Join Doug on the Digital Pics for Dummies Kayak Trip	Doug Elsey Doug Elsey is a professional engineer currently living in Mississauga, Ontario with his wife and family. Originally from Thunder Bay, Ontario, he has been in, on and especially under the water for most of his life. For over 30 years, he has worked in the commercial diving industry as a diver, as an engineer, and then a manager and partner of one of the largest commercial diving companies in Canada. He currently works as an engineer and business development manager for a company developing specialized underwater breathing apparatus for the military.  Photographically, he has been shooting film cameras from the late 60's until the mid-90s. He traded in his film Nikons and went totally digital since then. Throughout the 70's and 80’s he shot several National Geographic sponsored expeditions as a participant and a leader - in the high Arctic (underwater exploration, underwater living, deep diving, surface photos, etc.). His photographs have been published in most major Canadian Newspapers (Toronto SUN, Globe and Mail, Toronto Star) and in international magazines such as Science Digest, Popular Mechanics, Enroute Magazine, etc.  He was also the main cinematographer for a documentary film called "ARCTIC JIM: The first use of an atmospheric diving system in the high Arctic". Family obligations and the need to "get a real job" took him away from serious documentary photography until the mid 90's.  He is now back at it and today.  Along with his “real job”, he does event and product photography and continues to travel world-wide on photographic assignments.  As a teacher, he lectured in the Seneca College’s Underwater Skills Program for many years. He taught advanced diving techniques throughout his career. He has lectured and been a key-note symposium speaker addressing underwater operations and techniques internationally. Born and raised in Thunder Bay, he was very active in hunting, fishing, camping, and the outdoors until he moved to Toronto to continue his engineering education. He has been a fishing guide in the Lake of the Woods area and today continues to swim, cycle tour and paddle as a way to keep fit - and enjoy the outdoors. As far as his "disposition" ....well, lets just say his sense of humour – which he just can’t seem to suppress - seems to keep him continually "in trouble". He sees life from the bright side – “I enjoy laughter. I take life seriously by enjoying it."
Join Doug on the Summer Skies Kayak Trip	Doug Cunningham Doug Cunningham is a retired Science and Outdoor Education teacher who lives with his wife, Paula, in Lion's Head on the beautiful Bruce Peninsula. They have one daughter, Christy, who is studying medicine at McMaster University. Doug has been an avid astronomer 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". He greatly enjoys sea kayaking and has kayaked part of the Baja Peninsula in Mexico, the Mingan Islands near Labrador, the Pukaskwa Coast, the Apostle Islands, the Slate Islands of Lake Superior, the Hog Islands of PEI, and the pristine coastline of Georgian Bay and the Bruce Peninsula. Doug is the chairman of the Georgian Bay Committee (a committee within the Great Lakes Sea Kayaking Association) who organize an annual Franklin Island cleanup day in the fall. Doug has been helping lead our popular "Stars" kayak trip as the astronomy expert since 2001.
Join Gerard on the Island Ecology Trip	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. Gerard's early schooling was in England and then he emigrated to Canada in 1953. After working on a farm for a year, he embarked upon a BSc (Forestry) at the University of New Brunswick. Married in 1960 to Barbara, he found work at Brookhaven National Laboratory for two years before doing his MSc and PhD in alpine ecology at the University of Illinois. 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 and has spent much of his research career working on stressed ecosystems.  In semi retirement he presently splits his time between teaching environmental science courses both at his home institution and in the United States at Cornell University’s Shoals Marine Laboratory, and at the Centre for Northern Studies at Sterling College in Vermont.. So that he doesn't get bored, Gerard has a second career conducting forensic botany research and case work for law enforcement agencies. Gerard and his wife have a log cabin hideaway on Manitoulin Island where they escape for quiet time. Gerard is an award-winning teacher and professor Emeritus at Laurentian. So where does White Squall fit in? Well sir.....Gerard is also our resident ecologist, guide, storyteller and all around nice guy. His ecology programs fill quickly and for good reason. He's completely dedicated to his friends and students. With Gerard on board, you'll get the best information and energy one could ever ask for in interpreting the world.
Join David Pearson on the Geology of the Bay Kayak Trip	David Pearson David Pearson is a professor of Earth Sciences at Laurentian University in Sudbury. We have been fortunate to have him join us on our geology kayak trips on Georgian Bay for many years now. David is along to help interpret the geological landscape for those interested and he does an excellent job of explaining the earth features that we see around us. David was a former host of the award winning television show "Down to Earth"(MidCanada TV 1991-1998), a program that dealt with environmental concerns in Northern Ontario. He also hosted other media shows: "Understanding the Earth" (TV Ontario) , as well as CBC Northern Ontario's "Radio Lab" science commentaries (1982-1997). In 2000, he was the recipient of the E. R. Ward Neale Medal of the Geological Association of Canada - awarded to an individual who is making significant contributions to the public awareness of geoscience. In 2003 he was awarded the McNeil Medal of the Royal Society of Canada for public communication of science. In 2002 he received the Queen Elizabeth Jubilee Medal for environmental work in Sudbury and in 2004 the Northern Life "Community Builders" Award in the Environment category. He also writes regular editorial page commentaries on environmental topics for community newspapers in Ontario as a member of the Osprey Writers Group.
Join Thom on the Digital Pics for Dummies Kayak Trip	Thom Morrissey Thom Morrissey has been photographing people and places for years all over the World - often the photographer for many local Parry Sound events & festivals. He's recently made the switch from film to digital and the learning curve is huge. Besides being an excellent photographer, he can educate you easily too - his day gig is a full time school principal! Thom has kayaked and camped on the Bay for many years.
	Theresa Gregory 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.

