Al & Viki Mather own Kukagami Lodge - one of the best wilderness lodges in Ontario. They specialize in providing organic meals, often created from wild foods and herbs. The Lodge offers an idyllic retreat far from the crowds of civilization and a deep peace that can be found in nature among the trees, lakes and trails of Northern Ontario, Canada. The folks at White Squall recommend their x-country ski trails in winter.

On Land Session: Edible Wilds Walkabout - For several years, they’ve led simple walkabouts at the festival, showing the rest of us the wonder and variety of plants that are right under our noses! We’re delighted that they’re coming back, so c’mon along for a short hike and be ready to have your eyes wide open!

Andy Hawksford - Andy works with BOREALDESIGN Kayaks and has been a sea kayak guide and instructor for over 30 years. In addition to his kayaking certification, he holds a full VHF radio operators license and is a Coast Guard registered Commercial 100 ton Marine Captain. When not paddling, he can usually be found sailing the waters of Georgian Bay.

On Land Presentation: Let's Communicate - This session will offer a brief theoretical and practical refresher for those who carry, but have not used for sometime, a hand-held VHF radio. While the focus will be primarily upon radio communication, use and protocol, emphasis will also be given to the use of flares, cell phones, who to contact in emergency situations and information about various marine agencies. This session will also offer a unique perspective into the special considerations and limitations to communicating with sailboats, motorboats and commercial marine traffic.

If you wish to participate in this session and you have your own hand-held VHF please bring it along. If you do not have your own radio, we will have several spare units available for use in this session.

Becky Pollock, a doctoral student from Trent University will be on site during the weekend with a display about the Georgian Bay Biosphere Reserve. Becky Pollock likes to coordinate community projects on conservation, stewardship and sustainable development. She volunteers with the Georgian Bay Biosphere Reserve, which was designated by UNESCO in 2004. Becky lives in Parry Sound with Greg Mason (WS staff) where she hopes to finish her PhD before their baby arrives. Soon after, they plan to set up a community-based environmental research and education centre in the Parry Sound area and continue playing on the Bay year round!

On Land Presentation : Georgian Bay Biosphere Reserve Display - Becky will be on hand to chat with folks about the biosphere and answer any questions.

Bob Knapp is a retired teacher and returns as a long time presenter to the Kayak & Canoe Festival. He is now able to do lots of travelling and enjoys spending part of the winter in Guatemala. He is an avid kayaker, mountain biker, and hiker. In the fall of 2006 he spent 3 weeks hiking and biking in the Yukon. Recently he had an exhibition of photos from Guatemala, and has done several photo presentations for fund raising in the past. He is really excited about presenting at the Festival again this year.

On Land Workshop: Survival Kits - Participants will be able to assemble a small survival kit containing over 20 items. During the session you will be given the rationale for what is in the kit along with ways of using the items. By assembling your own kit you will become familiar with the items and be more prepared for an emergency. Participants will need to contribute $3.00 towards the cost of the kit. Limit 13 participants per session.

Presentation / Demo: Canvas Tents and Winter Camping

Carrie McGown - Grew up in Parry Sound and the first time she was ever in a sea kayak was a White Squall boat in high school! Her love of paddling has only grown since then; she has owned and managed a canoe tripping company for children, canoed across Canada and this winter spent a month sea kayaking in Baja, Mexico. Carrie teaches Outdoor Adventure courses at Briercrest College and was named the 2007 Outstanding Educator of the Year by the Association of Experiential Education. She is currently a PhD student in Education at University of New Hampshire and spends her summers guiding for Blackfeather Wilderness Adventures.

On Land Presentation: Kids kayaking on land

David Johnston - David H. Johnston has been paddling a kayak for over 15 years. He is a Paddle Canada Instructor who likes to get out in really big water.
Rockhopping and kayak surfing gets him really excited with unsubstantiated reports from other paddlers of little girl screams coming from his direction when he is out messing around. Again nothing has been verified so don't believe what you hear.
When not on the water, he is working on adding content to the website, PaddlingInstructor.com which is a resource and professional development website specifically for paddling instructors.
When not on the water, he can be found at his local playground in Toronto playing with his wife Cheryl and two girls, Emily (7) and Caitlyn (4).

