I just spent a week at Bloodvein village.  Very little time on the water though.  15 of us went up to help finish a Native church.  Here are some pics of the local scenery and village.  If you paddle this river, you often will come into the village at the mouth to terminate your trip.  Options there are:

...Catch the ferry accross Lake Winnipeg (runs 2X on Mon...once every other day of the week..except no service on Sun).  Ferry doesn't run in winds over 20 knotts and you can bet thats quite often.  If you are there waiting...tough luck...you wait another day, maybe 4days  for the waves to decrease so the ferry can cross.  The lake is so shallow that 20 mph winds create 15 ft rollers that can capsize the flat-bottomed ferry.  Ferry is free courtesy of Manitoba...but limited space and if it fills before you get on...too bad...maybe tomorrow you could get on.

...Water taxi...really there are no formal services.  Pastor Dave at the Mission church at the West end of town will take you accross for $80.  He'll cross in rollers up to 20 feet.  He says it doesn't scare him but many who take him up on it spend the whole trip trembling in fear, praying to God.  If you can't find him at the Church (his house is right there also...he runs the community store farther to the West at the waters edge.  I met a local named Stanford who often will shuttle you and canoe accross also.

...Airservice...A hard strip at Bloodvein.  Many pontoon equiped planes up and down the lake with numerous outfitters.

Some paddling facts.  I met many who were traveling down river and terminating at Bloodvein.  Outfitters can fly you up any length of the river you want.  The average time to paddle from Red Lake, Ontario (Woodland Caribou) seemed to be about 21 days if traveling and closer to a month if fishing.  A local who works the ferry and has traveled the Pigeon, Bloodvein, Berens, Winnipeg, and smaller rivers extensivly, tells me the Pigeon seems to be the best fishing, and the Bloodvein the most scenic.  I saw many starting at Bloodvein village and paddle upstream for a trip (fly out or paddle back).  No gear or liscenses in Bloodvein...have everything you need before you cross.

If you have to overnight in Bloodvein....it could be quite rough, and possibly a little dangerous.  No formal accomadations....you'd be better advised to paddle back upstream a couple of miles, camp and return in the morning.  The village shares it's share of problems that many Reservations have but suffice it to say the place is rough and quite "Frontier".

Here's a few pics...

About 1 hour North of Gimmli, you hit the gravel and will travel it for about 70 or so miles to the end of the road at Mathison isle (Ferry crossing).  A good place to stay for the night prior to crossing is Biscut Harbour about 15 miles to the South.  Be at Ferry landing by 8 AM (first come), leaves at 9AM.  If no wind and waves...arrive in Bloodvein about 1.5 hours later....12 miles accross at the narrow "pinch" in Lake Winnipeg.

The gravel road N of Gimmli
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A couple of views accross the lake from Biscut Harbour
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The Ferry coming into Bloodvein dock
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8.5 lb Pike I caught on Rapala.  Many walleyes also at any narrow in the river with jig/crawller.  I watched close to a 20 lb'er come out of the water at the boats edge and straighten out the hook on my buddies rod.
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The Native church we finished.  You see it from river as you enter town coming down river from the east.
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The Wesleyan Missionary church where you can find Pastor Dave.  He can line you up with help in the village.  His house is the one in front.
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Couple pics of the local Native kids that latched on to us for the week.
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Scenery at the mouth of river.
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Many bears come into town this summer as the berries were poor due to weather.  The yearlings come into yards and are not afraid of kids...They all are shot.  This yearling met his maker as he wandered into a yard and chased 2 small kids.  A local dispatched him.  Several others sufferd the same fate already this year.
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Not to disservice the Natives...but you really ought to know what you have in the village before you go.  There are village's and then again, there are villages.  If you want the specifics you can IM me.

Hope that's some good background info if any of you want to go up the river.  Pray that God will use the church for the good of the Bloodvein people.