Tim Dyer Tim Dyer Everybody knows Tim - he's the boss - without Tim and his partner Kathy there would be no White Squall. Both have worked in the outdoor industry since the early '70's. Tim's first start was as a canoe guide in Temagami, then as an outdoor instructor with Project DARE, on staff with Wilderness Challenge Project at Alberta Corrections, 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 (for more on this story read the Brief History of White Squall). 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. Through careful business decision making, attention to details, excellent customer service and hiring talented staff they have made White Squall what it is today with a loyal following of customers who keep coming back for more 'yaking fun'! Tim is a direct and effective communicator, always diplomatic, with a witty sense of humour. Staff and customers alike take a shine to him immediately. Tim's job is to oversee most everything - keeping the White Squall ship sailing. Boat ordering, a huge task, is Tim's job each year and believe me he loves boats of all sizes and colours! 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. In summer, well you know where to find him, however occassionally he escapes for a canoe or kayak getaway with family and friends, never tiring of spending time in his backyard of beautiful Georgian Bay.

Kathy Dyer Kathy has a wide background in Outdoor and Adventure Education..... She took her undergraduate degree in Environmental Studies at the University of Waterloo and that's when she discovered nordic skiing becoming a certified national instructor. She then earned another degree in Education from the University of Western and took a teaching position at Claremont Outdoor School. During this time in her life, Kathy went out to the mountains of British Columbia for training at the Keremeos Outward Bound School. Moving west, she settled in the Pemberton Valley as a teacher for the Coast Mountain Outdoor School. It was during that time that she and Tim were married, and they eventually moved back to Ontario. There, Kathy was employed by the local school district in adult education. She also became a caseworker for the Big Brothers as well as working in the local bakery! When she and Tim began White Squall, their winters would be spent teaching nordic skiing throughout the district. She holds advanced industrial and wilderness first aid certification as well as teaching credentials for both Ontario and BC. She speaks fluent German and can play both guitar and accordian (she played for quite a while in the 19 James band). Her role at the Squall is "behind the scenes". She's responsible for managing the staff and business along with Tim and handles much of the accounting, as well as taking care of trip food, gardening and landscaping. The staff usually come to her instead of Tim for advice and problem solving because she looks much better than Tim and tends to listen a lot better too!

Jesse Dyer Jesse is quite the paddler (well he should be, his parents have been paddling with him since he was a wee tot!) Coming across from the Snakes last year after an incredible lightning storm the night before, he paddled adeptly as the rest of us marveled at his style and composure in three foot quartering seas. Always the gentleman (Kathy's influence) and much like his Dad (Tim), friendly, kooky, and with a heart of gold, he'll welcome you to the high seas of Georgian Bay, his training and playground. Jesse began working as a Junior Apprentice in 2004 and is now a full time instructor & guide this summer season.

Benji Dyer Benji is one of the most lovable and irresistable of our White Squall staff. During the winter, he comes into the office and sits - staring up at Kathy until she gives in and takes him for a walk. He loves to run, play, and simply be goofy- a fine friend. Kathy and Tim have taken him to local singsongs where he's been dubbed, "Benji Whasshisname and the Other Fellas". This gentle giant is the best chicken wranglin', bear chasin', chipmunk chicken (yup, there's a story) pooch and we love him.