On Water Presentation: Playing in Your Kayak, Int. Greenland Paddling

Doug Cunningham - Doug is a retired Science and Outdoor Education teacher who lives with his wife, Paula, in Lion's Head on the beautiful Bruce Peninsula. Doug has been an avid astronmomer for over 35 years and greatly enjoys observing the dark night skies from Quetican, his backyard observatory. He and his wife enjoy sea kayaking, wilderness camping, x_country skiing, and particularly, chasing Total Solar Eclipses. Travels to Australia, Mexico, Turkey, and Zambia have permitted them to stand in the shadow of the Moon and experience what many call "Nature's Grandest Spectacle". One of his retirement projects concerns raising the public's awareness of light pollution and attempting to get the northern Bruce Peninsula declared a "Dark Sky Friendly Site".

Presentation: "The morning wind forever blows. The poem of creation is uninterrupted, but few are the ears that hear it." Thoreau

Summer kayak camping usually gets people out under pristine dark night skies .. where the Universe seems so close and personal. I will take my audience to four dark sky sites (Georgian Bay's Bustard Islands,  Lake Superior's Pukaskwa, Quebec's Mingans, and PEI's Hog Islands ) and use the dark skies at these sites to preview for them some astronomy events to look for this summer.

Doug Elsey is a Mississauga based photographer who is no stranger to “shooting in the boonies”. One of White Squall’s resource people for the “Thom & Doug's Excellent Photo Adventure ” program, he has shot on many National Geographic sponsored underwater expeditions in the High Arctic (how “cool” is that?) and other adventure projects – one of which was the surface and underwater documentation of NATO Special Forces Deep Diving Teams from the fiords of Norway to the tropics of the Caribbean (how “hot” is that?). How do you get his job? Visit Doug's Web Portfolio Site

On Land Presentation: Getting the shot and then getting out alive! (How to safely photograph in extreme weather and hazardous environments.) Kayaking, backcountry skiing and other outdoor pursuits expose the individual to extreme weather and sometimes dangerous environments. Doug Elsey has had his share of frostbite, near drowning and dodging malaria laden mosquitoes during photo assignments that have taken him from the hot tropics to the fiords of Norway to the - 40C in the high arctic – and then underwater too (just to throw a little water into it.) Learn from his successes and numerous mistakes that may enable you to safely and successfully attempt to get THE shot of a lifetime. No shot is worth risking your life. (For a preview, check out his photo website to see some the images – and then come to the learn how they were taken – almost safely.)

Eric McIntyre - A 'happy lifer' with the Ministry of Natural Resources with career stops in Kenora, Nipigon and ultimately Parry Sound - where he found his 'home.' Most of Eric's Ministry career has been in fisheries related work. His passion is Georgian Bay and especially its colourful marine history.

On Land Presentation: The vital importance of steamships to the early development of Georgian Bay and the hazards of the industry. Presentation will recap the circumstance around the loss of the Waubuno, Asia, Seattle, Northern Bell and Atlantic - all lost along the eastern shore of Georgian Bay.

Gerard Courtin - Gerard Courtin has been part of White Squall for a very long time. A serendipitous collaboration - we taught him a bit about kayaking - he continues to teach us a lifetime of things about the natural world. In 1968 he signed on with Laurentian University to teach plant and alpine ecology. Gerard gets around - he's been up to Devon Island in the high arctic with the International Biological Programme. He's taught for years at Cornell University's Marine Lab off the coast of Maine as well as at the Centre for Northern Studies in Vermont. Just to make sure he doesn't get bored, Gerard conducts workshops for Ontario Police in forensic botany and ecology. Gerard is White Squall's resident ecologist, guide, storyteller and all round nice guy. His ecology kayak trip fills quickly and for good reason.

