Christina is a youtuber and outdoor enthusiast who has been sharing her adventures and inspiring others since 2015. She started backcountry camping in 2002 and fell in love and now camps year-round. In 2015, with no one to go with, she began solo tripping, and although it took a bit more courage and time to get used to, it is currently her preference. Now, with more experience and confidence, she ventures into some extremely challenging and remote locations in the Canadian backcountry, usually alone, and loves to share her adventures with others through her social media platforms and youtube channel.

International Fellow of the prestigious Explorer’s Club, fellow of the Royal Canadian Geographical Society, recipient of the Bill Mason Award for lifetime achievement in river conservation, co-founder of the environmental group Earthroots, author, artist, wilderness guide and photographer, Hap Wilson has paddled more than 60,000 kilometres across Canada. Often referred to as the modern day “David Thompson” Wilson’s artistic maps and explorations have covered more than half the country, brought alive in his best-selling guidebooks and short stories. Wilson has more than a dozen books to his name, including “Voyages” – Canada’s Heritage Rivers, which won the Natural Resources Council of America Award for best environmental book in 1994. His current book, “Lake Superior to Manitoba by Canoe – Mapping the Route into the Heart of the Continent” (Firefly Books), follows the Trans Canada Trail canoe path across northwest Ontario. Wilson’s newest novel “River of Fire – Conflict & Survival on the Seal River” has been receiving rave reviews & featured on CBC. On the lighter side, Wilson taught Pierce Brosnan how to paddle a canoe and throw a knife for the movie “Grey Owl” – a Richard Attenborrough production. He lives in Rosseau, Ontario, with his wife Andrea and Oban (collie named after their favourite scotch).

Kevin (aka The Happy Camper) is the author of outdoor 18 books. He is an award winning writer and a keynote speaker at outdoor events across North America. Kevin is also a regular guest on several television morning shows and CBC Radio. He has won several film awards, writes a column for Paddling Magazine and Explore Magazine. Kevin was listed one of the top 100 modern day explorers by the Canadian Geographical Society. He was also made Patron Paddler for Paddle Canada. Check out his web site at www.kevincallan.com and YouTube channel KCHappyCamper.

Becky Mason and Reid McLachlan have been teaching canoeing for more than 30 years. Becky’s Classic Canoeing school is based in Chelsea, Quebec, but she and Reid also take it on tour, having travelled to the UK and Europe and throughout much of Canada and the Northern U.S presenting their paddling workshops and sharing their love for the canoe and all it offers. Their paddling classes are fun and informative and the talks about their adventures are always entertaining, poignant and humorous. When not teaching or on tour Becky and Reid can usually be found on a wilderness canoe trip, in their studios creating their art, or in winter skating and skiing near their home on the Gatineau River. redcanoes.ca

Preston Ciere is a popular Canadian writer, speaker and outdoor advocate, known for his unique style of humour and his ability to convey his message in a genuine and approachable way. Preston started portageur.ca to share his stories of backcountry adventures, camping ideas and resources with the hope of inspiring others to embark on their own connection to nature. When he’s not on the water or on a trail with his portaging canine Nancy, you can find Preston championing various programs and initiatives that promote the rewards of getting “out there”.

Adventure seekers at heart, Brad and Leah of Explore the Backcountry embark on countless adventurous and exploratory canoe trips, rediscovering long forgotten ‘lost’ routes, and journeying through some of the most breathtaking wilderness in the process. Brad has helmed ExploreTheBackountry.com for more than a decade, mapping and maintaining routes, producing videos, photos, reports and more, all while encouraging others to get out and explore for themselves.

Kazundra Brown is the Sales Manager for Intrepid Travel for over 4 years. She has travelled all over the world, lived in Indonesia and Taiwan and is partial to our active trips. She travels 2-3 times a year on Intrepid tours and loves the local interaction and community feel of each adventure.

Meet Erin Rogers, G Adventures GPS in Western Canada. Erin recently celebrated her 15th year with G Adventures and has many tales of adventure to share. Over the past decade Erin has travelled to all 7 continents spanning destinations from Antarctica to Zimbabwe. Some of her favourite places in the world include Buenos Aires – Argentina, Cape Town – South Africa, and where her in-laws reside, Sydney – Australia. Highlights of her travels around the world include skydiving in New Zealand, rafting the source of the Nile in Uganda, visiting Everest Base Camp in Tibet, surfing in Nicaragua, snorkelling in the Galapagos Islands of Ecuador and trekking on a glacier in her favourite country, Iceland.

Member of the Discover America Canada chapter; Board member with SKAL International Toronto; Active member of Meeting Professionals International (MPI); Active member with the Society of Incentive Travel Executives Toronto Chapter (Site Canada); Board member with the Travel Media Association of Canada (TMAC); and a long time member of the Association of Canadian Travel Agents (ACTA). Her passion for the travel industry is evident in her dedication, support and active involvement with her peers, her travel partners and her clients, as the President of Travel Solutions by Design Corporation.

Cynthia Davidson:
Cynthia Davidson is the Owner of Beaches and Beyond, an award-winning, top performing agency with a team of 9 Travel Advisors all of whom Cynthia has trained and mentored. She has travelled extensively, but in her mind, not nearly enough! Whether relaxing on a beautiful beach, snorkelling in clear waters or cruising on oceans or rivers, Cynthia loves being on, in or near the water. The next destination she is looking to tick off her bucket list is Antarctica — with Hurtigruten, of course!