Tim Fleming Tim has been working for White Squall for eleven years now. Growing up in Parry Sound region, he knows the Bay and its various moods really well. His easy going nature and great sense of humour probably come in handy with his current work at the Centre for Conflict Resolution International in Ottawa. It has been noticed by many of us at White Squall that these attributes shine when things go crazy (we call it meltdown) here on long weekends in summer! Tim's teaching and paddling skills have evolved to a high degree at White Squall and with his excellent judgement make him a great companion on long trips anywhere. Tim is an AECSKO Sea Kayak Guide, a Paddle Canada Kayak Level 1 Instructor, an ORCKA Flatwater Canoe Instructor and holds certs in Advanced Wilderness 1st Aid.

Dean Cargill Affectionately nick-named Dean-o by Heather, his partner, Dean has just recently joined our staff and I think it is safe to say that we don't know what we ever did without him! Dean is THE Mr.Fix-it. In fact his skills are so renowned that staff are frequently drawing him away to work on their own homes. If you venture our way, you'll more than likely find Dean either fixin' something (and at White Squall there's no end) or you'll see him behind the wheel of one of the trucks on shuttle duty. Give him a wave if you see him on the road! Perhaps, though Dean's biggest claim to fame is that "he's the only one who Tim D. can't tell what to do". Now I'm sure that goes for Kathy D. as well but it's durn near true. As if Dean's mechanic and wood-working prowess isn't enough, you'll be hard put to find a better BBQer at White Squall and we're always anticipating the next BBQ party with bated breath and drools. Dean has previously worked for the local OMNR. Now a retired Lands Technician and the fact that he is a "local", he's a wealth of juicy gossip and great information about the areas cultural and ecological history.

Greg Mason Greg has been working summers at White Squall since 1992.... so long he can't even remember anymore! He is one of White Squall's top guides and best navigators. You won't get lost with him! 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. His favorite places to paddle are the French River and Lake Superior. When on trip Greg wears his signature "all-weather" leather hat. His favorite trip meal is Fajitas and sometimes he'll top it off with a banana flambe. Whatever he'll cook, it will be sure to taste great. 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.

Kathy Watson Teaching at Parry Sound High School is Kathy's "real job". Her involvement with White Squall goes back to its beginnings with helping to build the store! Since then she's worked part time summers as guide, instructor, and retail staff. We all love her wonderful calming affect on us when this place is in its summer frenzy. When she isn't working at the squall, she's busy travelling and tripping both here and on the Bay and abroad. Come winter Kathy loves to ski and enjoy time at home nestled in the woods near Georgian Bay. This summer Kathy will be traveling and sea kayaking parts of the BC coast - have fun!

Peter Wassermann Peter started working at the Squall in '99. He began his professional life as a forestry grad from Sir Sandford Fleming College and has spent much of his working time in the woods of Northern Ontario. He continues this work today at Westwind Forest Stewardship right here in Parry Sound. Peter's bush sense is born out of practical experience and it's the kind of knowledge that takes years to learn. In his spare time, he loves to travel and has journeyed throughout North America. He's an awesome nordic skier and has volunteered his talents in the local jackrabbit ski league. Peter loves whitewater and wilderness tripping and spends a lot of time exploring the backcountry of Algonquin and Georgian Bay. He's the one we all run to for a quiet, intelligent answer and a strong arm to back it up. Peter is a Paddle Canada/ORCKA Level 1 Sea Kayak instructor, an AECSKO guide with advanced wilderness first aid training and has quickly earned everyone's respect for his teaching ability. The best thing is, he can do a really cool Clint Eastwood impersonation-so...go ahead and make his day!

Patti Morel Patti adds a lot of flavour to the atmosphere at White Squall with her lively personality. You always know when Patti is on site, full of smiles and laughs, it's hard to be unhappy with her around. Patti is originally from Parry Sound and helped her brother start up Trailseekers, a bike and ski shop in town. After traveling the world, seeking new challenges and experiences, starting another life in Australia, managing an outdoor store there and moving to Vancouver to work as a travel agent , she returned to her home on the Bay. Patti is now a co-owner of the Kidzoo toy store - the best toy store this side of Georgian Bay. Family and friends are very important to Patti and somehow between her jobs at White Squall and Kidzoo, she finds the time to spend time with all of them. Patti started at White Squall in 1998. Her role as assistant manager at White Squall takes her in many directions, instructing and guiding on the water, overseeing the merchandise and stock at both stores, buying the clothing (trying to keep up with all the new colours and styles - she's the fashion woman) and laying down the law when the staff (and sometimes customers too) get out of line. She is an AECSKO guide with training in Advanced Wilderness 1st Aid and a Paddle Canada/ORCKA Level 1 Sea Kayak Instructor.

