Daniel Raiti 2021-05-09 Daniel Raiti 2021-05-09

Meet Dave Daley

Meet the “Big Dog” Dave Daley

I first met Dave Daley and his dogs when I moved to Churchill, Manitoba 5 years ago. After volunteering at his kennel for a while, I quickly learnt that his generosity as well as his care for both dogs and people are unparalleled.

Anyone that has met Dave would agree with me when I say he’s a man of the land and is extremely knowledgable when it comes to anything related to his home town Churchill, Manitoba and Dog Sledding in particular. Over the years he has provided me with a wealth of local knowledge and wisdom, which has helped me to find my place in this community and to grow as a person, therefore I think he’s someone you should definitely meet if you ever find your way here.

During this time when most people are unable to visit Churchill due to travel restrictions, I thought it would be a good idea to catch up with Dave, especially for those that haven’t had the chance to meet him yet or those that have met him and want to know a little more about the “Big Dog” Dave Daley.

So Dave, how did you first get into dog sledding and when did you first realize that you would spend the rest of your life with dogs?

I’ve always loved dogs, my grandfather had 2 Samoyed dogs when I was growing up and I used to try to hook them up to my sled, trying to copy the dog mushers in Churchill at the time! Naturally I was still interested in dog sledding as I got older and decided to start learning how to run dogs properly. I eventually got into racing and haven’t stopped travelling with my dogs to this day.

How was the dog sledding scene when you were growing up? Were there many people doing it at the time and how many people are doing it now?

There were lots of dog teams in Churchill growing up in the 60’s and early 70’s, now theres only a handful. I’d really like to see more young indigenous people on the back of a dog sled.

In Churchill, Did people always compete in races or is this a more recent thing?

I don’t believe there were well organized races in Churchill in the old days. I’m sure people raced for fun but certainly not to the standard we have now with vet checks and check points manned by the Canadian Rangers like the Hudson Bay Quest dog sled race.

I understand that you started the Hudson Bay Quest dog sled race. When did you start the race and what motivated you to start it? What was the race like in the early days compared to now?

Yes I started the Hudson Bay Quest in 2004. What motivated me was wanting to travel long distance with my dogs safely and what better way to do that than to organize a 200 mile race! The first 7 years we raced north to Nunavut. It was considered a very dangerous and challenging race but with climate change, the weather became too unpredictable. In 2010 I ran my dogs from Churchill all the way to the forks in down town Winnipeg, the Métis homeland! It was a pilgrimage for me and with my best friends I got to see this province from one end to the other on the back of my dog sled. It was a great adventure which was followed by the province because that run hadn’t been done since 1908. When I did that run that’s when I saw the trail from Churchill to Gilliam and it was a lot of fun so I switched the route to what it is today.

How many Hudson Bay Quests have you competed in since it began?

I have been in every Hudson Bay Quest. I believe there have been 14 of them.

How do you prepare for a race and how important is it to maintain the health of your dogs?

I believe that the health of my dogs is the most important aspect of dog mushing. Most professional dog mushers don’t care about winning races, they’re just happy as long as their dogs are happy and healthy when they cross the finish line. We do a lot to maintain the health of our dogs. We feed them the best food we can afford, we do doggie yoga and massage before, during and after running so that we can check for injuries and prevent future injuries. Seeing as we’re in a remote community and don’t have a local vet available, we are always in contact with Jonas Watson in Winnipeg if we have any issues. He’s one of the Vets that works with us on the Hudson Bay Quest and if we need to send one of our dogs down to him we will. We also need to know every dogs abilities and govern the team to the lowest ability so we don’t have to run over or hurt any of our athletes. Preparing for a race is a year long exercise so training never stops!

Do you think you’ll retire from long distance racing any time soon?

I truly think that I am approaching my retirement from racing , I will never be without my dogs and I am in the process of training some younger racers to take over! When I retire our kennel will still be involved in the Hudson Bay Quest.

What will you be doing with your time if you aren’t training for races?

I’ll be coaching my racers and taking care of my dogs! I will still continue with my dog sledding and dog carting tours as well as story telling and sharing my Métis culture and beliefs with our visitors.

What motivated you to start the tour company Wapusk Adventures and what can people expect on a tour at your dog yard?

As I got immersed into the dog sledding culture we needed to make some money to help pay for my expensive hobby. I started doing dog sled rides out of our store in town and it has grown into what it is today! We are an award winning indigenous tourism experience here in Churchill, where you can come see us and get to meet our amazing team of dogs and humans. You will learn about our Métis culture and philosophies as well as how we apply them to our kennel, so that we can maintain the physical and mental health of our dogs. You will also get to experience the world famous “Ididamile” dog sled ride through the Boreal Forest so that you can see our athletes in action!

What other tours can people do with Wapusk Adventures during their visit to Churchill?