On Land Presentation: Weathering the Bay - This presentation focuses on the forces that create the weather that the kayaker experiences on the bay, the nature of the systems that create 'bad weather', some tips on short-term weather prediction, and sea breezes and thunderstorms.

Graham Ketcheson - Graham is a senior wilderness sea kayak and canoe guide, a Paddle Canada Level 2 Sea Kayak Instructor Trainer, ORCKA Flatwater Canoe Instructor. He has guided canoe trips on Nahanni River, taught Paddle Canada Courses for several outfitters across Canada which has taken him to most every region of the Great Lakes, to the West Coast (Tofino, BC), the Arctic (Frobisher Bay - Baffin Island Nunavut), and East Coast (Newfoundland - Gros Morne and St. John's).

On Water Session: Fancy Pants Paddling
We will explore fun and different things we do with our kayaks, bodies and blades. Some of the strokes presented are useful and some are just fun to try: the bow jam, pry, cross bow draws or reverse paddling rudder strokes (hey the rodeo paddlers do it all the time why not try it in a sea kayak too - may come in handy back surfing your way onto the beach!) Come participate or just have fun watching - challenge by choice as always!

Greg Mason - Greg is an AECSKO guide/instructor, Paddle Canada Sea Kayak Level 1 Instructor Trainer. He also holds certs in Advanced Wilderness 1st Aid and Swift Water Rescue. His many paddling years of flatwater and whitewater kayaking and canoeing, have made him an exceptionally skilled paddler and teacher. Greg has just completed his Masters in Environmental Studies at U of Waterloo in between skiing and paddling. He is presently working for The Archipelago Township in Parry Sound, and is a board member with the Georgian Bay Bioisphere Reserve, helping to protect Georgian Bay's beautiful coastline.

His favorite places to paddle are the French River and Lake Superior or surfing one of his favourite white water rodeo play spots at the mouth of the Moon River.

On Water Session: Coaching Clinic, Fine Tuning, Playing in Your Kayak

Jeff Faulkner

Jeff Faulkner - Jeff Faulkner is a Certified Exercise Physiologist with the Canadian Society for Exercise Physiology, a private consultant, and a public health nurse. He has more than 15 years experience as a physical activity consultant/personal trainer. Early-on he worked in many of Toronto’s top fitness clubs. His approach builds on people’s strengths and helps individuals increase control over and improve their health.

Jeff grew-up on the Bay of Fundy, received his first custom paddle at age two, and attended his first sea kayak symposium in the early 1980s (LL Bean’s). He has been actively sea kayaking, including guiding & teaching since 1990, and is a Paddle Canada Level II Sea Kayak Instructor and Guide. His other experience includes: advanced wilderness medicine/advanced life support, swift water rescue technician, search and rescue, and life guarding. He currently lives in Toronto with his wife (a paddler) and children.

On Land Session: Personal Training for Paddlers - A fun and dynamic workshop to increase the understanding of physical activity/exercise. Participants will develop a practical framework to help them apply learning to paddling/life. Adult education learning principles (i.e. Andragogy) will be used, and participants will determine the learning objectives.   

John Mason - John is a retired elementary school teacher living in Nobel , near Parry Sound. John spends much of his time on the Bay in sailboats, motorboats, canoes or kayaks. John is always keen for any outdoor adventure including several winter camping expeditions - the last one to Batchawana Mtn. north of the Sault in January.

On Land Presentation : South Coast of Newfoundland - After a two-week camping tour in 1997 John and Pauline realized they had to get back to Newfoundland. In 1999 they moved his "Canadian Mist" sailboat to Picton and the next year John sailed to Newfoundland. Since then, each summer, John has
sailed along the coast for a month or two.

John's pictures cover the south coast from Port aux Basques, around Cape Race and the east coast to Twiningate. Along these shores, every sheltering bay had a family, an out port or a small town - some still do. Fjords stretch miles inland. The problem for the casual traveller, sail or kayak is how much poking around can you do before you must move on. These tours were done in a sailboat but from them one can easily pick up a fever to see the coast at closer range - in a kayak.