Jane McDonald Jane McDonald is an enthusiastic White Squall employee with a passion for travel and love for Georgian Bay. She enjoys paddling and cooking in the great outdoors and after travelling the world believes the Bay is the most beautiful place to live. Jane's favourite thing about working at White Squall is the way she is treated and the staff she is able to work with. She enjoys folk music and looks after the music department at White Squall, also the water purification systems and footwear. She is trained in Advanced Wilderness 1st Aid. Jane lives in the Parry Sound area with her husband and two sons and has worked at White Squall since 1998.

Brian Goodings Brian Goodings is one of the experienced paddlers here at White Squall with 23 years of paddling experience and 16 seasons guiding here. When Brian is not paddling he is very busy. He is the father of 5 children (age 6-25) and enjoys cross country skiing, playing hockey and running in his spare time. Also, aside from being an ordained minister in the United Church of Canada he has recently completed his Doctorate through the University of Alberta. His thesis focused on his experience paddling from Thunder Bay to Thornbury solo in the summer of 2004. This was a culmination of many years of love for the waters of Lake Superior and Huron. Brian is an AECSKO guide and trained in Advanced Wilderness 1st Aid.

Pam Wedd If there is any staff member that White Squaller's love to see in the morning it is Pam. These days Pam gets sucked into the swirling busyness of White Squall on days when the regular crowd just can't cope without backup, she jumps in without question, bringing an atmosphere of calmness to the most chaotic of days. Pam got her B.Sc(Human Kenetics) degree at University of Guelph before working at Camp Tapawingo (Toronto YWCA Outdoor Centre) from '75 to '88 running canoe trips, adult recreation weekends, school outdoor education programmes. During this time, in the early days of White Squall, she helped build our store from the bottom up and led some of the first kayaking trips and canoe trips here at White Squall. She continues to teach kayaking and canoeing and is excellent at boat repairs. She also plays a bit of oldtimers hockey. 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. You just have to look once at one of her works of art and you will understand a bit about the kind of person she is and the amount of care she has poured into White Squall. Bearwood Canoes also offers canoe & kayak building courses at her workshop in Orrville. We are glad that she still takes time out of her busy schedule to jump into White Squall whenever she is needed. Pam's most recent accomplishment (spring 2005) was a Paddle Canada/ORCKA Flatwater Kayak Instructor Certification.

Cathy Crawley Cathy Crawley began her new career at White Squall in 1999, helping to organize the Town Store. Cathy had been a shops teacher and department head in Northern Manitoba and had a career in University Administration with both University of Manitoba and Arctic College in Inuvik . She is certified in Wilderness First Aid, CPR and is a Paddle Canada/ORCKA Flat water Instructor. Paddling meant sneaking through rice lakes out west and came to kayaking later in life. She thoroughly enjoys passing on her skills to newcomers her own age. “If they can see me do it, they know anyone can paddle!” She divides her time between White Squall and teaching Adult Literacy at the Wasauksing 1st Nations Adult Learning Centre. In her spare time she messes around with painting, reads, loves movies and her gardens. She is fun and funny, and we are lucky to have her on board.

Marlene Hume Marlene (Hummer) has been with us since the very early years.  She holds a Master of Science and is an accomplished educator with several specialist qualifications.  In the wintertime Marlene teaches at Oakville Trafalgar High School in the Geography and Special Education departments and for the last ten years has taken students to Costa Rica and Ecuador for community service projects.  Her outdoor certifications are extensive – including Wilderness First Responder, National Life Saving, Red Cross and Life Saving Instructor, Paddle Canada Level 2 Sea Kayak Instructor, and Flatwater Instructor Trainer. Marlene has guided for us throughout northeastern Georgian Bay, North Channel and Lake Superior.  Her favourite food is whatever someone else is cooking and you can count on her to “tell it like it is”.

Sue Adams Flowers pinned on her hat, tye dyed t-shirts and a huge bright easy smile - that's Sue - Kayaking Guide, Instructor and the best Emergency/Trauma Nurse east of Kenora. Sue has worked with White Squall since 1996. She has a nursing degree from McMaster University and got her start at hospital emergency rooms south of the border in North Carolina. She presently resides in Orillia with her family (Dan and two kids Sophia & Casey and pet pig Wilber!), close to the Bay and works at the Royal Victoria Hospital in Barrie when not venturing outdoors. She grew up in Parry Sound and knows the Bay and its waters well. In the winter Sue likes to cross country and downhill ski. In the summer kayaking, canoeing and swimming are her recreational past times. Her fondest memories come from white water paddling with White Squall friends on the Magnetewan and Madawaska rivers. Oh!, and she gives the best hugs. Sue is off on maternity leave this summer and working towards getting her Nurse Practitioner Certification.

