Operation Bases
The Canoe North Adventures winter base in the Hockley Valley, one of Ontario’s most significant tourism regions located just outside of Orangeville less than an hour’s drive from Toronto, Barrie, Waterloo, Collingwood, Hamilton, Burlington, Brampton and Oakville. Al and Lin’s unique approach to their company is highly personalized, educational and genuine with a distinct ability to help wilderness enthusiasts turn their dreams into the reality of a northern adventure.
Canoe North Adventures shares this Ontario base with Al and Lin’s other business, The Farmhouse Pottery and their private residence. Al constructed his beautiful log studio to complement their log home, circa 1939.The property is a graceful combination of a historic log home and a beautiful two story log gallery that holds an extensive collection of Al’s wilderness-inspired pottery. These beautiful buildings nestle on the banks of the Nottawasaga River with a gracious landscape that invites the visitor to take a step out of their hectic world and find a welcoming smile and an agreeable dash of hospitality.
The showroom gallery is gracefully displayed with Al’s wilderness pottery with a backdrop of storyboards that tell a compelling story of river and hiking trips in the far north. A flat-screen TV shows a continuous loop of images of northern rivers and a promotional multimedia DVDs showing paddling in the northern reaches of Canada is available.
Canoe North Adventures has two bases of operation in Whitehorse, Yukon and Norman Wells, Northwest Territories from June to September. We leave our studio gallery for that entire time in the capable hands of our studio manager. All of our expeditions start from these bases and gear and canoes are stored here throughout the year. Currently, we are constructing a hospitality and interpretive centre at the float base in Norman Wells where our clients can have a comfortable setting to set off on their journeys.
The partnership and symbiosis between The Farmhouse Pottery and Canoe North Adventures has represented a significant crossover in customers. The wilderness storyboards, featuring spectacular photographs and text about our northern rivers, inspire the dreams of our client prospects to consider a northern journey travelling with Canoe North Adventures.
Although these clients come to purchase a special piece of pottery from the gallery, almost all speak to us about our love for the outdoors and the possibilities of one day joining us on a trip of a lifetime. We have discovered a huge link between those people who are interested in visiting our pottery gallery and those who love the wilderness. Having grown up in Ontario, these pottery customers share our provincial culture of camping, summer camps, cottages, Algonquin Park, canoeing, hiking and a deep love of the wilderness. Ontario is a province of lakes and rivers and many people have a lifetime of involvement in these activities. We pride ourselves in our ability to educate and inspire these people who have never considered a trip to the far north about the possibility that they could embark on such an adventure. It is not unusual that a customer comes into our studio to purchase a wedding gift and then six months later, they are in the back of a float plane flying into a world-class river experience and wondering how this all happened?
Featured Adventures
- Tischu River
Our exploratory trip on the Tischu River, a tributary of the Keele River
News & Events
- Fall Newsletter November 2011
We have just posted our 2012 Expedition Program and you will see that we have offered two new winter trips including an ice-road adventure to Norman Wells! We are very excited to be offering a Coppermine River Adventure – this was my first ever arctic canoe trip when I was just 18 years old! Other [...]
- Celebrate Sahtu
On July 23rd, The Town of Norman Wells, North-Wright Airways and Canoe North Adventures will host a celebration that will showcase the wilderness of the Sahtu Region and recognize the collaboration of effort to brand the Sahtu Region of the Northwest Territories as a tourism destination with national and international recognition. This event will highlight the [...]
- Great Bear River Exploration
This past summer, Lin Ward, Susan Casson, Matt Casson and Karl Schiefer checked out the Great Bear River. North-Wright Airways flew them into the First Nation community of Deline on Great Bear Lake. Once canoes were loaded they only paddled a short distance out to a camp right on Great Bear Lake. Karl and Matt [...]
- The 2010 Operator of the Year Award for the Northwest Territories
The award was presented to Al and Lin by the Minister of Tourism at the Northwest Territories Tourism Gala Dinner held in Inuvik on Thursday, November 25th…
- Our Outfitting Centre
It has been a long-standing dream of Canoe North Adventures …
- The Redstone River Exploratory Expedition
The Redstone River is unique in that…
- Canol Heritage Trail Exploratory Hike, 2009
At Canoe North, we are always intrigued with the prospect of a grand adventure…
- Ice Road
The trip took eight days and the last two days …
- Exploratory Trips
In 2009, we are planning two more exploratory trips…
- New Air Services and Canoeing Base for CNA, 2009
at the North-Wright Airways float base in Norman Wells…
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