Vermilion Falls “The Chutes”

Column | Do You Know Your Boreal?

Vermilion Falls

In the November issue of Move Up (page 26), I wrote “The Story of Two Rivers.” Indeed, the confluence of the Smoky and the Peace rivers (southwest of the Town of Peace River) is fun to paddle through in a canoe. But, now let’s explore further downstream as the Mighty Peace becomes mightier!

To engage people in knowing their boreal, I compiled 33 rhyming riddles as a scavenger hunt for the Mother Earth book.*

Here is riddle 18:

The mighty Peace River starts out small in BC, but as it flows, it grows, you see! Add the Smoky River with the Wapiti...the Notikewin, Wabasca and their tributaries. Follow it north like an eagle flying free. Hear the roar of a waterfall as wide as you can see.

What’s the widest waterfall in North America?

Niagara Falls are 1.039 km wide from the Canadian to the American extremities. The Vermilion Falls (in French: Chutes) are 1.8 km wide!

You can hear the Mighty Peace plunging with tremendous volume over the limestone cliffs long before you can see them on that 8 km hike from where the road ends.

Steven Simpson, manager at the Fort Vermilion Heritage Centre, has both hiked and kayaked to the roaring falls. Thank you, Steven, for your 2024 river-level photo for this story.

On June 19, 2021, before I published the Mother Earth book, a pilot friend with a Super Cub airplane took me for a tour. We flew over the Notikewin River—I marvelled at the thousand twisting tributaries of the Peace River Watershed—and Wadlin Lake where I saw wonderful wild wetlands and sparkling beaver ponds. We continued north over the beautiful Buffalo Head Hills and up to Fort Vermilion.

From there, we headed northeast along the Peace. Then, 27 km past where the Wabasca joins in, I beheld the legendary “Chutes.” I got to photograph the rapids and The Chutes with the airplane door open to avoid reflections on the window!

What a wind-blown, jaw-dropping adventure. Yes, I had my seat belt on.

Vermilion Falls Island

The photo I’ve chosen for this article was taken from downstream (from the northeast).

The first island downstream of the falls reminds me of the many boats like the D.A. Thomas that once travelled the Peace carrying passengers and cargo. Back then, they had to stop before they reached the Chutes. I imagine this island as the ghost of the D.A. Thomas that finally made it through.

When I posted photos of my flight online, Jim and Andrew Wiebe of La Crete sent me photos of The Chutes they took from their boat, which they graciously allowed me to include in the Mother Earth book (see pages 258-263). It’s difficult to judge from the air, but the limestone and shale steps are about 4.6 metres high.

I would love to see more pictures and stories from those who have seen Vermilion Falls. If you send them to me at krushel@mac.com, I’ll create a blog post on our website (MotherEarthBook.ca). We’ll include some historical photos and stories as well.

I wonder what The Chutes look like in winter.

To make the Mother Earth book available to all, we donated copies to each library in the Peace Library System. If your local library doesn’t have one, ask them to contact me.

Check out our website, MotherEarthBook.ca, for videos and our *Rhyming Riddles Scavenger Hunt on our Videos and Resources page.

Also see our list of outlets, including the Fort Vermilion Heritage Centre. Copies of the Mother Earth book can be purchased online as well or call Sharon at 780-625-6324.

Check out the Mother Earth Book website: https://donabonacards.com/mother-earth-coffee-table-book

Check out the Fort Vermilion Heritage Centre website: https://fortvermilionheritage.com

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By Sharon Krushel, author of Mother Earth: Boreal Beauty of the Peace Country

with Flora, Fauna, & Fungi ID, including Latin, French, Beaver, and Cree

Photography by Sharon Krushel, Steven Simpson, Jim Wiebe and Andrew Wiebe