Andrea Tang Andrea is one of the original Squallions; she started with us in 1990 and has lead a trip for us virtually every year since. As a child, she canoe tripped with her father and was a camper at Camp Tapawingo (during the time fellow White Squallers Pam Wedd and Ann Dunnigan also worked there!) spending many summers in what is now the Massasauga Provincial Park. She is now one of our most revered guides, especially re-knowned for her empathetic nature and cool head in emergencies. What few people know, however, is that she actually failed her Seniors swimming badge at Camp for three years in a row, as she wouldn't go to the bottom of the bay and look for the javex bottle "body". She has come a long way! Ask her about her famous emergency evacuation sometime... Andrea absolutely loves her job as a secondary school counselor and learning resource teacher in Meaford, and brings a similar "joie de vivre" to her work at White Squall that is very infectious. While she is only with us for a short duration each summer, we always look forward to her time here. When not working with White Squall, you can probably see her kayaking on the bay with her husband and two youngest children. Andrea is an AECSKO guide with training in Advanced Wilderness First Aid and a Paddle Canada/ORCKA Level 2 Kayak Instructor.

Lynn Martin Lynn joined White Squall in the spring of 2000. She is a committed environmentalist and an outdoor enthusiast who’s enjoyed many years of canoeing, kayaking and camping. She has a talent for cooking & enjoys experimenting with exotic kayaking cuisine. Haute cuisine on the rocks! Lynn is one of our year round staff who works mostly at the town store and occasionally at the paddling centre. Some of her duties include ordering rope, backpacks, tents, sleeping bag selection, and camping supplies as well as assisting Patti in clothing selection.

Zack Crafts Zack Crafts is 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. Zack started his first summer at White Squall in 1998 as a guide on a youth trip. His experience as a teacher and genuine way with kids always makes for a fun time. Zack helps with many of the White Squall operations, slinging kayaks around the property, driving shuttles, teaching kayak lessons, leading trips and helping out in the store. Retail is a huge challenge for Zack and he warily approaches the cash register each summer with a look of terror. His easy going way and very dry sense of humour adds greatly to our staff lineup. Zack has just returned from a winter away with his family in New Zealand and we are sure happy he came back to guide for another season at the Squall.

Heather Metcalfe Heather is the glue that binds White Squall together. She spends her time on a multitude of tasks. Officially she is our office manager, however does much more than just office stuff. She is the one that on the busy days keeps White Squall afloat when all the other staff are running around teaching on the water, off on trips, driving shuttles or dealing with customers. You will find Heather most often in the White Squall office or training staff, meeting with reps, designing & printing forms, tracking our huge boat inventory, sorting out confusing phone systems, computers, accounts receivable, or special orders and even making sure that other staff are on time for their next shuttle pick up - phew!! that's a lot of stuff! We all love Heather as we know she is on top of it! (well most of the time). Her attention to detail is unparalleled and can put the rest of us to shame sometimes. Heather has lived in Parry Sound since 1985 working at MNR in Forestry and Geographic Information Systems. During this time she worked part time (weekend daytrips) at White Squall before she joined the White Squall team full time in 1997. She also enjoys home renovations (her house and many friends and family homes). Heather is very good at ripping down walls with a sledge hammer!! She loves canoe trips, skiing, and good food and drink shared with friends and family!

Graham Ketcheson Graham's name is synonymous with fun/adventure/music; talented in so many ways. From writing and producing radio ads for White Squall to teaching all levels of kayak programmes, to his duties as manager, Graham can tackle anything that is thrown his way. Aside from 15 years of sea kayak teaching and guiding experience, his love of canoeing and kayaking stretches back to soloing canoes at age of 7 at the cottage, participating in his teens on several canoe trips with the YMCA Camp Stephens in Kenora On (including a 6 week trip taking him on a journey of over 1100 km through northern Canada). In 1993, Graham apprentice guided and became a full guide with Nahanni River Adventures in the NWT and Rocky Mountain Voyageurs in Jasper and spent part of the following seasons guiding on the mighty Nahanni. Graham has worked at White Squall since 1994, becoming White Squall's first year round employee in 1997. He is an AECSKO guide, Paddle Canada/ORCKA Level 2 Sea Kayak Instructor Trainer, ORCKA Flatwater Canoe Instructor, holds certs in Advanced Wilderness 1st Aid, Swift Water Rescue and Bronze Cross Swimming and was a Board of Director for PEAT (Partners in Eco-Adventure Travel) a northeastern Ontario marketing organization. He graduated from U of Waterloo in '95 with a Bachelor of Environmental Studies. In his "off" time, he might be found recording, rehearsing or gigging with  local folk rock bands Nineteen James and Kindred (playing drums/percussion), or on a wild outdoor adventure: white water kayaking, canoeing, hiking, winter camping, ice climbing, snowshoeing, kite or telemark skiing... well you get the picture. Sound too good to be true? Just stop by White Squall & meet him for yourself. (He's a great cook to boot!!) Graham lives in Parry Sound with outdoor partners in crime Adrienne and son Owen (2 yrs old going on 3!)

