manitoba/manitoba-government-map-store-closing-9.7024085

Canada Maps, as it is called, was a great source for maps. But it also is the distributor for Real Bedard's series of canoe route maps. And I wonder if they will be available once the store closes. I share Alan's views on the quality of those maps. They are dated now, and conditions may have changed, but they at least still show where routes were, a great help in route planning still.

In the 1970's, those maps - particularly the ones covering the east side of Lake Winnipeg - were still very accurate, and I planned many trips with them. My first "independent" (non-camp) canoe trip with friends was Berard's Kautunigan route from Wallace Lake to Berens River in 1970. A very low water fall trip, minimal skills in rapids, so 91 portages and 55 walk/drags/beaver dams (mostly on the Broadleaf). Way more good memories. I hope Berard's maps remain available and may inspire others in the future.

 

[recped]

Full size Topo maps for Canada are still available to order from NRcan certified providers or you can customize your own from digital sources and have them printed at your local Staples store.

Certified Map Printers - Natural Resources Canada

natural-resources.canada.ca