Kelly Blades - Kelly is your typical Michigan farm boy turned kayak instructor. Hailing from a sleepy (and very inland) community near Detroit, Kelly found the love of kayaking at the tender age of 26. A mere 12 year later, Kelly is now a sales representative for P&H Sea Kayaks, Pyranha Kayaks, Venture Kayaks, and Feel Free Sit-on-tops. He is also a pro paddler for NRS and part of the Werner Paddle team. As an instructor, he is an ACA Open Water Instructor as well as the BCU Midwest Coaching officer. His coaching focus as of late has been having fun in a kayak, using his formal kayak training and his past in comedic improvisation to create games and activities for paddlers to become one with their boats.

His turn-on’s include cage fighting wild animals and finely crafted harpsichord music and his turn off’s are anyone Indiana Jones ever fought and people who make more money than he does. Visit Kelly's website.

On Water Session: Playing in your Kayak

The title of this class seems a bit futile considering we don’t seal hunt anymore and no misses work cause their kayaks won’t start in the morning. But, as we see on a regular basis, people take this sport of kayaking way to seriously to the point where they miss on the bus on what’s important; enjoying it! To that end, this course focuses on getting in the boat, getting out of the boat, climbing on the boat, climbing on others boats, and generally seeing what the boat can do and how far you can push it in a safe and fun environment. We will definitely be breaking the barrier between air and water as well as seeing what happens to our kayaks when our paddles and bodies do the unexpected. So, have a laugh, bring a change of clothes, and prepare to step outside the box in “Playing in your Kayak”.

Kenton Otterbein & Glenda Clayton

Kenton Otterbein - Head Naturalist and chief rattlesnake wrangler at Killbear Provincial Park. Kenton’s always wanted to work at White Squall but presenting at the festival is as close as Tim will let him get to his customers. Spends as much time as possible paddling and camping.  Can often be found discussing the joys of living with rattlesnakes to anyone who will listen.

Glenda Clayton - From guiding hikes as a park naturalist, to teaching kids outdoor skills, to helping people understand how to co-exist with bears and rattlesnakes, Glenda considers herself lucky to have always worked in the environmental education field. Paddling, cross country skiing, gardening or traveling – makes Glenda a happy camper.

On Land Presentation: A Wild Look at the Inland Sea - A leisurely 2 month canoe trip from Sleeping Giant to Pancake Bay, with a couple of side trips to the Slates and Michipicoten Island, gave us lots of time to explore the natural history of Lake Superior.

This slide presentation will focus on the incredible ecological diversity of Lake Superior’s northern shore. Woodland caribou, peregrine falcons, rocks and trees and a whole lot more.

Larry Woolner is an engineer, sailor and paddler who lives in Parry Sound. He is also the director of Sail Parry Sound, a not-for-profit corporation established to promote the Parry Sound area as a sailing destination, to organize and manage sailing races, and to conduct sailing training, especially for youth, seniors and the differently able. Larry also teaches GPS for Canadore College and the Candian Ecology Centre.

On Land Workshop: Navigating you GPS - He will give you a basic overview of how and why it works, and why you should still be bringing your map and compass – and know how to use it.

Lindsay Cranstoun, can be found in Killarney, where she is the Manager of the Killarney Outfitters. She has guided hiking, canoeing and sea kayaking trips for three years and operated an adventure lodge, solo, in the heart of Killarney Park. In the hardwoods of central Ontario, she managed and gave tours in the tree canopy at an aerial adventure park. She has a talent for spinning “fire poi” that she learned in New Zealand from the tradition of the Maori.