Rob Mansfield Rob Mansfield was White Squall's first apprentice-back in 1992. Born and raised in Parry Sound, he's a local boy at heart. He built and lived in a tree house here on Cole Lake one summer. Another year he made his own kayak - how's that for a Huck Finn kind of life! Rob sews his own clothes from time to time-and enjoys painting as well - there isn't a lot he can't do! Through the years he became a top guide and instructor and is now a Paddle Canada/ORCKA Junior Sea Kayak Instructor Trainer. His love of boats, paddling, people and life shines through in everything he does. A gifted athlete - he'll do cartwheels over kayaks and dance along the top rung of a boat rack - all the while grinning from ear to ear. He is a member of Team White Squall -a successful and accomplished Adventure Racing team. Married to Jen and proud father of Jasmine and Levi, all now living in Orillia, Rob started working as a professional carpenter then made the switch back to teaching high school math last year and now he has his own carpentry/contracting business. This is after achieving a degree in teaching from U of Guelph completing a four year outdoor educator's programme at Queens. Did I mention he's a pretty good farmer too!

Julia Clarke Julia Clarke joined the White Squall gang as our new apprentice in the summer of 2003. She is the second Clarke to work here (younger sister to Jen Clarke) and is just as talented. Staff and customers alike enjoy her energy, enthusiasm & always smiling face. Julia was born and raised in Parry Sound and finished High School in January 2004 afterwich she traveled to Nicaragua to learn Spanish and then do missions work for several months. Besides all her outdoor experience prior to White Squall, Julia leads music at church, teaches flute, and still fits in time for friends, family and a little x-country skiing. Excelling in math's and sciences, Julia is is studying scientific psychology at Queen's University and going into her 4th year. Julia is trained in Wilderness 1st Aid and a Paddle Canada/ORCKA Level 1 Sea Kayak Instructor. She also simply loves paddling on Georgian Bay.

Ann Dunnigan Ann has been with White Squall almost from the beginning. She was witness to Tim and Kathy trying to build a 24'x 48' store from the ground up and recognized a certain ineptness in carpentry right away. Jumping in and showing us how, Annie is one of the main reasons things are still standing today. She holds a MSc degree in plant pathology from the University of Guelph and did undergrad work at Dalhousie. Her background is so extensive and diverse, it's hard to know where to begin. She was the head of science for 10 years at a high school in Quebec. She was director of Camp Tapawingo for many years and has logged thousands of miles tripping throughout Ontario. Her first love was canoeing, but soon took to kayaking and became one of our senior leaders very quickly. Her knowledge of the outdoors is amazing. But she also knows how to fix a tractor, plumb a bathroom, wire a house and build anything you want. The rest of the staff look to Ann for advice on all sorts of things. Her garden is huge, she taps maple trees every spring-yet she still finds time to lead ski and hike adventures for for the local nature club. Ann is a renaissance woman-able to do a wide variety of things with always a smile and a story to share.

Kaitlin Chantler This is Kaitlin's 5th season with White Squall who started as one of our apprentices. She has kayaked and canoed with her family for years in the area. As a marathon canoe racer, cross-country ski racer and long distance runner, her energy and enthusiasm for outdoor sports are a perfect combination for teaching kayaking on the Bay. She will be finishing her Grade 12 year of High School this season. She has a keen interest in the environment and is looking forward to taking environmnetal studies at University in the future. Her hobbies include snowboarding, canoeing, climbing and just recently kayak rolling !!! - We are really happy to have her back with us again this year!

Owan Chantler Owan joined us in 2004 as an apprentice and is now a fulltime guide and instructor. Owan grew up on Georgian Bay playing and working at his parents fishing lodge. He loves to laugh and goof around, even if the joke is on him! Owan is going into third year university for engineering at Carleton. Owan is a Level 2 Sea Kayaker, a Level 1 Instructor, has Advanced Wilderness First Aid. He loves to run, x-country ski and paddle. He has participated in the Yukon Quest, a 750 km race down the Yukon river both as a racer and as crew for his sister.

