{"id":881,"date":"2016-05-15T15:53:51","date_gmt":"2016-05-15T20:53:51","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.naturallysuperior.com\/blog\/?p=881"},"modified":"2016-05-15T15:53:51","modified_gmt":"2016-05-15T20:53:51","slug":"the-song-of-the-paddle","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.rockislandlodge.ca\/the-song-of-the-paddle\/","title":{"rendered":"The Song of the Paddle"},"content":{"rendered":"
Two hundred years ago, when dozens of 36-foot birchbark canoes plied the water of Lake Superior, the paddler with the best set of lungs and a musical ear held a place of honour. Leading the crew in French Canadian folk classics like \u201cEn roulant ma boule\u201d and \u201cA la claire fontaine\u201d, le chanteur<\/em>\u2014the singer\u2014was responsible for setting the paddlers\u2019 steady pace that carried the voyageur brigade to the trading post at Fort William, stroke by stroke. By dint of his musical ear, this canoeman often earned a higher wage.<\/p>\n