Tickets For The Ontario Backcountry Canoe Symposium Go On Sale January 1st, 2023

Tickets are going on sale January 1st, 2023 for the Ontario Backcountry Canoe Symposium. It will be held at the First United Church (16 William St West) in Waterloo, Ontario and the guest speakers are…

Kevin Callan: (a.k.a. The Happy Camper) will talk about our motivations for getting out in the wilderness, and share how to be happy, comfortable, content, skillful, and dependable while out there (and how to motivate others to get out there as well - and stay out there longer). From cool camp gadgets to skinny dipping etiquette, from cooking s'mores to making the perfect bush martini, Kevin will share the philosophical views he’s gained from countless paddle strokes through Canada’s waterways.

Camper Christina: Temagami is described as a remote wilderness park, full of incredible landscapes, pristine forests and waterways, and some challenging canoe routes that offer huge rewards. Over the past five years, Christina Scheuermann (aka Camper Christina) has spent a large amount of time canoe tripping in this breathtaking area. Christina will be sharing a variety of canoe routes that she has experienced in this remote paradise. Christina started backcountry camping in 2002  and now camps year-round, canoe & kayak camping from Spring to Fall, and camping in the Winter in one of her 3 homemade hot tents. In 2015, having no one to go with, she began going out on backcountry trips alone. Christina now ventures into some extremely challenging and remote locations in the Canadian wilderness solo, and it is currently her preference. 

Jon Babulic: Join canoe maker and trout bum Jon Babulic and enter the amazing world of outboard powered canoes & their evolution over the last 100 yrs. Learn how incorporating a motor into you can canoe trip kit can open up backcountry opportunities and wilderness in the same way ultralight gear does, from effortless one nighters on Georgian Bay to big water wilderness adventures. Inspired by a tiny fish called the Cockatush and an obsession with big wild trout Jon will tell the story of how modifying a 50yr old wood canoe lead him and his dad on the canoe, and fishing, trip of a lifetime. Powered canoe tripping might just be the coolest thing you’ve never of.

Mike McIntosh: Fear of bears keeping you or your friends from enjoying the backcountry? Mike McIntosh of the Bear With Us Sanctuary and Rehabilitation Centre for Bears has been working with bears for over 25 years. He assists people with human/bear conflicts and often fields hundreds of calls a summer. Mike will cover bear behaviour, show video of bears communicating and bluffing including the sounds they make and how the media including nature documentaries often characterize the bear inaccurately. 

Order your tickets online, Adult tickets are $19.44 and youth is $11.98.