Pilgrimage celebrated in North Bay

The Canoe Pilgrimage was celebrated in North Bay on Monday.

30 paddlers with a focus of Reconciliation with Indigenous people are travelling throughout Ontario.

They started in Midland, across Georgian Bay, on to the French River and Lake Nipissing and are now on to the Mattawa River.

Spokesperson for the trip is Erik Sorensen.

He says they have English, French and First Nations members among them.

He says spending time together can help reconciliation efforts.

He says if there is going to be change their must be personal engagement on all sides whether its indigenous or non indigenous communities.

One of the paddlers is Paul Jacques.

He is a member of a First Nation near Wawa.

He says this is a successful pilgrimage.

He says people are listening and there’s dialogue on all levels and that’s a good thing.

Sorensen says this has been good for the participants but for the communities they visit too.