On Water Session: Beginners Kayaking

Marlene Hume - In the summer, when not teaching on the Bay, Marlene's a senior sea kayaking guide with Hurricane Island Outward Bound School in Maine. She holds a Master of Science and is an accomplished educator with several specialist qualifications. In the wintertime, Marlene teaches at Oakville Trafalgar Secondary School in the Geography Dept. and has taken several of her classes to Costa Rica for field studies. Her outdoor certifications are extensive - including Wilderness First Responder, National Life Saving, Red Cross Instructor, Paddle Canada Level 2 Sea Kayak Instructor and a Flatwater Instructor Trainer. Marlene has guided for us throughout the northeastern Georgian Bay, North Channel and Lake Superior.

On Water Session: Beginners Kayaking, Towing Tricks

Mike Allen - "I grew up on the east coast, and a lot of time spent in the forest and ocean left me with a deep appreciation of the outdoors. Undergraduate and graduate degrees in biology, and a stint as a professional birdwatcher only served to strengthen my appreciation and respect for the world around us. Ten years of teaching experience, both in the classroom and the field, have made me comfortable communicating knowledge and skills to a wide range of audiences. I look forward to meeting you, and hope to pass on some of my own enthusiasm of outdoor pursuits."

On Land Session #1 : Birding 101- You’ve enjoyed watching birds, but have not always been able to identify what you are seeing? In Birding 101 we will take a systematic look at bird watching, and cover a few points that will help you increase your identification success. General topics covered will include basic bird morphology, identifiers to look for and the importance of proportion and motion. We will also look at identifiers for a few specific groups commonly seen while canoeing and kayaking. A quick primer on optics selection will be included if time permits.

On Land Session # 2: Leave No Trace - More and more people are pushing their personal boundaries and discovering the beauty and tranquility of the outdoors. The “Leave No Trace” program is built on a foundation of seven principles which try to emphasize the importance of enjoying the outdoors while minimizing environmental impacts. Planning and preparation, minimizing impact when camping and traveling, waste management, and respect of others are some of the topics that will be discussed.

Mike Grandmaison - Lived in the Georgian Bay area for some twenty-five years.  With camera in hand, he has explored the region by foot, canoe, and kayak to capture those intimate photographs that represent the essence of the area, whether it is a chunk of glacier-scraped pink or white granite inhabited by a lone, windswept pine, or an abstract composition of cobalt blue water shimmering in the afternoon sun. 

On Land Presentation: Book Signing "Georgian Bay" - A Breathtaking Photographic Portrait of Canada's Inland Sea (schedule to be announced)

Mike McMahon - Promotion Chair of ORCKA and an ORCKA certified flatwater and tripping instructor; Mike has also been a leader in Scouting for 20 years (alias "Scouter Mike" and "Baloo") and has been teaching canoeing and tripping for the last 6 years in Niagara Falls.

On Water Presentation: Solo and Tandem canoeing skills.

Mike Petzold - Mike is the founder of Caribou Expeditions, 1994, and former professional
biologist, has been guiding for over fifteen years. Mike (BCU 4-star) has paddled extensively throughout Lake Superior, Newfoundland, Quebec, Baja, Costa Rica, and Belize.

Presentation: Exploring the Saguenay - St. Lawrence, A Whale Watching Paradise. This talk/slide show will introduce you to Saguenay - St. Lawrence, the general ecology and physiography of the area, as well as the many encounters with whales and marine mammals from the vantage point of a sea kayak!

Ontario Recreational Canoe and Kayak Association - Special Guests with Information Booth

The ORCKA booth will have “Frequently Asked Questions” sheet on the kayak program, kayak program sheet and canoe program sheet, and the new kayak manual and to look through and small information pamphlets on tripping menus, etc..  We will also have the ORCKA t-shirts for sale at $15. each (canoeing only).  Instructors from ORCKA will be leading on water canoe sessions throughout the weekend:

• Solo paddling in the classic position; find the pivot point and control, showing you how to pivot and sideways displacement.

• Tandem paddling with the draw and pry strokes with underwater recovery, how to do pivots and sideways displacement.
  
