Searching for PACT

Chasing PACT

Finding PACT

It was holiday time and we wanted to see

The PACT team in action, now where would they be?

We checked on the website and what did it say

Within a few days they would hit Thunder Bay

A last minute decision, we left in the night

Arrived in TO and caught a quick flight

We emailed and texted Scott to say

"We're coming to see you in Thunder Bay"

We checked into our rooms, at Lakehead U

Simple and clean, economical too

Then looked at the website again to see

Just where exactly PACT might be

They were paddling along Lake Superior

Perhaps we could see them along the shore

It was not yet noon and we had all day

We jumped into the car and went on our way

What a great plan, or so we thought

To find the closest connecting spot

Where the road meets the lake, we hoped to find

The PACT team paddling along the shoreline

We drove and we drove and we drove some more

Always heading towards the shore

We stopped for advice along the way

From the friendly folk of Thunder Bay

"Keep going" they said - "that's the right way

The closest shoreline is in the next bay"

And sure enough they were certainly right

As Lake Superior came into sight

Oh my goodness, we thought, did we make a mistake

Could we possibly find them on this huge Great Lake

The chances of finding the PACT team canoe

Would be slim to none, from this point of view

We drove down a lane, for a closer look

A lady was sitting reading her book

We told her our story, she said "come on down

To my waterfront shore, we can all look around"

We looked to the left and we looked to the right,

Not a boat, nor a single canoe was in sight

So she sent us on further to a lodge on a hill

The view was fantastic we might see them still

The lodge was closed, but the owner was kind

She said "use my chairs, and the internet line"

We soon figured out, they had not yet passed through

The tracking site told us, 'bout an hour or two

We checked, oh so often, binoculars steady,

If they showed up, we would be ready

Then all of a sudden just off to the right

A voyageur canoe, came into sight,

Some 5 miles off shore and heading our way

We’d soon be connected for the rest of the day

We tore down the hill and went back to the shore,

We shouted, and whistled, and shouted some more

But the distance was great and they did not know

So they paddled right by us, as we watched them go

But that did not stop us, our mission was set

We would follow the PACT team, and we would connect

There were still four more places that we could go

To catch the canoeists to say "hello"

So we ran down the road with our story to tell

With property owners who helped us to yell

No response from the paddlers, so intent were they

To continue their trek to Thunder Bay

We saw one final place, it would be the last

Would they stop to see us, or just go on past

Then out of the woods a surprise did appear

15 youth on a hike, in all of their gear

"Look o'er there" I yelled, "do you see?

That canoe going by, just past that old tree"

"Will you help us by shouting so that they can hear

We've chased them all day and they haven't come near"

They ran to the shore excited, to view

The great voyageur and it's hearty crew

Asked one of the youth, "what's the name of your son

Perhaps we can chant altogether as one"

"It’s Scott," I replied, so they chanted quite loud

Now surely they'd hear us, with such a good crowd

Rewarded at last the PACT team did pause

To acknowledge our cheering and noisy applause

And they raised up their paddles, across that bay

Then paddled on by for the 5th time that day

We laughed and we laughed, and we thanked the troop,

Drove back to the city, where we could regroup

And later that night around 8 o'clock

We finally found PACT, believe it or not

6 showers later, they were clean and neat

Then off to a restaurant for something to eat

The next 2 days there was lots to do

As they rested, restocked, and fixed their canoe

Then soon it was time to leave Thunder Bay

And keep paddling onward, day after day

They started quite early, about 6 o'clock

They packed the canoe by the side of the dock

We watched them shove off, as the sun it did rise

With lumps in our throats, and tears in our eyes

A great group, a team, committed together

To continue their journey, with memories forever!

by Ginny

(Scott's Mom)