Aleesha Mullen Aleesha started out as guide and instructor at the Squall in 2002. Over the several busy summers, Aleesha being a quick study, full of energy and enthousiasm, received her Paddle Canada/ORCKA Flatwater Instructor certification, then her Level 1 Instructor certificatioin last summer. She mastered her kayak roll, assisted guided on many kayak trips and courses. Aleesha is also trained in Wilderness 1st Aid and Bronze Cross Swimming. When not at White Squall she plays violin and viola, loves to x-country ski, run and skate. During the winters she is a program assistant for CanSkate - kids figure skating. Aleesha just finished her second year of University at Carleton and this summer is going for her Level 2 Sea Kayak Instructor certification at the Squall and Level 3 Skills Certification with Newfounland Sea Kayak Company in late summer.

Jack Elliott "Captain Jack" as some of us call him, is one of the more colourful staff at White Squall. Lucky to have been born into a "camping family", Jack has been going on outdoor trips and messing around in boats as long as he can remember. Jack spent much of his youth in the region Ardbeg (north of Parry Sound) and still lives there today by the shores of Wawashkesh Lake on the beautiful Magnetewan River. Many moons ago Jack was a professional big machinery mechanic working in the mines of Elliot Lake. Afterwards he spent his time on the Bay as a marine mechanic. Jack’s other life is painting. He creates big and small paintings on oil and canvas. Often he’ll take a paint kit (in a special dry bag) along with him on his kayak adventures. Jack has paddled on the west coast (Queen Charlottes), east coasts (Newfoundland), and many of the lakes in Ontario including Superior, Nipigon, Nipissing, Lake Huron. He has many a tale (& painting) to tell about some of these trips. In winter you’ll find Jack way back on the frozen hills & swamps of northern Ontario or in the mountains of northern BC bush skiing with a polk and prospector tent. Jack looks after the stores paddle sport section ordering the paddles, pfd’s & accessories. He is an excellent paddler and also loves selling kayaks & gear in the shop! Jack is a Paddle Canada/ORCKA Level 1 Sea Kayak Instructor & Level 3 paddler, an AECSKO guide, and is trained in Wilderness 1st Aid.

Scott Adams Scott joined us in 2005 for a few courses, weekends and the photography kayak trip.  Everyone really liked him so..... he's now one of our part-time instructors and guides at the Squall when he get away from Peterborough, Ontario.  At present he has a desk job (out of his home office) as an outdoor marketing consultant with contracts with Paddling Ontario Alliance and OTMP which occupies his time 9 months of the year and for the other 3 works as a sea kayak instructor/guide for various other kayak outfitters in Ontario.  Scott attended Sir Sanford Fleming College for Adventure Tourism Management (thus his present desk job).  He resides in Peterborough, Ontario with his family of three: his beautiful wife Nancy and their inquisitive five year old daughter paddlin' Madeline. In his spare times he enjoys photography, carvin', trying to learn the guitar & most of all playing with Maddy. Some of his favourite activities are x-country skiing and snowboarding (level one instructor).  Kayaking has definitely taken over his life in the summer along with camping, hiking, and sometimes canoeing. His most meaningful outdoor adventures are the ones where he can play a part in introducing someone to something new - landscape/waterway, paddling/camping skills, environment/ecology, or if Maddy is with him, its rediscovering all the little things he tends to overlook. Future adventures high on the list include kayaking the shore of Superior and exploring the fjords of New Zealand. Scott Adams is a Paddle Canada/ORCKA Level 1 Sea Kayak Instructor, Flatwater Canoe Instructor and is trained in Advanced Wilderness 1st aid.

Ann Scott Ann started working at the Squall in the fall of 2005. Ann is back for another season as one of our part-timers. One of Ann's favourite tasks at White Squall is selling boats and helping customers test paddle and find the right boat for them. Her serious hobby at the moment is horse riding and hanging out with her friend Starlight - anything to do with horses really. Other outdoor interests include canoeing, kayaking, hiking, x-country skiing.  She has taken Survival, Tracking and Native Philosophy courses with Tom Brown’s Tracking & Wilderness Survival School in New Jersey, USA. Ann’s hobbies include painting, travel, health & fitness.  Ann brings some unique and special skills to White Squall as a Spiritual Healer & Reader, a Feng Shui Consultant & has a diploma in Metaphysics!

