Meet Al, Lin & Taylor
AL PACE
Since 1977, Al Pace has created bold, stoneware, pottery vessels at his Farmhouse Pottery Studio. His gallery in the Hockley Valley is a well-known destination for arts and culture in Ontario. In 1991, Al handcrafted his attractive, 24′ x 32′ log showroom building using logs from his property. His distinctive pottery is often inspired by his northern wilderness journeys and is sought after by collectors in Canada and worldwide. Al was honoured to have The Province of Ontario present his work to both Queen Elizabeth II and Pope John Paul II.
At a young age, Al was introduced to canoe-tripping and fell in love with the simple pleasures of sharing a wilderness experience. His thirst for adventure lead him to his first arctic adventure on The Coppermine River in 1977. Since that life-altering experience thirty-one years ago Al has explored all regions of Canada’s northern wilderness logging more than 20,000 river miles. Al has guided trips with family, friends, Canoe North clients, Camp Hurontario, Kilcoo Camp and Lakefield College School. Al was inspired with white-water canoeing while a student at Lakefield College in the 1970′s. In 2007, Al guided a 30-year LCS Anniversary Expedition on the Keele River NWT which included HRH, The Duke of York. Al is a tremendous team player whose leadership style is both inspirational and unforgettable. Many of his campfire stories are unbelievable – quite literally!
In 1993, Al was a Founding Director of the Headwaters Country Tourism Association located in Central Ontario. Al represented artists and cultural stakeholders of this “new” tourist region. Al took a leadership role in the Tourism Association acting as Chairman from 1995-1997. During this time, he developed a keen understanding of customer demographics and the importance of integrated tourism products. Al was instrumental in founding both the Headwaters Arts Festival and the Headwaters Studio Tour. In 1997, Al produced the first edition of the Guide Map to Headwaters Country, an attractive and highly effective marketing tool which helped Headwaters Country establish a recognizable and competitive “Brand” in Central Ontario.
Since 2007 Al has volunteered as a CPAWS board members with the Ontario Chapter. He is also a member of WTAY, the Wilderness Tourism association of Yukon and a member of NWT Tourism.
LIN WARD
Lin Ward graduated in 1985 with her MBA from the Schulich School of Business at York University. Over the next 15 years, Lin worked as a business consultant working as an associate in two companies: Gareth Morgan and Associates, and STS Associates. Both of these companies hold international acclaim in both operational and strategic planning. Lin started her career working on plant floor initiatives and moved on to working in strategic planning. Clients have included Kodak Canada, Volkswagen Canada, General Signal, Ciba Geigy, Domtar, Miller Brewing, BCE, Burnside Consulting Engineers and Upjohn Pharmaceuticals.
Lin started her paddling career in the early 1980s initially in Ontario and very soon after in the Yukon and NWT. It took only one trip in the far north to convince her that paddling and hiking in this region was going to be a major part of her life. As one of the two lead guides for Canoe North Adventures, Lin has now paddled over 9000 miles in both the Yukon and NWT. She thrives on leading all of Canoe North Adventures trips including her popular women’s expeditions. Lin is an excellent teacher and excels at helping clients improve their canoeing skills in a supportive and fun environment in the far north and back in Ontario. She is a strong team player and believes deeply in the restorative quality of northern adventure. She is in charge of the majority of the logistical organization for the company, and plans and executes the menu preparation.
Lin has been an avid horseback rider her whole life and has her private pilots license. Lin has served on The Orangeville Economic Development Committee as a member and as chairperson and has been a member of three local boards of director including our local tourism organization, our theatre and our hospital.
Taylor Pace
Taylor Pace took his first trip to Canada’s far north when he was three years old when he travelled with his family on a road trip through parts of Yukon and Alaska. He has travelled north every year since and now at nineteen has become an accomplished paddler with many miles of experience paddling the rivers of the Yukon and Northwest Territories.
He graduated from Lakefield College School with Honours with Distinction in 2007 and then took a gap year where he honed his skills as a waiter at a local restaurant called the Black Birch Bistro. He now attends Bishops University in Lennoxville, Quebec majoring in Drama. In what little spare time he has, his main interest is in whitewater kayaking and play boating.
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…
Contact Us