Kristin Erz:
Kristin started her career in the travel industry just over 15 years ago, working as the real life “Julie McCoy”, cruising the world as an Assistant Cruise Director. Today her role with Hurtigruten is no small feat, increasing brand awareness and growing partnerships for the entire country; all while sharing her love and passion for expedition cruising with Canadian Travel Advisors and mutual guests. She has traveled to 70 countries and was lucky enough to tick off her 7th Continent – Antarctica – with Hurtigruten in 2020!

Before kayaking became a recreational pastime and an Olympic sport, Claudia Kerckhoff-Van Wijk pushed back barriers, both physical and mental, and helped to define excellence in sport, attitudes to nature, and roles for women. Confronting the challenge of being female in a risky, relatively unknown, male- dominated activity, Claudia Kerckhoff-Van Wijk was Canadian women’s Whitewater Kayaking Champion 1974 – 1984, and bronze medallist at the 1982 World Championships.

She also brought her combination of athletic talent and courage, desire and dedication to cross-country skiing where she was the first woman to complete the gruelling 100 mile Gold Coureur de Bois category in the Canadian Ski Marathon.

Kerckhoff-Van Wijk, along with her husband Dirk, now owns and operates Madawaska Kanu Centre, North America’s first whitewater Kayak and Canoe school, and OWL Rafting on the Ottawa River, where she draws upon her own career as an athlete to help others confront the challenges and overcome the uncertainties that life and rivers can hold.

Mother of two daughters, Katrina, 30 and Stefani, 28 are an integral part of the 3-generation family businesses.

Jean-Luc Brassard

Jean-Luc Brassard joined the Canadian National Freestyle Ski team at the age of 17 and enjoyed a brilliant 12-year career. During that time he became a four-time Olympian and won the Olympic gold at Lillehammer 1994 in the men’s moguls event of freestyle skiing.

He loves skiing in Japan and does so frequently, returning there to enjoy the powder of the slopes such as Niseko.

Bruce Poon Tip

Entrepreneur, leader and philanthropist Bruce Poon Tip, is the founder of G Adventures, an award-winning small group adventure travel company and pioneer of community tourism.

Built on the foundation of a strong company culture that celebrates happiness and freedom and rewards disruptive innovation through risk-taking and fun, G Adventures has been named one of the 50 Best Managed Companies for more than 10 years.

Orsolya Kako

As a member of B&R’s Private Trip designing team, today Orsolya plans experiential and in-depth excursions to Japan —the place she’s researched extensively.

Abbie seeks outdoor adventure at every opportunity and having worked internationally for more than ten years she loves nothing more than connecting with people. Abbie set up FarOut Wilderness which offers self-drive adventures on Vancouver Island in a fully-kitted out truck with roof-top tent, in 2018 and she is looking forward to explaining more about what her business can offer you this summer.

Karen Evans has worked in the travel industry for many years, and is delighted to introduce Azores Airlines and the fascinating destinations to which they fly.

A University of Ottawa Fine Arts graduate, Brigitte Bélanger-Warner has accumulated over 30 years of experience in the fields of media, public relations, and marketing. In 1989, Brigitte joined the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation, where she worked in radio for 8 years. She also worked as television reporter and host for several programs at a local station in Ottawa. In 1997, Brigitte ran away with the circus, when she joined Cirque du Soleil as the Corporate Publicist at the International Headquarters in Montréal, then as Publicist for “O”, Cirque du Soleil’s water-based production in Las Vegas. After 10 successful years with the troupe, Bri left Las Vegas for the green hills of Virginia, where she worked in hospitality at boutique hotel. After three years, she was recruited by the Charlottesville Albemarle Convention & Visitors Bureau, where she was is in charge of public relations, sales and marketing. In 2018, she joined the Virginia Tourism Corporation to handle media relations and marketing in the Canadian market.

For over 35 years, Hazel Penn has being working with the BVI Tourist Board in numerous capacities. These capacities vary from being the former directors’ assistant to heading up the Board’s former Atlanta and Virginia Offices. She also managed the Mid-Atlantic, Mid-west, and Northeast and Eastern Canada regions from 2009 through 2015. And from October 2015 to present Hazel is overseeing the Mid-west and Canada regions. Hazel worked with the BVI Tourist Board for 3 1/2 years before pursuing studies in Travel-Tourism Management at Rochester College in Rochester Hills, Michigan and Johnson & Wales University in Providence, Rhode Island, respectively. While pursuing her studies Ms. Penn had the opportunity to serve on the White House – “White Paper on Tourism.”

Ms. Penn is happy to have served her travel partners and travelling public in the Northeast, Mid-Atlantic and Southeast United States region. It also give her great joy to continue to work in this capacity in the Mid-west and Canada regions.

While heading up the Atlanta Office Ms. Penn had the opportunity to serve on many organizations and speaking engagements, such as, the former CTO Atlanta Chapter as Executive Board Member and as a speaker at the Fulton County’s International Trade Initiative Seminar, “The Caribbean: Prospects for Trade & Development” in conjunction with The Southern Centre for International Studies. She has also serve for many years on the Caribbean Tourism Organization-National Tourist Boards planning committee for Caribbean Week in New York and Canada. The opportunity to serve on the Caribbean

Heritage Month committee in Washington, DC was also very rewarding.

Dr. Dale Macdonald is the clinical director of the Knee Clinic.  He holds a post-doctoral Royal College Fellowship and an international diplomate in Sport Sciences.  He is one of seven doctors available for online clinical knee consultations; book yours today at www.kneeclinic.ca