Siobhan Callaghan Siobhan started out here as a customer many moons ago and liked the place so much she convinced us to give her a part time summer job here.  Siobhan is tremendously fond of and connected to the great lakes having grown up on the north shore of Lake Erie. She played in small boats, canoes and sailboats from an early age while watching the lights of freighters on the horizon making their way through the great lakes to ports beyond. She was introduced to Georgian Bay at seventeen while hiking with her Dad on the Bruce trail from Tobermory to Lion's Head.   Falling in love with the bay, her family bought a cottage on Isthmus Bay, outside Lion's Head the next summer.  Siobhan then got waylaid for awhile pursuing a BSc in biology and psychology then went on to study medicine at McMaster.  Soon after this she discovered the need to balance the craziness of a thriving family practice in Hamilton with something like....kayaking (especially since that canoe was seeming pretty inadequate in the big waves Georgian Bay).  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.  Kayaking is Siobhan's passion but when not out on the water she dabbles in many things like running, skiing (downhill and nordic), playing the guitar, painting t-shirts...but mostly hanging out with her sweetie and the best dog on the planet-"Rickards".

Meaghan Jones Meaghan joined White Squall halfway through the summer of 2006, and is currently in grade 11 at Parry Sound High School. Meaghan enjoys life and all it has to offer and is very active with running, xcountry skiing with the school team and joined the gymnastics school team too which she finds loads of fun! She plays piano (gr. 8 and planning to go on), plays flute with the school band as well as teaches and takes classes in flute. And that's just the weekdays!!! On weekends when not working at Squall or paddling you'll find Meaghan horseback riding, biking, swimming or skiing in cold weather. She has canoed and camped since she can remember and started kayaking around age 7. Meaghan is a Paddle Canada Level 1 Kayak Skills paddler, has Bronze Cross and Wilderness First Aid training and now has her Flatwater Instrustors certification. She loves to be outside, loves to run, loves music, & best of all loves being an apprentice at WhiteSquall! We are sure happy of that!

Kevin Utas "I grew up moving around a lot to places like Texas, Germany, California and Halifax, which is great for someone who loves the outdoors. The hiking and skiing don't get much better than in the Alps. I first started kayaking in Halifax. We lived outside the city on a small harbour called Ketch Harbour, a great place to learn to kayak. Currently I am in my 3rd year of Laurentian University's Outdoor Adventure Leadership program. I enjoy paddling and teaching at the Laurentian University Kayak Club as it's vice president. Other hobbies of mine include hiking, climbing, canoeing and scuba diving. This will be Kevin's first season guiding and instructing at the Squall.

Rebecca MacDonald Rebecca writes: "I was born in Toronto but I grew up in Nashville, Tennessee. I’ve paddled on rivers in Tennessee and gone white-water rafting in North Carolina. I’m completing my first year in Chemical Engineering at the University of Tennessee and I’m really excited to be joining the White Squall family this summer.  I think it’s really neat to share the love of paddling on Georgian Bay and be paid to do it! I’ve spent every summer of my life kayaking and canoeing with my family at our family’s cottages on Horse Island near Parry Sound, and I have extensive canoe-tripping experience in Algonquin Park from my days as a Camper at Tanamakoon.I am a Red Cross Certified Life Guard with CPR and First Aid Certifications; I have successfully earned the Life Saving Society’s Bronze Cross. During the academic year I spent most of my time either enthralled in marching band practice or earning my 2nd degree Black Belt in Tae Kwon Do, a Korean form of martial arts." We are really excited to have Rebecca join us for her 1st season as an apprentice guide and instructor at the Squall.

Cate Ahrens Cate is thrilled to be a new part-time White Squall staff member. She has recently graduated from the Environment and Resource Studies program at the University of Waterloo and has been selected for a year-long internship with the Georgian Bay Biosphere Reserve doing education and outreach in Parry Sound. Next year, Cate will be enrolled in the Master of Education program at Queen' s University. Cate has a long history 'on the water', growing up as a competitive swimmer and a synchronized swimmer, canoe tripping for the past fifteen years, and falling in love with kayaking on a two-week trip on the north shore of Lake Superior last summer. Off of the water, Cate is happy to spend hours cycling on the road, teaching spin classes, hiking, and x-country skiing. Cate has completed her ORCKA Tripping 2 certification and is completing the Advanced Wilderness First Aid course this spring.

Ashley Strange Ashley joined the White Squall family in the summer of 2007. She is finishing up her third year at Laurentian University in the Outdoor Adventure and Leadership program. Ashley grew up in Toronto, moving away from the city in grade 8 to a town called Waterdown (outside of Hamilton). Ashley fell in love with Water-sports through her high school career, including canoeing, waterpolo, teaching swimming, and kayaking. She fell in love with Georgian Bay through trips to a family cottage in Skerryvore. Ashley is a PC Level 1 Sea Kayak Paddler, Flatwater Instructor, Wilderness First Responder, and has her lifeguard training. When not out on the water, Ashley enjoys playing guitar, throwing around a frisbee, running, cooking, and telling really corny jokes!