Two Row on The Grand
10 Year Anniversary
Beginning with the historic Two Row Wampum Renewal in New York from Albany to NYC. Participants Ellie Joseph and Jay Bailey felt empowered to bring the teachings of that event home with them and in turn created Two Row on The Grand. A 10 day paddling and camping trip along the Grand River.
Tracing a line from just north of Dundalk, all the way downstream to Port Maitland. The Grand River is the spine of many communities that call it home.
Registration opens Mid-March and we can't wait to see you!
Ellie Joseph
Co-Founder
Ellie Joseph is a former teacher, diver, and founder of Two Row on the Grand.
The purpose of the Two Row is to recognize the importance of the Two Row Wampum Belt and enjoy the natural beauty along the Grand River. This belt was created and observed as a contract between the Six Nations Indigenous people of the time, and the Dutch settlers who came to this area. The meaning of the belt is described as:
Two Vessels, rowing down the same river, sharing in the river equally, but never to attempt to interfere with the other Vessel’s path.
Jay Bailey
Co-Founder
Born at the headwaters of the Grand River, Jay worked with the Saulteaux Anishinabek in Manitoba then taught French for 35 years, coaching 40 basketball and volleyball teams. A grandfather of five, upon retiring he became an authentic voyageur, paddling over 4000 km on the fur trade routes of North America, equipped as in 1800: birch bark canoes, bedroll on the ground, cold pea soup and bannock, flint and steel for fire. He has staged over 600 voyageur events in communities from eastern Ontario to all the prairie provinces, bringing Canadian history and la joie de vivre canadienne to students. It took three years, but the Two Row on the Grand started in 2016 and continues annually to this day.