In the winter time we offer dog sledding, aurora borealis and snow shoe tours. In the summer we offer dog carting tours and this summer of 2021 we will begin to offer guided town tours with our brand new e-bikes from Radpowerbikes.ca!

For more information about tours or accommodation options you can contact Wapusk Adventures directly at +1 (204) 675-2887 or email wapusk@mts.net

Daniel Raiti 2021-05-01 Daniel Raiti 2021-05-01

The Hudson Bay Quest 2019

The Hudson Bay Quest is a world renowned dog sled race that happens each year in northern Manitoba, a subarctic region of Canada. Each year mushers race between the towns of Churchill and Gillam through extremely unpredictable weather conditions. The temperatures can be anywhere between -45°C and +5°C which is why the race is known to be one of the toughest long distance races in North America.

In 2019 I had the privilege of being the official photographer for the race and posted several updates as it happened. It was a truly amazing experience and I can’t wait for the next one!

@daniel.raiti.photography

March 13th 2019 - We made it to Gillam, Manitoba early this morning and helped Dave Daley unload his dogs, sled and supplies for the race! Stay tuned for more updates as the mushers arrive and commence the race on Friday at noon! Every musher will have a tracker so you’ll be able to follow the race as it’s happening! I will post the tracker link closer to the start of the race.

Most of the mushers have arrived in Gillam throughout the day. At the hydro camp Samyra Stuart-Altman the Head Veterinarian and her team are preparing supplies for the team checks which take place at the beginning, middle and end of the race to make sure all of the dogs are happy and healthy. Meanwhile Jim Cunningham the Race Marshal is preparing the trackers which will allow everyone to track the mushers throughout the race as well as ensure the safety of their teams.

March 15th 2019 - Yesterday was a big day of vet checks and meetings. The vets met with all of the mushers and checked that every dog was healthy and ready for the race. They check everything including their heart rate, teeth, flexibility and medical history. All of the dogs were in good shape and eager to run!

A meeting was held at the local school with the officials and mushers to ensure that everyone knows the trail and protocol for the race. Shortly after, it was time for the bib draw and musher meet and greet.

The mushers and their bib numbers are as follows;

1. Shawn McCarty
2. Dave Daley
3. Blake Freking
4. Denis Trembly
5. Kevin Malikowski
6. Ed Obrecht
7. Jake Leingang
8. Martin Massicotte
9. Peter McClelland

After some final preparations the race has begun! To follow the mushers on their quest go to www.hbqrace.com and check out the live tracker!

The vets, race marshal and myself are taking the high rail to McClintock (the half way point) and waiting for the teams to come through. There’s no service out there so the next update will be at the finish line.

March 16th 2019 - After a long night at the half way point (McClintock), most of the teams are on their last leg of the race with the leader Martin Massicotte expected to arrive at approximately 3.00pm. Last night teams started arriving at McClintock at around midnight for their mandatory 6 hour rest period. All of the dogs and their mushers were in good shape and showed barely any signs of fatigue. The Canadian Rangers clocked them in and recorded their arrival times as the vets begun to check that the dogs were still all happy and healthy. Most of the mushers departed McClintock before sunrise. Don’t forget to follow the teams across the finish line at www.hbqrace.com !!

March 17th 2019 - This afternoon #8 Martin Massicotte took out 1st place and over the next several hours was followed by #4 Denis Tremblay, #3 Blake Freking, #9 Peter McClelland, #7 Jacob Leingang and #1 Shawn McCarty. The vets did their final checks on the finishing teams and we were even treated to some northern lights as the sun was setting! There are still a few racers left to cross the finish line so keep checking their trackers on www.hbqrace.com and stay tuned for more photos from this epic race!

#2 Dave Daley crossed the finish line at 4.06am followed by #5 Kevin Malikowski at 4.31am! Only one racer #6 Ed Obrecht is left to finish!

March 19th 2019 - Well thats a wrap! The last musher Ed the sled came across the finish line at 2.49am yesterday morning taking home the red lantern. Last night we celebrated another successful Hudson Bay Quest with a banquet in Churchill. Thank you to all of the mushers, organizers, veterinarians, volunteers and sponsors that made it all happen. Congratulations to Martin Massicotte who not only came first but broke the record for the fastest HBQ finish by over 3 hours! Also a huge congratulations and thank you to all of the mushers that came to race this year. It was awesome meeting you all and I had a great time taking photos of you and your amazing dogs. Here are the results from the race!

1st Martin Massicotte (HBQ Record breaker)
2nd Denis Tremblay
3rd Blake Freking
4th Peter McClelland
5th Jacob Leingang (Winner of the Vet Choice Award for best cared for dog team)
6th Shawn McCarty
7th David Paul Daley (Winner of the Sportsmanship Award)
8th Kevin Malikowski
9th Ed Obrecht (Took home the Red Lantern)