Indifferent to the passing of the centuries, the Moose River region has remained unchanged
from the days when adventurers in the employ of the Hudson Bay Company first navigated its
brackish waters in the late 1600s.
This six hour trek sets out from Moosonee, where visitors board the M.V. Polar
Princess, a steel hulled, one hundred passenger vessel specially designed for the shallow,
choppy waters of the Moose River. The Princess casts off its lines at 9:00 am and begins a
seven mile cruise north down the river (one of the few in North America that flow south to
north) to the point where the Moose flows into the Arctic waters of James Bay. Along this
route, the Princess navigates past the Water Fowl Sanctuary on Ship Sands Island. Situated
on the very edge of the Bay, Ship Sands serves as the seasonal home of numerous species of
birds as well as the natural habitat of a wide array of northern wild flowers. Following a
brief excursion into the Bay, the Princess then reverses course and heads south toward
historic Moose Factory Island. En route, our guides serve a complimentary boxed lunch and
beverage.
Moose Factory Island is a very special place. Founded by the Hudson's Bay Company in
1673, and having served as the administrative center for that same "Company of
Adventurers" for several years, Moose Factory is the oldest settlement in Ontario.
Upon arriving at the lsland -- docking at roughly the same spot where Charles Lindbergh
landed his float plane, the Sirius, in 1931 -- guests board a bus for a fully guided tour
of this unique island community.
Included in this leg of the tour are such ancient relics of the fur trade as the Moose
Fort Black Smith Shop, circa 1740 -- perhaps the oldest wooden structure in Ontario -- as
well as the Fort's fur press, used in centuries past to prepare furs for their voyage to
England. Other attractions include the Centennial Park Museum and the St. Thomas Church
(separate admission) with its altar clothes of beaded moose hide and King James Bibles printed entirely in Cree
syllabics.
And remember: in Moosonee/Moose Factory we say WATCH-EE-AY which is Cree for
"Hello!" and MEE-GWICH which is Cree for "Thank You!"
This tour concludes with a return cruise to Moosonee aboard the M.V. Polar Princess,
arriving there at approximately 3:00 pm, with plenty of time remaining for visitors to
catch the south bound Polar Bear Express departing at 6:00 pm. It operates Wednesday thru
Monday (excluding Tuesdays), from the first of July until Labour Day.
The 2007 Rate for the Wilderness
Excursion is as follows:
$63.00 Per Adult / $31.50 Per Child 12 & under
(Plus 7 % Goods & Services Tax)
Note: prices are in Canadian funds
For more information on these three or any
of the other tour packages offered by Two Bay Tours, please feel free to contact us.
Address any written requests for
information, brochures or tour reservations to the address below:
TWO BAY TOURS
16 Ferguson Road -
P.O. Box 280
Moosonee, Ontario,
Canada P0L 1Y0
Or, if you prefer, simply
call our reservations office in Moosonee at:
Tel: 1-705-336-2944
or fax us at :
1-705-336-2910
Or, you can drop us an
e-mail message detailing your request, and we’ll get back to you within a few
business days.
Our email address is guide@twobay.com