• Other Possible Onland Presentations:
• Legislated Safety Requirements
• Solo/Tandem Canoe Lifts
• How to Choose a Canoe

Pam Wedd - Pam started her outdoor carreer at Camp Tapawingo (Toronto YWCA Outdoor Centre) from '75 to '88 running canoe trips, adult recreation weekends, school outdoor education programmes. Pam was a regular staff member until 1989 when she started her own canoe building business called Bearwood Canoes. She now builds the most beautiful wood-canvas canoes on the continent. Bearwood canoes also offers canoe & kayak building courses at her workshop in Orrville. Pam is a canoe instructor and a Paddle Canada/ORCKA Flatwater Kayak Instructor.

On Land Presentation : Canoe Building
Saturday May 3 : Canoe Building Display
Sunday May 4: Canoe Canvasing Workshop

Paul Dyrda works as an Interior Park Warden at Killarney Provincial Park, patrolling the backcountry in a canoe. He has guided whitewater wilderness adventures from the Nahanni River, NWT, to the Whanganui River in New Zealand and sea kayaking trips on lakes Huron and Superior. He has been certified by ORCA, AESKO, PC and ARCA. Paul divides his time with archery, woodworking and making music in the Village of Killarney.

On Water Session : Towing Tricks, Basic Greenland Paddling, Teaching Tricks, Fancy Pants Paddling

Rick Reid - Rick is an ORCKA Flat Water Instructor, Lakewater Instructor 2, Canoe Tripping Instructor 2 and Moving Water Instructor 2, Rescue 3 International White Water Rescue Technician Level 1 and 2, and Wilderness Medical Associates qualified Wilderness First Responder.   

Having retired after 36 years as a soldier in the Canadian Army he spends a major portion of the canoe season sharing his passion for the outdoors as a professional guide and instructor.  He has paddled on a large number of the most popular tripping rivers of Ontario and Quebec and rivers more remote including the Snake River in Canada’s Yukon Territory.  He runs his own small guiding and canoe instruction business, Discover Paddling, www.discoverpaddling.ca, out of the Ottawa area.

On water session: Solo paddling in the classic position - Find the pivot point and gain control, showing you how to pivot and attain sideways displacement.

Rick Wise - Rick has been paddling the North Shore of Lake Huron for over 20 years and Lake Superior for over 10 years. He is a Full Guide certified under the Association of Eastern Canadian Sea Kayak Outfitters (AECSKO) and a Level 4 paddler and Level 3 Sea Kayak Instructor Trainer for the Paddle Canada (formerly the CRCA). He has a University of Waterloo degree in Recreation and Environmental Studies.

Rick now leads expeditions for Horizons Adventures and teaches many of the courses. He has been involved with a number of Northern Ontario programs including part-time teaching at Laurentian University and Cambrian College. Rick is a Senior Instructor for Sirius Wilderness Medicine and is a First Aid and CPR instructor for the Canadian Red Cross. Rick owns a house in Whitefish, near Sudbury where he lives with his wife, Cathy and his 13 year old daughter, Sarah and 7 year old, Katie.

On Water Presentation: Playing in Your Kayak, Towing Tricks, Crunch Rescues

Scott MacGregor is the founder and owner of Rapid Media, Canada’s paddling magazine and event company. Since ’99, MacGregor has launched Rapid, Adventure Kayak and Canoeroots magazines and in 2005 purchased and re-launched Family Camping magazine. In 2006, he created the Reel Paddling Film Festival a travelling paddling festival that screens in 75 around the world. And in 2007, MacGregor released Kayak Angler, The Kayak Fishing Magazine. Rapid Media is based in downtown Palmer Rapids, just above the high-water mark of the Madawaska River and home to their Palmer Fest, Canada’s premier whitewater paddling event. MacGregor lives in Quadeville, Ontario with his wife Tanya and two little kids, Dougie and Kate.

On Land Session: Telling a Good Trip Story - As a self-taught adventure writer/editor/photographer, MacGregor lectures on the joys and frustrations of turning your trip journals into published articles or captivating presentations. Learn the dos and don’ts of working with editors, how to pitch your story, and how to write to ensure success. Because after ever trip there is at least one good story to tell.

