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Quest for the Bay was a Canadian documentary television series which aired on History Television and the Public Broadcasting Service in 2002. It is the second entry of producer Jamie Brown's "Quest series", which includes Pioneer Quest: A Year in the Real West, Klondike: The Quest for Gold, and Quest for the Sea. Frank and Alana Logie, a couple who had previously participated in Pioneer Quest, made a cameo appearance during the first episode. It was the highest-rated program on History Television in 2002 and received favourable reviews from newspapers -- most notably, the Edmonton Journal. RoseAnna Schick, the sole female crew member, wrote a personal account of the journey for Manitoba History later that year. The five-part series was produced by Winnipeg-based Frantic Films and was filmed during the summer of 2001. It followed an eight-person volunteer team as they attempted to recreate the journey made by fur traders of the Hudson's Bay Company during the 1840s by travelling from Winnipeg to Hudson Bay. The trip covered a distance of 800 miles and took the team though the heart of the Canadian wilderness. The crew members possessed only equipment used during the period, down to their food and clothing, and included a replica of a 40-foot wooden York Boat.
2002
The crew of explorers is selected, and they begin the first week of their journey facing the same hardships the original crew would have had to deal with in 1840s Canada.
The explorers begin the task of rowing the York boat to Hudson Bay under the hot summer sun, finally arriving at the Cree community of Norway House at the top of Lake Winnipeg.
Setting out into the northern wilderness, the adventurers fight their way past the beaver dams and leech-filled sloughs on the Echimamish River. But on finally reaching the 1,600-meter Robinson Portage, the group's spirit is tested by a torrential downpour of rain.
The team reaches the magnificent Hayes River, but rapids with razor-sharp rocks damage the boat and a struggle for the leadership breaks out.
The team is still 180 miles from York Factory, but their boat has been destroyed, the arctic cold is closing in, and their food is running low. They must battle illness and distrust to complete their quest to relive the epic journey of the Hudson's Bay fur traders.