Serge Savard is a highly accomplished instructor and sea kayak educator from Quebec who has also got some pretty amazing open ocean crossings to his credit. Serge is also a Senior Paddle Canada Instructor Trainer who has taught courses all across Canada. Sea Kayaking since 1995, Serge, has become a leader among instructors in Canada. He is a Senior Instructor Trainer with Paddle Canada and has been a Sirius WFA instructor since 1997.

In 2005, Savard completed a solo crossing of all the Canadian Maritime's straits. This involved 5 major solo crossings with distances ranging from 32 km up to 96 km. You can read more about this adventure here.

When not paddling out on the water, he can be found teaching as an aviation ground instructor at his local college. This will be the 2nd year in a row that Serge returns to Cole Lake and the Georgian Bay Kayak & Canoe Festival. We are really excited to welcome him back!

On Water Teaching Session:
Forward stroke
why & how to be efficient with a paddle and mostly our biomecanic.

Bracing : control of balance in a kayak and the use of a paddle blade to
recover.

On Land Teaching Session: Signaling
making the difference when it count. The four steps of defence and a deeper look at the purposes of signaling

Sheila Ritter - Sheila is an ORCKA Regional Representative, and an ORCKA and Paddle Canada certified canoeing instructor, trip leader, and kayaking instructor, and AECSKO Full Day Trip Guide.  A free-lance landscape designer, she has a military outdoor skills background, drives a motorbike, writes songs, and has swimming, scuba diving, and over 36 years of wilderness tripping experience.  As Land o' Lakes Canoeing & Kayaking, she has specialized in paddling instruction and tours in Ontario’s Land o’ Lakes, Near North, and Muskoka regions since 1995.

On Water Presentation: Solo/Tandem Canoeing Instruction

Siobhan Callaghgan - As all good Ontario sea kayakers do at one point or another Siobhan stumbled upon White Squall for training, boats and gear. She found that this was a special place and wanted to “jump in” which she did and we are very happy for this.  Siobhan is now a Paddle Canada Level 1 Instructor, an AECSKO guide and trained in advanced wilderness first aid. 

On Water Session : Women on the Water

Steve Turner - Steve is an environmental geologist and now one of Canada's leading outdoor educators with 20+ yrs experience. He is certified, insured by or board member with: (NOLS, CRCA, PC, NLS, LS, RC, WMA. COEO ). With NOLS, he's an LNT and Environmental / Winter Outdoor Educator and Vice President with COEO (Councel of Outdoor Educators of Ontario). In addition to this he is a First Responder Wilderness first aid instructor & NLS Lifeguard. Presently Steve is coordinator of the YMCA of Oakville Adventure Centre which runs year round in pool kayak lessons and Youth Wilderness Trips and is the lead canoe and kayak instructor/ guide with ECHO Adventures.

On Water Session: Beginners Kayaking, Edging & Bracing, Crunch Rescues

Theresa Gregory has been studying and teaching Kripalu yoga for over a decade. The attention to breath, meditation, mental quietude, as well as physical strength, flexibility, and balance make Kripalu yoga a perfect adjunct to nature experiences. Also a Reiki Master and aromatherapy massage therapist, Theresa brings a sensitivity to energy and a healthy dose of humour to balance practice with life. Theresa is also co-owner of YogAloft Yoga and Wellness Retreat in McKellar, Ontario, with her husband Steve Munro. They offer weekly yoga classes, special yoga workshops, aromatherapy massage, Reiki, nature  walks, and tours of their beautiful medicine wheel garden. In addition to teaching yoga sessions at this year's festival, she is also this years White Squall Resource Staff for Yoga, Pines, Paddlin' & Cabins Kayak Trip on Georgian Bay.

On Land Session: Yoga for Paddlers

Thom Lambert - Thom is an avid whitewater and flatwater kayaker that spends 100+ days/year in a kayak of some description. For over 15 years he has been sharing that passion as a retailer, instructor and writer. "Since I 'rediscovered' fishing about 4 years ago, I have also rediscovered the beauty and utility of the kayak as a way to access remote waterways in Ontario. Whether it's a remote trout lake in early spring, or fishing a popular whitewater river for smallmouth and pickerel, fishing has given me a new appreciation for both the water and the boat."

On Water Workshop: Kayak Fishing - Kayak fishing is one of the fastest growing segments of the kayak industry. Across the world, anglers and kayakers are coming together to pursue everything from open-ocean tuna, to wary trout on inland lakes. Kayaks open up previously unfished water, as well as offering a unique "water level" fishing experience. This session will focus on the gear and techniques that you can use to incorporate fishing into your existing trips, with your existing kayak equipment.

Tim Dyer - Tim's first start was as a canoe guide in Temagami, Ontario, then as an outdoor instructor with Project DARE, and then as a co-ordinator of the Strathcona Outdoor Leader Apprenticeship in B.C. He fell in love with coastal kayaking while guiding on the west coast of Vancouver Island. Soon after he took teacher training and arrived in Parry Sound teaching part time in both elementary and high school. In 1984 Tim & Kathy started White Squall, a sideline business at first devoted to ski instruction. They realized quickly that kayaks would be the perfect craft to explore the Georgian Bay coast . White Squall Paddling Centre was born.

Tim is a Paddle Canada Sea Kayak Level 4 Instructor and Level 3 Trainer, an AECSKO guide, a member of the National Paddle Canada Sea Kayak Certification Committee, and is trained in Wilderness 1st Aid and Swift Water Rescue. In winter, he teaches skiing at the local ski club with the Jackrabbit program and loves backcountry skiing with friends.

On Water Session: Tim the Toolman (Tricks of the Teaching Trade)

Wendy Grater is owner and Director of Black Feather - the Wilderness Adventure Company.  She is an ORCKA Level II instructor in Moving Water, Canoe tripping and Flatwater.  She has guided trips on the Nahanni, Mountain, Natla-Keele, Firth, Tatshenshini, Coppermine, Hood and Bloodvein Rivers, to mention a few.  She has also pioneered sea kayaking routes in Greenland and Baffin.  Besides these accomplishments, she cross country skis, has started yoga and hip hop dance.  She has 2 lovable dogs.

On Water Session: The Essential Whitewater Canoeing Skill: "THE BACKFERRY!!!" (or how to survive in a loaded canoe in a long rapid)

The backferry is often maligned, often feared but an incredibly effective way of descending a long and complicated rapid.  With the advent of short 'playboats' , some folks think the backferry has gone the way of the dodo.  NOT SO!  This session will teach you the finer points of the theory and execution of the backferry, and time to practice in both bow and stern.
This session is lead by the 'backferry queen', Wendy Grater.  Wendy has descended many Canadian rivers ... all the while chanting the refrain 'backpaddle .... hard'!

Zack Crafts - A man with a busy life. Zack is a husband to Johna, father to Gracie, Naomi and Oscar, a public school teacher, a teammate to Graham Poole and Rob Mansfield on team White Squall adventure racing team, a Jackrabbit instructor, and with his extra time lends a helping hand at White Squall throughout the summer. Zack went to Trent University for Canadian Studies and Concurrent Education, then to Queens for his Teachers degree. He has worked in outdoor education since the age of 15. Growing up north of Kingston attending Sydenham High School, his paddling passion was first for canoe tripping. He still loves it when someone shows interest in canoes at White Squall. Zack has certification in ORCKA canoe flatwater and tripping, Paddle Canada/ORCKA Level 1 Sea Kayak Instructor, Level 3 Sea Kayaking, wilderness 1st aid, and has participated in the White Squall guides course. Zack loves to cook pasta, South Asian, East Indian, TexMex, Jewish and Anishnaabe (fry bread, wild rice and fish) and hang out with his family.

On Water Presentation: Fine Tuning Basic Skills & Forward Stroke